S.
S Jain Senior Secondary School
Class XI
Subject: English
Grammar: Modals
Modals
🔹 What are Modals?
Modals are helping verbs that express the mood, ability, possibility, necessity, obligation, or
permission of the main verb.
They are always used with the base form of the verb (without to, except with ought to, have to,
used to).
🔹 List of Common Modals
1. Can / Could – ability, possibility, permission
2. May / Might – permission, possibility, wish
3. Shall / Should – future intention, advice, obligation
4. Will / Would – future, willingness, habit, polite request
5. Must – necessity, strong obligation, certainty
6. Ought to – moral duty, obligation
7. Need / Need not – necessity or lack of necessity
8. Dare / Dare not – courage or lack of it
9. Used to – past habitual action
🔹 Important Rules
1. Modals never change form (no -s, -ed, or -ing).
She can sing. She cans sing.
2. Modals are always followed by the base verb.
He must go. He must goes.
3. Negative is formed by adding not after the modal.
She cannot dance.
4. Questions are formed by placing the modal before the subject.
Can you help me?
🔹 Functions of Important Modals (with examples)
• Can – ability (I can swim), permission (You can go now), possibility (It can rain).
• Could – past ability (I could run fast when young), polite request (Could you lend me
a pen?).
• May – possibility (It may rain), permission (May I sit here?).
• Might – weak possibility (He might come tomorrow).
• Must – necessity (You must wear a helmet), deduction (He must be tired).
• Shall – promise (I shall help you), formal obligation (You shall obey the rules).
• Should – advice (You should study hard), moral duty (We should respect elders).
• Will – future (I will call you), willingness (I will help you).
• Would – polite request (Would you open the window?), habitual action (He would
play cricket daily).
• Ought to – moral duty (We ought to speak truth).
• Need / Need not – necessity (You need to finish homework), no necessity (You need
not worry).
• Dare / Dare not – courage (He dares to speak truth), lack of courage (He dare not
lie).
• Used to – past habit (She used to walk daily).
✨ Practice
A. Fill in the blanks with suitable modals:
1. We ___ (should/may) obey our parents.
2. It looks cloudy. It ___ (can/might) rain today.
3. Students ___ (must/need) be punctual in school.
4. You ___ (need not/must) come tomorrow if you are busy.
5. ___ (May/Should) I borrow your book for a day?
6. Long ago, people ___ (would/can) travel only by bullock carts.
7. He is very tired. He ___ (must/might) take some rest.
8. You ___ (ought/shall) not speak lies.
9. She ___ (can/will) play the piano very well.
10. We ___ (dare not/need not) speak against the unjust king.
B. Rewrite the sentences using suitable modals:
1. It is necessary to wear a seatbelt.
2. It is possible that he is at home.
3. Do I have your permission to enter?
4. He had a habit of smoking.
5. It is your duty to help the poor.
C. Correct the errors:
1. He cans swim very well.
2. You musts not cheat in the exam.
3. She will goes to market.
4. He dare to not speak truth.
5. You needs to work hard.
D. Sample Questions
1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals:
(a) You ___ (can/must) not park your car here.
(b) We ___ (may/should) not waste food.
2. Rewrite using modals:
(a) It is our moral duty to help the poor.
(b) Perhaps it will rain today.
3. Correct the following:
(a) She cans sing very well.
(b) They musts study hard.