Intro to Modals.
Meet the true modals, their shared characteristics, and their most common meanings.
Intro to ModalsSlide 1 of 6
Summary
Intro to Modals introduces the true modals may, might, can, could, should, had better, and must. It explains that these forms take the root form of the following verb and generally cannot be conjugated.
The presentation groups modal meanings by context, including possibility, permission, ability, probability, advice, expectation, conclusion, obligation, and prohibition. It also introduces conjugatable alternatives and shows how a modal perfect can refer to a past possibility or conclusion.
Important points
- True modals take the root form of the following verb, without to.
- The presentation treats can/could as the exception to the rule that modals cannot be conjugated.
- A single modal can express different meanings in different contexts.
- May, can, and could can express permission.
- Must can express a conclusion or an obligation, while mustn’t expresses prohibition.
- Alternatives such as be able to, be supposed to, and have to can be conjugated.
- A modal perfect can refer to the past, as in could have gone or must have forgotten.
Self-test
Choose one answer for each question, then check your answers. Your results are private and disappear when you refresh the page.