Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are special helping verbs in English that add meaning to the main verb in a sentence. They are used to express ability, possibility, permission, and obligation in connection with actions. Examples of common modal verbs include "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "should," and "would."

Let's examine the characteristics and usage of modal verbs with the help of Yabla examples.

First of all, modal verbs are followed directly by the base form of the sentence's main verb, and there is no "to" in between them. Modal verbs have no infinitive or "-ing" forms.

That would allow you to get a better grasp of those concepts.

Caption 6, Business English: Taming Change
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And hearts that would give you a diamond ring.

Caption 7, Ed Sheeran: The Joker And The Queen (feat. Taylor Swift)
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And I know he would agree.

Caption 4, 10 Downing Street: Rishi Sunak's first speech as U.K. Prime Minister
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In contrast to regular verbs, which require conjugation and usually add an "s" for the third-person singular (she/he/it), modal verbs are invariable. They do not change based on the subject.

If she can land her triple Axel, she may take that gold.

Caption 16, Falling For Christmas: Full Movie
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So, you know... -I was just thinking maybe she might tell you.

Caption 39, Carly Simon & Taylor Swift: You're So Vain
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He must be doing something right.

Caption 35, America's National Parks: Olympic
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Generally, you'll notice how modal verbs don't have different forms or tenses. This is because they generally concern the present tense. Out of the modal verbs, "should," "could," and "would" can be used to talk about the past or hypothetical situations. Generally, the context and the presence or absence of "if" can make it clear which it is.

How could a humble tortoise beat the legendary Greek hero Achilles in a race?

Captions 3-4, 60-Second Adventures in Thought: Achilles and the Tortoise
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So, my mother would always say, "Go down to the backyard and pick me a couple of those little leaves of mint."

Captions 35-36, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Lionel Richie
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