Modal Verbs Examples [List]

Modal Verbs Examples [List]

Modal verbs indicate modality. They accompany the main verbs. Modal verbs give the information of the main verb. These verbs are a type of auxiliary verbs that express permission, possibility, obligation, necessity, and ability.

Common things in Modal verbs

These words do not add ‘s’ with the singular third person. The form remains the same. For example, “she can cook”.

The main verb follows a modal verb without ‘to’. For example, “They might go there”.
To make the negative sentence, we add ‘not’ after the modal verb. For example, “He shouldn’t pay attention to this matter.

Following are the modal verbs:

  1. May, might
  2. Can, could, be able to
  3. Will, would
  4. Shall, should
  5. Must, have to

These modal verbs are used to describe different ideas like the ability and lack of ability, possibility and impossibility, give permission and ask permission, make a suggestion, polite request, to give advice, a prediction, requirement and necessity, Certainty, To persuade, forbidden/prohibited, lack of necessity, and habitual past action.

Examples of Modal Verbs

Ability/lack of ability

  1. Dell can’t drive well.
  2. She can write good poetry.
  3. He could not be able to go for the exam.

Possibility/impossibility

  1. Zhang Yiming cannot reach the station on time.
  2. They can’t meet you right now because they are in a meeting.
  3. We can access her through her card.

Give permission/ask permission

  1. Can you lend her twenty dollars?
  2. You can join us at the party.
  3. Could I take this pen?

Make a suggestion

  1. Michael S can attend the seminar tomorrow.
  2. Can I provide you with a pain killer?
  3. You should take a rest now.

Polite request

  1. Can I help you with this matter?
  2. May I go out shopping?
  3. Should we do this work in collaboration?

To give advice

  1. You should check all the arrangements before the event.
  2. He ought to service his car before departure.
  3. You must take milk before going to sleep.

Prediction

  1. The document should be completed on time.
  2. She can be late and miss the train.
  3. They will not be able to achieve this task.

Requirement/necessity 

  • You have to get a passport to go abroad.
  • I had to leave the event at the moment.
  • We will have to start a new business.

Certainty

  1. You must follow the rules and regulations.
  2. Dell has been living in America for many years. He must fluent in English.
  3. She must come on time.

To persuade

  1. You must taste my recipe.
  2. You have to join us the next morning.
  3. You must accept his proposal.

Forbidden/prohibited

  1. You must not enter the prohibited area.
  2. You must not avoid unhealthy food.
  3. She must not cross her limits.

Lack of necessity

  1. Michael S does not have to go to the town.
  2. He did not have to wait for his friend.
  3. They do not have to face any difficulty during travel.

Habitual past action

When she was a child, she would eat too much.
Dell would be a calm boy. Now he shouts at everybody.
I wouldn’t eat veggies in my childhood.

Read More Tutorials on Verbs

  1. Action verb
  2.  Auxiliary verbs
  3.  Stative Verbs
  4. Modal Verbs
  5. Phrasal verbs
  6. Irregular Verbs
  7. Confusing Verbs
  8. Transitive and intransitive Verbs
  9. Finite and non-finite Verbs
  10. Dynamic Verbs