Modal Verbs

Modal verbs, also known as modal auxiliary verbs, are used together with other verbs to show the
speaker’s attitude towards the factual content of what is expressed in the main verb.
The main meanings they express are :

 PERMISSION,OBLIGATION, VOLITION, POSSIBILITY, PROBABILITY, PREDICTION.

The core verbs in this class in English are :

 Can/could, may/might, must, shall/should, will/would

Marginal modals which have the syntactic features of the core modals in English are :
 to, be able to, be allowed to, be supposed to, have to, ought to, would like to

We can distinguish between two main types of modal verb usage, according to whether internal or
external factors are involved. What do internal and external factors mean? By internal factors we mean
factors implying some sort of human control over events, i.e. permission, obligation, volition. By
external factors we mean events which involve assessment of a situation rather than human control of
events, i.e. possibility, probability, prediction.

 Permission, possibility: can/could, may/might, etc.

A- Permission

 Can/could
‘Dad, can I use your car tonight?’
‘Yes, you can.’

Until 1918, only men could vote in British elections.

 Be allowed to
Until 1918, only men were allowed to vote in U.K. elections.

 May/might( permission –formal)

May I see your driving license, sir?

B- Possibility and Ability

 Can/could possibility (theoretical)

Even experts can be wrong, you know.
It is possible even for experts to be wrong, you know.

Even when he was four he could play the piano.

 Be able to/ Be able to: past achievement (obligatory)
I’ve not been able to reach Miranda yet.

 May/might: possibility(specific)
He may not be there.
He can’t be there.

 Obligation, probability: have to, must, need, should, ought to

A- Obligation

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 Have (got) to: strong obligation
When you have (got) to go, you have (got) to go.

 Need: obligation
Need she take an umbrella, do you think? (formal)

 BrE: must: strong obligation

Tom, I must stop now – I’ve got to drive the children to school.

 Should: weak obligation

Look at all this litter! People should be more careful!

 Ought to: weak obligation

Going outside in this weather – you ought to have more sense!

B- Probability
 Have to, must, should, ought to
That should be enough.

 Volition and prediction: will/would, shall/should

A- Volition

 Will: requests
Will you help me to carry these boxes?

 Will: strong volition, refusal

The twins have locked themselves in their room and won’t open the door.

 Want: volition
 Shall: offers
Should we re-think our approach, perhaps? (British, polite)

B- Prediction

 Will: prediction(present)
Boys will be boys.

 Marginal modals : be to (plans, orders), be said to (reporting), be supposed to (reporting,

expectation), dare, used to, would like to
 Be to: plans
The concert is to begin at 8 pm.
 Be to: orders
 Be said to: reporting
 Be supposed to: reporting
 Be supposed to: expectation
 Dare
 Used to
 Would like to

 Use of could in past achievement sense

I’m afraid I couldn’t reach you this morning. The line was engaged.

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Reference: Sammon, Geoff: studium kompakt Anglistik/ Amerikanistik : Exploring English
Grammar - Berlin: Cornelsen, 2002