modals made easy for secondary students

1. Modals
Modals are those which together with the
main verbs express the modes or manners
of the action denoted by the verbs.

2. list of Modals
will, shall, would, should, can, could,
may, might, must, dare, need,
ought to, used to.

3. SHALL
Shall is used in first person to express pure future
Shall is used in 2nd
&3rd
person also.
Shall
CoMMand proMise threat will of person
1. You shall not go out.
2. You shall have a holiday tomorrow.
3. He shall be punished.
4. Shall I open the door.

4. SHOULD
Should is the past tense of shall.
Should
duty supposition adviCe purpose
1. You should help the poor
2. If it should rain, we shall not go to Delhi
3. You should see a doctor
4. I ran fast lest i should miss the train

5. WILL
Will is used in second & third person to express pure future.
It is also used in first person.
Will
determination
promise
threat
wish
request
willingness
characteristic habit
1. I will die for my country.
2. I will lend you money.
3. I will punish you if you fall in the examination.
4. I will come to see you.
5. Will you sing a song for me?
6. I will help you.
7. He will sit for hours listening to the music.

6. WOULD
Would is the past tense of will.
Would
polite request
wish
determination
past habit
willingness
uncertainly
1. Would you please open the door.
2. Would that I were rich.
3. He would rather die than beg.
4. He would talk upon any subject for hours.
5. She said that she would carry my books.
6. Had he worked hard , he would have passed.

7. CAN
Ability Permission Possibility
1. I can speak three languages.
2. You can go now.
3. Everyone can make mistakes.

8. COULD
Ability in the past Polite request Permission Possibility
1. I could speak languages when I was three years
old.
2. Could you pass me the salt.
3. Could I use your telephone?
4. She wondered whenever it could be true .

9. MAY
Permission Possibility Wish Purpose Doubt
1. May I come in?
2. It may rain today.
3. May you live long!
4. We eat so that we may live.
5. It may not be true.

10. MIGHT
Permission Possibility Purpose Reproach
1. The student asked the Principal if he might go home.
2. He might come today.
3. He worked hard that he might become rich.
4. He might have told me the truth.

11. MUST
Advice Moral obligation fixed determination
Strong likelihood Inevitability
1. You must pay your taxes in time.
2. We must obey the laws of the land.
3. I must have my way in this matter.
4. He is not in his office. He must have gone on tour.
5. We all must die.

12. OUGHT TO
Moral obligation Duty
1. We ought to work hard.
2. You ought to help your parents.

13. DARE
To have courage
1. He dare not speak to me.
2. How dare you oppose me?

14. NEED
1. You need not go there.
2. Your shirt is dirty. It needs washing.