Modal verbs - Introduction and Rules to follow

Modal verbs

Introduction

Model verbs are a handy set of verbs that adds additional information to the main verb.

A statement can express possibility, ability, obligation, permission, or advice to the verb depending on the modal verb added with the verb.

The Modal verbs are: can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, and must.

One modal verb can be used to express various things.

For example, the modal verb “can” can be used to express ability, permission, and request.

I can play the piano

Can I go to the restroom?

Can you open the window? It's too hot.

 

It's better to understand which modal can be used in a particular situation than to memorize which situation can a modal be particularly used in since It can be quite confusing cramming the different situations one modal can express.

 

Rules for modal verb usage

Rule1: A modal verb is always followed by the base verb.

A modal verb is always followed immediately by an infinitive without the “to” in a normal sentence.

Subject+modal verb+infinitive

E.g.:

     I        |       will         |    teach   |  you how to write the Japanese kanji script.

Subject  |  modal verb  | infinitive |

 

Rule2: Modal verb comes first in a question sentence.

 In interrogative sentences, Modal verbs are followed by the subject and the verb.

Modal+subject+infinitive

E.g.:

Would    |     you    |     like     |     a sample of this meatball? The sample is free.

Modal    |  subject  | infinitive|

 

Rule3: Modal verb does not have different tense forms.

Modal verbs, unlike other verbs, do not have different forms for different tenses.

E.g.:

Can        ✔️                   caned, cans     ❌

 

Rule4: “Not” is added after the modal for negative form.

For negative form, “not” must be added immediately after the modal and nowhere else in the sentence.

(The negative form of can – cannot is a single word and should not be written separately as can not)

Negative forms	Contractions
Cannot	Can’t
Could not	Couldn’t
Shall not	Shan’t
Should not	Shouldn’t
Will not	Won’t
Would not	Wouldn’t
Must not	Mustn’t
May not	-
Might not	-

 Worksheet