Modal Auxiliary Verb

What is a Modal Auxiliary?

A verb used to express the mood/intention or attitude of a speaker is called Modal Auxiliary.

Modals;

• Can
• Could 
• May 
• Might
• Must 
• Should
• Would
• Have to/has to
• Ought to
• Used to 
• Need
• Dare 
• Shall/Will
• Am/was

All Modals Suggest the following uses but it depends on as per the sentence requirements and speaker's mood/intention.

Uses/Functions;

• Permission
• Ability
• Possibility
• Suggestion, Advice
• Promise 
• Intention
• Request 
• Necessity, Compulsion
• Prohibition 
• Wish or Prayer
• Duty, Obligation

Friends, let's learn Uses/Functions of Modals:

1) Can (able to): Uses/Functions
Can is used to show ability (Present, Past & Future)

• Virat can play cricket.
• Virat can not play cricket.
• Can Virat play cricket?
• Can Virat not play cricket?
• What can Virat play?
• What can Virat not play?

(Types of the sentences, yaad aaya?)

• Aanav will be able to help me. (future of ‘can’)
• I have been able to do it. (perfect of ‘can’)

2) Could (able to): Uses/Functions

• Could is to show Polite Request
• Could you please do it for me?
• Could you please lend me some money.

3) May is used to express:
i) Possibility

• Virat may play cricket.
• Virat may not play cricket.
• May Virat play cricket?
• May Virat not play cricket?
• What may Virat play?
• What may Virat not play?

ii) Permission

• May I come in?
• Yes, you may come in.

iii) Wish or Prayer

• May you enjoy your life!
• May you live long!

iv) Purpose

• She works hard so that she may pass.
• She came so that she might see me.

v) Remote Possibility
‘Might’ is used in place of ‘may’ to express remote possibility.

• It might rain.
• He might be sleeping now.
• ‘Might’ is used when the reporting verb is in the past.

vi) May/Might+Have They are used to express possibility/desirability relating
to the past action. For example

• He may/might have left yesterday. (It is possible he left)
• He might have failed. (It is possible he failed)
• Better, you might not have revealed the secret. (The secret was revealed)

4) Might is used to express: 
Less possibility

• Virat might play cricket. (virat kriket khel sakate hain.)
• Virat might not play cricket. (virat kriket nahin khel sakate hain.)
• Might Virat play cricket? (virat kriket khel sakate hain?)
• Might Virat not play cricket? (virat kriket nahin khel sakate hain?)
• What might Virat play? (virat kya khel sakate hain?)
• What might Virat not play? (virat kya nahin khel sakate hain?)

5) Must It expresses
i) Compulsion

• Virat must play cricket.
• Virat must not play cricket.
• Must Virat play cricket?
• Must Virat not play cricket?
• What must Virat play?
• What must Virat not play?
• You must follow instructions.
• I must leave now.
• You must not leave now. 
• They must not play here.

ii) Strong Possibility (in place of ‘may’)

• It is ten. The teacher must be in the class.
• She must be working in the office now.

iii) Deduction, Inference

• He has a big house. He must be rich.
• She reads a lot. She must be learned.

iv) Must + Have This form is used for a past action or situation indicating non-performance of action. For example

• You must have followed instructions.
• You must have left them.
• I must have helped him.

6) Should It is used to express
i) Duty/Obligation

• Virat should play cricket.
• You should stand by your brother.
• I should leave now.
• Promises should be kept
• He should be present here.

ii) Future in the Past

• I told him that I should go there.
• Did I not tell you that I should qualify?

iii) Purpose

• Walk carefully lest you should fall.

iv) Condition

• Should you work hard, you will succeed. (‘should’ is used in the sense of ‘if’.)

vi) Should + Have This form is used to express obligation in the past. It may
imply the non-performance of the action. For example

• You should have stood by your brother.
• He should have left a message.
• He should have been present at the party.
• My brother should have replied politely.

7) Would It is used in the following cases

• Would you please help my son? (polite request)
• She told me that she would give me money.(future in the past)
• I would/should like to play now.(wish)
• I would rather stay. (wish)
• Who is she? She would be his sister.(possibly she is)
• She would be sixteen. (possibly she is)
• He would go to Mumbai by car.(habitual)

8) have to obligation (In the Present, Past and Future).
Virat has to play cricket.
I have to leave for Mumbai today.
I don’t have to meet Raj now.(need not)
I have not to meet Aarya now.
I will have to get up early in the morning.
I had to leave for Mumbai yesterday.
I did not have to meet him there. (need not have)
9) Ought to: It expresses
i) Duty or Moral Obligation when there is a strong sense of moral duty.

• Virat ought to play for his motherland.

ii) Ought to + Have This construction is used in relation to past action of duty that was not fulfilled or an action that was neglected in the past.

• You ought to have taken care of your wife.
• You ought to have served your parents.
• He ought to have been present at the wedding of his friend.
• He ought not to have lied.

10) Used To : used to is replaced with would. It is used to denote past discounted Habitual Action. 

• Virat used to play Test Matches.
• He used to go to Mumbai by car.
• He used not to go to Mumbai.
• He did not use to go to Mumbai.
• Anushka would study at noon.
• She would go out with me in the morning.

11) Need & Need Not
‘Need’ can be treated as an auxiliary or as an ordinary verb. As an auxiliary verb it is used mainly in the negative and the interrogative forms with direct infinitive. It has no past tense.
i) Need Not It is used for an action which is not necessary.

• He needs to work hard. (Ordinary verb)
• Need I write to him? (Auxiliary verb)
• He need not go there again. (Auxiliary verb)
• He need not phone her now. (Auxiliary verb)
• You do not need to go now. (Ordinary verb)

ii) Need Not + Have This form is used for an action which was not necessary but was performed.

• You need not have gone there.
• Aarnav need not have phoned her yesterday.

12) Dare: ‘Dare’ can be treated as an auxiliary or as an ordinary verb. As an auxiliary verb, it is used mainly in the negative and the interrogative forms with direct infinitives.

• She dared her sister to touch her. (Challenge, Ordinary verb)
• He does not dare me to fight. (Challenge, Ordinary verb)
• I dare to go outside now. (To have courage, Ordinary verb)
• He dares to abuse his rivals. (To have courage, Ordinary verb)
• I dare not go outside now. (Auxiliary verb)
• He dare not abuse his rivals. (Auxiliary verb)
• I dare say she will cheat you. (I suppose)
• I dare say my friend will pass. (it is likely)

13) Will/Shall is used with promises or voluntary actions that take place in the future and to make predictions about the future. 

• Next week I am going to Mumbai.
• I will visit this site again. 

14) Am/Was (To be + Infinitive) This expression is used to
i) Express plan

• I am to make a excercise tomorrow.
• She is to leave for the States after marriage.
• I was to make a excercise yesterday.
• She was to leave for the States for higher study.

ii) Express Order (In the sense of ‘must’)
Students are to wait outside.

1. The servant is to remain in the house till we return.

iii) Obligation/Duty

• I am to help my ailing (ill) brother.
• My friend was to send money to his sister

iv) To be + have This expression is used to express an action that could not
take place according to plan.

• He was to have attended marriage but fell ill.
• Raj was to have appeared at the examination but she gave up the plan.

MODAL AT A GLANCE (Remember it with  one word technique)

• Can - ability
• Could - polite request
• May - possibility, permission, prayer 
• Might - less possibility
• Must - compulsion
• Should - advice
• Would - wish, past
• Have to/has to - obligation
• Ought to - moral duty
• Used to - past discontinued action 
• Need - necessity
• Dare - challenge/daring
• Shall/Will - futurity
• Am/was -future plan

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