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Overview of Modal Verbs in English
(from Lange, Janet and Ellen Lange. 1999. Writing clearly: An editing guide. Heinle and Heinle, Massachusetts.) Modal Function To show ability To suggest apossibility or give an option To ask for or to give permission To show impossibility Form in the Present I can run 10 miles. Students can pre-enroll in classes. Can you call me? You can leave now. It cannotbe Jim standing there. He went away for the weekend. I could run 10 miles when I was young. Could I call you? Why isn’t Mary here? She could be busy. He could not be here at the party. He is out oftown. You could try going this way. May I call you? The instructor may come to class late today. The instructor might come to class late today. You should try the new restaurant downtown. I should renewmy driver’s license. You should receive my letter in two days. You ought to exercise regularly. I ought to register to vote. You ought to receive my letter in two days. The instructor may have cometo class late yesterday. The instructor might have come to class late yesterday. You should have tried the new restaurant downtown. I should have renewed my driver’s license. You should have receivedmy letter in two days. You ought to have exercisd regularly. I ought to have registered to vote by October. You ought to have received my letter two days ago. Why wasn’t Mary at the party last night?She could have been busy. He could not have been at the party last night. He was out of town. You could have tried going that way. Form in the Past I could run 10 miles when I was young.

Can

Toshow past ability To ask a polite question To show possibility Could To show impossibility

May

To suggest a possibility/opportunity or give an option To ask for or to give permission (formal) Toshow possibility To show possibility To show advisability

Might

Should

To show obligation To show expectation

Ought to

To show advisability To show obligation To show expectation...