What Are 'Modal Verbs'?
'Modal verbs' (also called modals or modal auxiliary verbs) are special verbs that give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows them. Modals have a wide variety of communicative functions.
- Lack of necessity
Modal Verbs in English
General Rules of Modal Verbs
How to Conjugate Modals with Different Subjects?
The only way to conjugate modal verbs with all persons is the basic form of them; in other words, they never change, we mean the rules of adding s, -ing, or -ed only dedicate to main verbs not modal verbs.
swim in this pool.")
ride at dawn.")
Can They Stand Alone?
Actually, modals do not complete the meaning of a sentence. Therefore, they need another verb to make sense. The rule of adding verbs to modals is to add infinitive without -to (also known as bare infinitive or basic form of the verb).
I might to my house, if doesn't rain makes no logical sense, in this example.
How to Make Negative Sentences with Modals?
In order to make a modal verb negative, all you have to do is to add 'not' to the modal verb.
If I were you I
Sometimes, by contracting negative modal-verbs; we have a change in the main appearance of the verb. Such as:
Here in this example, 'won't' is the contracted form of 'will not'.
The modal verb 'can', has two negative forms, one is can not and the other is cannot which is used as a single term in formal writings. Remember we are not allowed to write cann't for contraction; the correct form is can't.
Researchers must do more to ensure that human cells
However, it is rare to use shan't in informal and daily speaking English, it is the technical contracted form of 'shall not.'
How to Make Questions with Modals?
Modals are also used when making questions. In this case, we put the modal verb at the beginning of the sentence. In wh- questions we put the interrogative word at the beginning of the sentence followed by a yes/no question.
How Modals Work in Tag Questions?
'Modals' can appear in tag questions as well. They are made without the main verb being expressed (Can he?, Would they?). Generally, when the main sentence is affirmative the following tag question must be negative and vice versa.
He can speak Italian,
They wouldn’t follow us,
You cannot be more patient,
I shouldn't call him,
Good to Know!
You must have a comma before tag questions.
You won't never ever leave me, will you?
Jake should start practicing for the big match, shouldn't he?
Are Modal Verbs Different from Auxiliary Verbs?
Modals are very similar to auxiliary verbs, the reason why they are also called modal auxiliary verbs. This table shows the differences and the similarities between them:
|modal verbs||auxiliary verbs|
|making the tense/voice||✔|
|can be conjugated||✔|
|making the inversion/negation||✔||✔|
|being used more than once||✔|
'Been' and 'have' are auxiliary verbs. So it is possible to have more than one auxiliary verbs in a sentence.
When there are both auxiliary verbs and modal verbs in a sentence, the modal is used for negation or interrogation. Look:
Modal verbs precede the main verb to give more information about the function of a verb. These verbs are used to express probability, possibility, ability, obligation, advice, permission, prohibition, lack of necessity, habits by using the following words as modal verbs: