Modals
Modals are auxiliariesA helping verb used with main verbs to express mood, voice and tense. E.g.: I can't stand when I am disturbed. ("can", "am") that can be used to modify the meaning of the following verbA part of speech that expresses an action or a state. E.g.: John seldom plays tennis.. Different modals can express the same notion, while one specific modal can have different meanings.
He can't be at home. (certainty)
You can't go to the cinema. (permission)
You may not go to the cinema. (permission)
Topics with similar tags
The following topics share one or more tags with the one you are viewing and may also be interesting.
- Modals expressing present and future unlikelihood
- Modals expressing past unlikelihood
- SHALL for determination
- Modals in the main clause of first conditional sentences
- Modals in third conditional
- Modals in second conditional
- Modals in first conditional
- DARE
- SHOULD + perfect infinitive for politeness
- MAY + contrast clauses
Comments and questions
Modals are not auxiliaries.
AuxiliariesA helping verb used with main verbs to express mood, voice and tense. E.g.: I can't stand when I am disturbed. ("can", "am") are such parts of a verbA part of speech that expresses an action or a state. E.g.: John seldom plays tennis. group that carry clearly syntactical function. While modals by all means have their own lexical meaning - although varying - however, lots of verbs widely considered notional also widely vary their meaning in different contextThe situation within which something exists or happens, or an utterance is made.s.
Post new comment