1) Modal verbs are used to express modality or possibility rather than facts. There are 13 modal verbs in English including present and past forms.
2) Modal verbs have grammatical features different from main verbs such as not showing tense or person. They are always followed by a bare infinitive verb form.
3) Modals like "can" express ability or permission while "may" is more tentative. "Must" expresses logical certainty or obligation depending on context.