Modal Auxiliary Verbs

List of Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal auxiliary verbs are used to express ability, permission, possibility, necessity, and other conditions. Below are the most common modals and their main uses.

Can

Can expresses ability, permission, possibility, and offers.

• Expressing ability:
  "I can make five scarves in a week."
• Asking or giving permission:
  "Can I go to the restroom, Mr. Jones?"
• Expressing possibility:
  "You can get a scholarship if you maintain your grades."
• Giving offers:
  "Can I help you make the presentation?"

Could

Could is often the past tense of can but is also used politely for requests, expressing possibility, suggestions, and conditions.

• Ability in the past:
  "When I was eighteen, I could walk half a kilometer without sweating."
• Polite requests or permission:
  "Could you please be quiet?"
• Slight or uncertain possibility:
  "I think the sun could come out soon."
• Making suggestions or offers:
  "You could try convincing her to attend."
• Making conditions:
  "If you could get a scholarship, I will support you."

May

May is used for permission, polite offers, possibility, wishes, and opinions.

• Asking permission:
  "May I borrow this book?"
• Offering help politely:
  "May I help you carry those bags?"
• Expressing possibility:
  "There may be delays during shipping."
• Expressing wishes:
  "May God bless you."

Might

Might is a more polite or uncertain form of may, also used for permission and possibility.

• Reported permission:
  "She asked if she might go."
• Uncertain possibility:
  "It might rain later."
• Polite permission:
  "Might I ask you something?"

Will

Will is used for future tense, willingness, requests, likelihood, and commands.

• Future tense:
  "Dad will turn 50 tomorrow."
• Showing willingness:
  "I will certainly do it."
• Making requests:
  "Will you please lower your voice?"
• Expressing likelihood:
  "That will be their new house."

Would

Would is often used as the past tense of will, polite requests, preferences, and hypotheticals.

• Future in the past:
  "I thought he would come."
• Polite requests:
  "Would you mind helping me?"
• Expressing preferences or desires:
  "I would like to join."

Shall

Shall is used mainly with "I" and "we" to form future tense, make offers, suggestions, and formal commands.

• Future tense:
  "We shall stay here."
• Making offers and suggestions:
  "Shall we go for a walk?"
• Formal commands:
  "Employees shall use their time wisely."

Should

Should is used for polite obligations, advice, expectations, and conditional statements.

• Polite obligations:
  "You should not sleep while your hair is wet."
• Giving advice:
  "You should set a schedule."
• Expressing expectations:
  "The team should be here by now."

Must

Must expresses necessity, strong intention, suggestions, and certainty.

• Expressing necessity:
  "Our classroom door must be open at all times."
• Indicating strong intention:
  "We must leave now."
• Emphasizing suggestions:
  "You must join our next trip!"
• Expressing certainty:
  "You must be tired after work."