PremiumMobile AppDictionary

Langeek

EN
Night Mode
Learnchevron
Mobile AppPremiumDictionary
profileLogin

Can, May, Should For beginners

canmaymodalsshould
Modal Verbs 'Can', 'May', and 'Should' in English Grammar

What Are 'Can', 'May', and 'Should'?

Can, may, and should are modal verbs that are grammatically similar but express different meanings.

Can

'Can' is used to talk about ability. It has the same form for all persons and is always used with the base form of the verb. Look at the examples:

I can ride a bicycle.

'Can' is used to talk about ability.

She can paint beautiful pictures.

'Can' has the same form for all subjects.

They can drive.

May

'May' expresses possibility. Like 'can', it has the same form for all persons and is always used with the base form of the verb. Here are some examples:

It may rain this afternoon.

She may arrive soon.

Should

'Should' shows obligation and duty and it has the same form for all persons and is always used with the base form of the verb.

You should stay here.

Students should complete their homework on time.

Question

To form questions using these modals, they move to the beginning of the sentence, and the subject and the base form of the main verb come after them. For example:

Can you drive?

Should I call the doctor?

Negation

To make negative sentences using these modals, simply add 'not' after them and then add the main verb. Here are some examples:

I cannot run that fast.

I may not see you tomorrow.

You should not do that.

Warning!

Modals cannot be used with 'do/does/did' or 'to be' verbs in the same sentence.

They do may come to the party.

I am can run very fast.

She does should sit down.

Quiz:

1.
Which sentence correctly uses the modal verb 'may'?
A
She may to arrive soon.
B
It may rain this evening.
C
They may goes home now.
D
We may not can attend.
2.
Which sentence shows an obligation?
A
Can I borrow your book?
B
I may not come to the meeting.
C
You should visit your parents.
D
She can dance gracefully.
3.
Complete the sentences with the correct modal verb.
He
speak three languages.
He
be at the party later, but we are not sure.
You
go to bed early if you want to feel better tomorrow.
They
finish their homework before going out to play.
you help me with this task?
can
may
should
4.
Complete the table with the correct modal verb based on the meaning of the sentences.
SentenceModal
I speak French fluently.
I drive a car.
Respect your parents.
Possibility of rain at night.
Study more for the test.
can
should
may
5.
Which sentence is the correct negative form of "She may leave early"?
A
She may not leave early.
B
She not may leave early.
C
She not may leaves early.
D
She may leave not early.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :
books
Learn English VocabularyStart learning categorized English vocabulary on Langeek.
Click to start

Recommended

Will and Would

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

Shall and Should

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

Must and Have to

bookmark
'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.

Semi-modals

bookmark
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.

Ought to and Had Better

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

Dare and Need

bookmark
'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.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app