Understanding Modals

1. What Are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are auxiliary (helping) verbs that add meaning to the main verb. They express ability,
permission, obligation, possibility, and advice etc.
Common Modal Verbs:
 Can / Could (ability, permission, requests)
 May / Might (permission, possibility)
 Must / Have to (obligation, necessity)
 Should / Ought to/ Had better (advice, recommendation)
 Shall / Will (offers, future certainty)

2. Functions of Modals with Examples

A. Ability (Can / Could)
 Present ability: "She can swim very well."
 Past ability: "When I was young, I could run fast."
B. Permission (Can / Could / May / Might)
 Informal: "Can I borrow your pen?"
 Polite: "Could I use your phone, please?"
 Formal: "May I leave early today?"
 Very formal (rare): "Might I ask a question?"
C. Advice (Should / Ought to)
 "You should eat more vegetables."
 "He ought to apologize for his mistake."
D. Obligation (Must / Have to)
 Strong obligation (personal): "I must finish my homework."
 External obligation: "We have to wear a uniform at school."
E. Possibility (May / Might / Could)
 "It may rain tomorrow."
 "She might be late for the meeting."
 "This could be the right answer."
F. Prohibition (Must not / Can’t)
 "You must not smoke here." (It’s not allowed.)
 "You can’t park here." (It’s against the rules.)

Modal Function Example Sentence

can ability, permission I can swim. / Can I leave early?
could past ability, polite permission I could read when I was five. / Could I ask a question?
may permission, possibility May I come in? / It may rain.
might possibility She might arrive late.
must obligation, deduction You must wear a seatbelt. / He must be tired.
should advice You should eat more vegetables.
have to external obligation I have to do my homework.
mustn’t prohibition You mustn’t touch that!
3. Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Modal
1. You ___ (should / must) see a doctor if you feel sick.
2. ___ (May / Must) I ask you a question?
3. She ___ (can / might) speak three languages fluently.
4. They ___ (have to / should) wear helmets when riding a bike.
5. It ___ (could / must) snow later, so take a jacket.
Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences Using Modals
1. It’s necessary to wear a seatbelt. → "You ___ wear a seatbelt."
2. It’s a good idea to drink water. → "You ___ drink water."
3. I am able to play the piano. → "I ___ play the piano."
4. Is it okay if I open the window? → "___ I open the window?"
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with an appropriate modal:
1. You ___________ wear a helmet when riding a bike. (must / should / could)
2. She ___________ be at home — the lights are on. (must / might / can’t)
3. _____________ I use your phone for a minute? (Can / Must / Should)
4. We ___________ study harder if we want to pass. (should / must / can)
4. Speaking Activity (Pair Work)
Role Play:
 Student A: Ask for permission to do something (borrow a book, leave early, etc.).
 Student B: Respond using modals (Yes, you can / No, you mustn’t, etc.).
Example:
A: "Could I borrow your laptop for a minute?"
B: "Yes, you can, but please be careful with it."
A: Problem: "I can’t sleep at night."
B: Advice: "You should drink hot milk before bed." / "You ought to avoid using your phone late at
night."
5. Can / Could (ability, permission, requests) : Complete with : can or could.
1. When I was younger, I __________ run 10 kilometers without stopping. (ability)
2. _____________ I borrow your calculator for a moment? (request)
3. She ________________ speak three languages fluently. (ability)
4. You _______________ park here; it’s a public area. (permission)
5. ________________ you please open the window? It’s quite warm in here. (request)
6. May / Might (permission, possibility) : Complete with : may or might according to the
situation.
1. You ________________ leave early today if you’ve finished your work. (permission)
2. I’m not sure, but she _________________ come to the party later. (possibility)
3. _________________ I ask you a question about the assignment? (permission)
4. He ___________________ not agree with our decision, but we must act. (possibility)
5. It __________________ rain tonight, so bring an umbrella just in case. (possibility)
7. Must / Have to (obligation, necessity) : Complete with : must or have to.
1. Students ______________________ submit their essays by Friday. (obligation)
2. You _____________________ wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle in this country. (necessity)
3. I ________________________ remember to call my grandmother tonight. (strong necessity)
4. We ____________________ be quiet; the baby is sleeping. (necessity)
5. He ___________________ attend the meeting—it’s mandatory. (obligation)
8. Should / Ought to / Had better (advice, recommendation) : Complete with : should,
ought to, or had better.
1. You ____________________ study a bit more before the exam. (advice)
2. They _________________________ apologize for being late. (recommendation)
3. You ___________________ not smoke here; it’s a non-smoking area. (advice)
4. We ________________________ leave now if we want to catch the bus. (recommendation)
5. You _________________________ take a break; you’ve been working for hours. (advice)
9. Shall / Will (offers, future certainty) : Complete with : shall ou will
1. I ____________________ help you with your bags. (offer)
2. What ___________________ we do this weekend? (suggestion/offer)
3. She ______________________ graduate next year. (future certainty)
4. I ________________________ call you as soon as I arrive. (future promise)
5. _____________________ we meet at 3 p.m. tomorrow? (suggestion)
10. Fill in the Blanks : Choose the correct modal verb from the options given.
1. You _______________ (can/must) borrow my book if you promise to return it tomorrow.
2. She _________________ (might/shall) be late because of the traffic.
3. We ________________ (have to/should) finish this project by Friday—it’s a deadline!
4. ___________________ (May/Could) I use your phone? Mine is dead.
5. You ________________ (ought to/had better) apologize; she’s really upset.
6. They _______________ (will/shall) help us move the furniture if we ask them.
7. He ________________ (can/must) speak three languages fluently.
8. It’s raining; you _______________________ (should/might) take an umbrella.
9. ______________________ (Shall/Could) we meet at the café at 5 PM?
10. You __________________ (must not/don’t have to) park here—it’s a no-parking zone.
11. Rewrite the Sentences : Rewrite the following sentences using the correct modal verb.
1. (Advice) It’s a good idea to drink water before a workout.
→ You _______________ drink water before a workout.
2. (Permission) Is it okay if I leave early today?
→ _______________ I leave early today?
3. (Obligation) Wearing a seatbelt is required by law.
→ You ________________ wear a seatbelt.
4. (Possibility) Maybe she forgot about the meeting.
→ She ________________ have forgotten about the meeting.
5. (Request) Please pass me the salt.
→ __________________ you pass me the salt?
12. Multiple Choice : Choose the best answer.
1. “You look tired. You __________ take a break.” a) should b) must c) can
2. “__________ I come in?” (asking for permission politely) a) Can b) May c) Will
3. “She __________ be at the party, but I’m not sure.” a) must b) might c) has to
4. “We __________ hurry, or we’ll miss the train!” a) ought to b) had better c) may
5. “__________ you help me with this heavy box?” (request) a) Shall b) Could c) Might
13. Short Answers : Answer using the correct modal verb.
1. What should you say if you want to ask for permission politely? → ____________ I borrow your pen?
2. What modal expresses strong obligation? → You ________________ follow the rules.
3. How do you give advice ? → You _________________ eat more vegetables.
4. How do you make a future offer? → _________________ I help you with that?
5. What modal shows possibility in the past? → He __________________ have missed the bus.