Modals in English Grammar

Modals and semi-modals are special verbs that express ability, necessity, possibility, and more. They help convey mood and nuance in English sentences.

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Modals

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Modal verbs are also known as modals and are used to give additional information about the main verb. Let us learn more about them.

Advanced

Can and Could

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Talent shows are a big thing now in our pop culture. If you want to participate in them, you should know how to talk about your abilities. Learn about it here!

Intermediate

Advanced

May and Might

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May and Might are modal verbs. Some people think they are interchangeable, especially in speech, but is there really no differences between these two?

Intermediate

Advanced

Will and Would

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These two modals are often confusing for learners, because they are used in quite similar situations. But they're different.

Intermediate

Advanced

Shall and Should

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'Shall' and 'Should' are like relatives, because 'Should' is the past tense of 'Shall', but they have different functions despite their similarities.

Intermediate

Advanced

Must and Have to

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'Have to' and 'must' have the same meaning and are used to express obligations. However, they are used in different situations and are not interchangeable.

Beginner

Intermediate

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Can, May, Should

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Modal verbs like 'can', 'may', and 'should' express possibilities, abilities, and advice. They convey uncertainty, capability, and recommendations in English.

Beginner

Semi-modals

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Semi-modals are the subcategory of modal verbs. So it is good to learn the difference between modal verbs and semi-modal verbs to use them properly.

Advanced

Ought to and Had Better

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'Ought to' and 'Had Better' are used for giving advice and recommendations. These are used differently and they can have different meanings. Start learning!

Intermediate

Advanced

Dare and Need

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'Dare' and 'need' have characteristics of both modal verbs and main verbs. Because of this, they are called semi-modals. In this lesson, we'll learn about them.

Intermediate

Advanced

Used to

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One of the functions of this expression is to talk about repeated actions in the past which we don't do in the present.

Advanced

Talking about Prediction

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There are many ways to talk about prediction in English. In this article, we want to learn how to predict future events.

Advanced

Talking about Willingness

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In every language, there are ways to express your feelings. Let us learn how to express willingness in English.

Advanced

Talking about Abilities

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When you want to socialize with strangers, you can talk about your abilities. What does it mean? Should we use our abilities or talk about them? Learn more.

Advanced

Giving and Asking for Permission

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Asking permission is a social skill that is a need in any culture. On the other hand, being able to allow someone to do something is another skill. Read more.

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Talking about Possibilities

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There are different ways to talk about possibilities in English. Each way has its own function. We can also express our thoughts through possibilities.

Advanced

Talking about Necessity

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Some structures in English imply something that is not optional and there is a need to do them.

Advanced

Giving Advice

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'Giving advice' actually refers to expressing your opinion about a particular thing. In this case, you express something could happen in a better way.

Advanced

Talking about Deduction

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'Deduction' means to make guesses based on former information about something. In this article, we learn how to make deductions about events.

Advanced

Talking about Habits

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Habits are things that we do regularly, from the past to the present time. Sometimes we can use some modals and semi-modals to refer to habits.

Advanced

Making Offers

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There are some modal verbs that can be used to make offers in English. In this article, we will learn about them. Click here to read more.

Advanced

Making Requests

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You might know that there are two kinds of requests in English. Direct requests and indirect requests. In this article, we will focus on indirect requests.

Advanced

Talking about Assumptions

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The term assumption is derived from the verb assume. In this article, we will focus on the modal verbs to learn to talk about assumptions.

Advanced

Modal Expressions

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Modal expressions are not modal verbs. But they can imply the same concept as modal verbs do. These expressions are used to indicate a special mood. Read more.

Advanced

Modals in Indirect Speech

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Modal verbs change when they are used in indirect speech. In this lesson, we will learn about their structure and uses.

Advanced

Modals and Semi-modals

What Are Modals and Semi-modals?

Modal verbs (also called modals or modal auxiliary verbs), are special verbs that give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows them. Modals have a wide variety of communicative functions (i.e. modality).
Some verbs share only some of the characteristics of the modals. These verbs are called semi-modals (or pseudo-modals or quasi-modals).

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Modals in English Grammar

Modals

Can and Could

May and Might

Will and Would

Shall and Should

Must and Have to

Can, May, Should

Semi-modals

Ought to and Had Better

Dare and Need

Used to

Talking about Prediction

Talking about Willingness

Talking about Abilities

Giving and Asking for Permission

Talking about Possibilities

Talking about Necessity

Giving Advice

Talking about Deduction

Talking about Habits

Making Offers

Making Requests

Talking about Assumptions

Modal Expressions

Modals in Indirect Speech

What Are Modals and Semi-modals?