A Complete Advanced English Grammar
CHAPTER 3
MODAL
Titing Magfirah
Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Jakarta
E-mail: titingmagfirah@[Link]
3.1. INTRODUCTION
In English grammar, modals are auxiliary verbs that express
meanings related to ability, possibility, necessity, obligation, and
permission. These verbs are used to show the speaker’s attitude
toward the action of the main verb. According to Biber et al.
(2021, p. 175), modal verbs express the speaker’s stance toward
the proposition, indicating degree of certainty, requirement, or
permission in communication. Similarly, Azar & Hagen (2019, p.
256) define modals as helping verbs that add meanings such as
ability, advice, permission, necessity, and probability to the main
verb. These meanings help convey politeness, power, and social
relationship in discourse.
Modals play an important role in English because they help
the speaker express thoughts more accurately. For example, the
sentence “You must go now” expresses obligation, while “You
should go now” gives advice. Thus, understanding modals enables
learners to use English appropriately according to the situation and
purpose of communication.
3.2. MODALS
Modal verbs have unique grammatical properties. They do not
take inflectional endings such as -s, -ed, or -ing. Instead, they are
followed by the base form of the main verb (bare infinitive). For
example:
(1) She can sing beautifully.
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A Complete Advanced English Grammar
(2) He should study harder.
(3) We must be on time.
(4) They might come tomorrow.
Each modal verb carries specific meanings, but many overlap
in use depending on context. The most common modal verbs
include can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must,
and ought to.
Modal Function Example
Can Expresses ability, She can swim fast.
permission, or
possibility
Could Expresses past Could you open the
ability or polite window?
request
May Expresses You may enter the
permission or room.
possibility
Might Expresses weaker It might rain
possibility tonight.
Shall Expresses Shall we begin?
suggestion or
formal intention
Should Expresses advice or You should finish
expectation your task.
Will Expresses future or I will call you later.
willingness
Would Expresses polite Would you like
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A Complete Advanced English Grammar
request or some tea?
hypothetical
situation
Must Expresses You must wear a
obligation or helmet.
necessity
Ought to Expresses moral You ought to help
duty or advice your parents.
3.3. THE USE OF MODAL VERBS
Each modal verb can express multiple meanings depending on
the communicative context. The following discussion presents the
major uses of modal verbs in English.
Ability
Can and Could express ability or capacity.
She can speak English fluently.
When I was young, I could run faster than now.
Permission
Can, Could, and May express permission or polite requests.
Can I borrow your pen?
May I come in?
Could I leave early today?
Obligation and Necessity
Must and Have to indicate strong necessity or duty.
You must wear your ID card inside the building.
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A Complete Advanced English Grammar
Students have to attend the seminar.
Advice and Recommendation
Should and Ought to express advice or moral obligation.
You should study harder for the exam.
You ought to respect your teachers.
Possibility and Probability
May, Might, and Could show degrees of possibility.
It may snow tonight.
She might be at home now.
That could be the answer we are looking for.
Future Intention and Willingness
Will and Shall express future time or readiness to do
something.
I will send you the report tomorrow.
Shall we go to the meeting now?
Politeness
Would, Could, and Might make speech more polite and
indirect.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Could you please open the door?
Might I ask you a question?
3.4. CONCLUSION
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In summary, modal verbs are an essential aspect of English
grammar. They help speakers express attitudes such as ability,
permission, advice, obligation, and possibility. According to Azar
& Hagen (2019) and Biber et al. (2021), modals do not carry full
meaning on their own but modify the sense of the main verb to
show the speaker’s perspective and intention. Mastering modals
enables English learners to communicate accurately, politely, and
effectively in different contexts.
Examples Summary:
- Ability → She can swim fast.
- Permission → May I use your phone?
- Obligation → You must finish your homework.
- Advice → You should take a rest.
- Possibility → It might snow tonight.
REFERENCES
Azar, B. S., & Hagen, S. A. (2019). Understanding and Using
English Grammar (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
Biber, D., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (2021). Grammar
of Spoken and Written English. John Benjamins Publishing
Company.
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