12.7: Modal Auxiliaries

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Athena Kashyap & Erika Dyquisto
City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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We all need to express our moods and emotions, both in writing and in our everyday life. We do this by using modal auxiliaries to verbs.

Modal Auxiliaries

Modal auxiliaries are a type of helping verb that is used only with a main verb to help express the verb's mood.

The following is the basic formula for using a modal auxiliary:

Subject	+	modal auxiliary	+	main verb
James		may		call

There are ten main modal auxiliaries in English, which are shown in Table 12.7.

**Table 12.7 -- Modal Auxiliaries**
Modal Auxiliary	Use	Modal Auxiliary + Main Verb
can	Expresses an ability or possibility	I can lift this forty-pound box. (ability)
can	Expresses an ability or possibility	We can embrace green sources of energy. (possibility)
could	Expresses an ability in the past; a present possibility; a past or future permission	I could beat you at chess when we were kids. (past ability)
		We could bake a pie! (present possibility)
		Could we pick some flowers from the garden? (future permission)
may	Expresses uncertain future action; permission; ask a yes-no question	I may attend the concert. (uncertain future action)
		You may begin the exam. (permission)
		May I attend the concert? (yes-no questions)
might	Expresses uncertain future action	I might attend the concert (uncertain future action—same as may)
shall	Expresses intended future action	I shall go to the opera. (intended future action)
should	Expresses obligation; ask if an obligation exists	I should mail my RSVP. (obligation, same as ought to)
should	Expresses obligation; ask if an obligation exists	Should I call my mother? (asking if an obligation exists)
will	Expresses intended future action; ask a favor; ask for information	I will get an A in this class. (intended future action)
		Will you buy me some chocolate? (favor)
		Will you be finished soon? (information)
would	States a preference; request a choice politely; explain an action; introduce habitual past actions	I would like the steak, please. (preference)
		Would you like to have breakfast in bed? (request a choice politely)
		I would go with you if I didn’t have to babysit tonight. (explain an action)
		He would write to me every week when we were dating. (habitual past action)
must	Expresses obligation	We must be on time for class.
ought to	Expresses obligation	I ought to mail my RSVP. (obligation, same as may)

Use the following format to form a yes-no (closed) question with a modal auxiliary:

Modal auxiliary	+	subject	+	main verb
Should		I		drive?

Be aware of these four common errors when using modal auxiliaries:

Using an infinitive instead of a base verb after a modal
Incorrect: I can to move this heavy table.

Correct: I can move this heavy table.
Using a gerund instead of an infinitive or a base verb after a modal
Incorrect: I could moving to the United States.

Correct: I could move to the United States.
Using two modals in a row
Incorrect: I should must renew my passport.

Correct: I must renew my passport.

Correct: I should renew my passport.
Leaving out a modal
Incorrect: I renew my passport.

Correct: I must renew my passport.

Exercise 1

Edit the following short paragraph by correcting the common modal auxiliary errors.

I may to go to France on vacation next summer. I shall might visit the Palace of Versailles. I would to drive around the countryside. I could imagining myself living there; however, I will not move to France because my family should miss me very much.

Modals and Present Perfect Verbs

In the previous section, we defined present perfect verb tense as describing a continuing situation or something that has just happened.

Figure: Be aware of the following common errors when using modal auxiliaries in the present perfect tense:

Incorrect: Jamie would had attended the party, but he was sick.
Correct: Jamie would have attended the party, but he was sick.
Incorrect: Jamie would attended the party, but he was sick.
Correct: Jamie would have attended the party, but he was sick.

Exercise 2

On a separate sheet of paper, complete the following sentences by changing the given verb form to a modal auxiliary in present perfect tense.

The man ________ (laugh).
The frogs ________ (croak).
My writing teacher ________ (smile).
The audience ________ (cheer) all night.
My best friend ________ (giggled).

If you would like a more in-depth view of modal verbs, watch the following video:

Contributors and Attributions

CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY:

Adapted from College ESL Writers: Applied Grammar and Composing Strategies for Success. Authored by: Barbara Hall and Elizabeth Wallace. Provided by: GALILEO Open Learning Materials. License: CC BY-NC-SA (3.0): Attribution.