What is a modal? What is modality? How do we form modals? And what do modals mean? These are the questions that many ESL students ask when trying to learn modals. Modals are difficult for ESL students to grasp because a modal and modality are rarely explained to an ESL student, the form of modals does not follow the conventional rules of grammar, and there are so many meanings of modals that students often get confused about which modal to choose.
According to Longman's Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics, modal is defined as any of the auxiliary verbs which indicate attitudes of the speaker/writer towards the state or event expressed by another verb, i.e. which indicate different types of modality. (1992) Although there are two forms of modals, the modal auxiliary verbs and the semi-modals, we will be focusing on the nine modal auxiliary verbs in this paper. The nine modal auxiliary verbs are: can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, will, and would.
1. Form
As native speakers, we believe the formation of modals is relatively straightforward. Modals have only one basic form. They are formed by modal + simple present verb. An important fact to note about models is that there is no third person singular form; therefore, formation rules are relatively easy to learn.| Rule | Example |
| modal + simple present verb | The trapeze artists can perform many stunts. |
| Rule | Example |
| modal + simple present verb | The trapeze artists can perform many stunts. |
| modal + simple present verb + time indicator | The trapeze artists performed at 3:00, and they will perform again at 8:00. |
| Rule | Example |
| simple present verb | Elephants eat a lot of peanuts everyday. |
| simple past verb | The elephants ate a lot of peanuts today. |
| modal + simple present verb | The elephants would eat peanuts all day if the trainers allowed it. |
VP --> {modal}/{tense} + (perfect) + (progressive) + verb |
| Rule | Example |
| modal + simple present verb | The seals must eat a lot of fish during a performance. |
| modal + perfect + verb | The seals must have eaten all the fish while I was gone. |
| modal + progressive + verb | I must be losing my mind, I just found a full bucket of fish. |
| modal + perfect + progressive + verb | I must have been daydreaming, I just found two more buckets of fish. |
Negative
Modals form the negative by inserting not (or another negative word) between the modal and the main verb.VP -+ {modal}/{tense} + not/n't2 + (perfect) + (progressive) + verb |
| Rule | Example |
| modal + not/n't + simple present verb | The seals must not eat a lot of fish during a performance. |
| modal + not/n't + perfect + verb | The seals must not have eaten all the fish while I was gone. |
| modal + not/n't + progressive + verb | I must not be losing my mind - maybe my eyesight; I just found a full bucket of fish. |
| modal + not/n't + perfect + progressive + verb | I must not have been daydreaming because two buckets full of fish are missing. |
Interrogative
Modal verb phrases form questions by inversion. Below is an example of the structure of a sentence with a modal and the structure of a question with a modal.| S + [{ modal} + (not /n't) + (perfect) + (progressive) + verb] + (O/C) + (A). |
| (Q) + [{modal } + (n't)] + S + [(not) + (perfect) + (progressive) + verb] + (O/C) + (A)? |
(Q) + [{modal} + (n't) ] + S + [(not) + verb ] + (o/c) + (A) ? |
| Question Type | Example |
| neutral | Should you give the elephants those peanuts? |
| not/n't | Should you not give the elephants those peanuts? Shouldn't you give the elephants those peanuts? |
| question-word | What should you give the elephants as a treat? |
(Q) + [{modal} + (n't) ] + S + [(not) + (perfect) + verb ] + (o/c) + (A) ? |
| Question Type | Example |
| neutral | Would you have given the monkeys those bananas? |
| not/n't | Would you not have given the monkeys those bananas?Wouldn't you have given the monkeys those bananas? |
| question-word | What would you have given the monkeys after the performance? |
(Q) + [{modal) + (n't)] + S + [(not) + (progressive) + verb] + (O/C) + (A)? |
| Question Type | Example |
| neutral | While I am performing, could you be preparing my next costume? |
| not/n't | While I am performing, could you not be getting ready for our act?While I am performing, couldn't you be getting ready for our act? |
| question-word | What could you be doing while I am performing? |
Return to Top.
(Q) + [(modal) + (n't)] + S + [(not) + (perfect) + (progressive) + verb] + (O/C) + (A)? |
| Question type | Example |
| neutral | Will you have been training for the performance when I arrive tomorrow? |
| not/n't | Will you not have been training for the performance when I arrive tomorrow? Won't you have been training for the performance when I arrive tomorrow? |
| question-word | What will you have been training for when I arrive tomorrow? |
Problems with Formation
There are a few problems that ESL students have with the formation of modals. First, when combining a modal auxiliary with a simple present verb, to is not necessary.* The elephants should to receive peanuts after performances.Second, subject-verb agreement does not apply to modals.
The elephants should receive peanuts after performances.
* The acrobat can jumps very high.Third, two modals cannot be used together in the same verb phrase; however, a modal plus a semi-modal can be used together.
The acrobat can jumps very high.
* After a lot of practice, the trapeze artist will can fly through the air.These problems are not insurmountable for ESL students; however, they are issues that need to be addressed when discussing the English modal system. A more difficult issue to discuss is the meaning of modals in English.
After a lot of practice, the trapeze artist will be able softly through the air.
2. Meaning
The meanings of the modal auxiliaries are difficult for ESL students to understand. Many students are not aware of the subtle shades of meaning that are found within the meaning of a modal; for example, there are many layers to the meaning of can. There are two ways to teach the meanings of the modal auxiliaries. The most common way to teach modals is as a list. Modals, when taught as a list, are presented like regular vocabulary which does not present the various ways each modal can be used. A better way to teach modals is as a system. We hope to illustrate, in this section, the reasons for using a system method versus a list method.
Below is a list of definitions for the modals. Instead of just giving the definition and an example, we also chose to include the level (root or epistemic) where each definition could be found.
Modals as a List (adapted from Byrd/Benson) |
| Modal | Traditional definitions | Present/Future | Past | Level |
| can | ability | I can juggle. | I could juggle when I was young. | Existential/Epistemic |
| can | request | Can I look at your costumes. | Root | |
| can | permission | You can look at my costumes. | Root | |
| can | possibility | You can pet the lion if you want. | Root | |
| can | past ability | I could juggle when I was young. | Existential/Epistemic | |
| could | request | Could you hold this for me? | Root | |
| could | possibility | I could be up there right now. | I could have been juggling now. | Epistemic |
| may | request(formal) | May I pet the lion? | Root | |
| may | permission(formal) | Yes, you may pet the lion. | Root | |
| may | probability | The trapeze artist may be tired after the show. | The acrobats may have performed already. | Epistemic |
| might | slight probability | The clown might be tired, too. | The elephants might have performed, too. | Epistemic |
| shall | polite question | Shall we go say hello to the crown? | Root | |
| shall | formal future | Ladies and gentlemen, the circus shall begin shortly. | ? | |
| should | advice | Jugglers should practice everyday. | I should have tried juggling. | Root |
| should | expectation | The circus should begin in a minute. | They should have started by now. | Root |
| must | necessity | Children must be careful around lions. | The children had to leave before the clowns began. | Epistemic |
| must | logical deduction | The lion does not hurt his trainer. They must have known each other for a long time. | They must be friends. They must have known each other for a long time. | Epistemic |
| will | intention or promise | We will see the seals today. | Epistemic | |
| will | future time certainty | We will see them by 9:30. | Epistemic | |
| would | past time habit | When I was young, we would go to the circus. | Existential/Epistemic | |
| would | conditional3 | I were you, I would be careful around the lions. | ? | |
| would | polite question | Would you mind if I borrow your make up today? | Root | |
| would | preference | I would rather juggle than do trapeze stunts. | I would rather have juggled than done trapeze stunts. | Root |
As shown above, memorizing the list of modals, without understanding the essence of modals as a system, is a futile effort. A specific meaning, that cannot be conveyed in a list, is expressed by the modal that is chosen. The modal that is chosen reveals the values and attitudes of the person speaking. (Byrd, 1995) Modals, when teaching them in a system, follow a pattern going from weak to strong (please see examples below).
It is more efficient to teach modals by placing the modals in context (e.g. making guesses, giving advice, permission, request, etc.). The best way to show this is to give examples followed by class discussion.
Making Guesses |
| weak strong | A trapeze artist is Walking on the high wire for the first time, two friends are watching.1. Friend 1: Do you think he could fall? 2. Friend 2: He may fall, but I doubt it. The artist starts to wobble on the wire. 3. Friend 2: 1 take that back, he might fall. 4. Friend 1: He will fall if he doesn't stop wobbling. |
Giving Advice |
| weak strong | A person wants to go to the circus and is talking to a friend who has already been to the circus. I . Friend 1: You can go to the circus on either Tuesday night or Wednesday night. 2. Friend 1: You should go on Tuesday night because there is a special show with the lions. 3. Friend 1: You must go on Tuesday because you can pet the lions after the show. 4. Friend 2: I will go on Tuesday night. |
Modal verbs can be used in a variety of different forms. Study the examples below.
| Modal Simple I could swim at the beach. Modal Continuous I could be swimming at the beach right now. Modal Perfect I could have swum at the beach yesterday. Modal Perfect Continuous I could have been swimming at the beach instead of working in the office. | Passive Modal Simple The room should be cleaned once a day. Passive Modal Continuous The room should be being cleaned now. Passive Modal Perfect The room should have been cleaned yesterday. Passive Modal Perfect Continuous The room should have been being cleaned but nobody was there. (Rare form) |
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