These are word's grammars related to modal. Click on any word to go to its word's detail page. Or, go to the definition of modal.
Modality is about a speaker’s or a writer’s attitude towards the world. A speaker or writer can express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity and ability by using modal words and expressions.
Here are the main verbs we use to express modal meanings:
There are a number of other words and expressions in English, apart from the main modal verbs, which also express modal meanings.
Core modal verbs have only one form. They have no to-infinitive form, -ing form, past form or -ed form. We have to reword what we want to say by using other expressions:
5 Dare, need, ought to and used to (semi-modal verbs)
Dare, need, ought to and used to are often called semi-modal because in some ways they are formed like modal verbs and in some ways they are like other main verbs.
We often use modal verbs or other modal expressions when we want to express an opinion or attitude about a possible fact or to control a possible action. All modal expressions are about the speaker’s or writer’s view of the world.
Often the same modal verb is used to express different meanings.
10 Modal verbs in past, present and future time
Modal verbs do not change in form to make different tenses.
Apart from the core modal verbs, some other common verbs express modal meaning.
12 Verbs expressing possibility
These verbs express possibility and likelihood:
13 Verbs expressing obligation
These verbs express obligation, permission and necessity:
Apart from modal verbs, there are a lot of words which also express modality. They are words which express degrees of certainty or obligation.
We often use for certain for sure/for definite with know:
17 Modality: expressions with be
Some expressions with be have modal meanings:
Main verbs have meanings related to actions, events and states. Most verbs in English are main verbs:
Some main verbs are called linking verbs (or copular verbs). These verbs are not followed by objects. Instead, they are followed by phrases which give extra information about the subject (e.g. noun phrases, adjective phrases, adverb phrases or prepositional phrases). Linking verbs include:
There are three auxiliary verbs in English: be, do and have. Auxiliary verbs come before main verbs.
The main modal verbs are:
A verb refers to an action, event or state.