Modal Verbs

📘 Rule Summary

Modal verbs help express ability, permission, possibility, obligation, and advice. Common modals include: can, could, may, might, should, must, shall, will, would. They are always followed by the base form of a verb (e.g., "can go", "must eat").

📝 Examples

I can swim.
You should sleep early.
He must be tired.
Could you help me?
I should have studied.
She might have gone already.

📖 Explanation

🧑‍🏫 Day 10: Modal Verbs – Power Words for Possibility, Permission & Politeness

📍 Mastering modal verbs unlocks confidence in daily, academic, and professional communication.

✅ Learning Objectives (Mapped to CEFR A1–B2)

By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:

Use can, could, may, might, should, must, would, will, shall appropriately in sentences.
Differentiate between present, past, and hypothetical uses of modals.
Apply modal verbs in real-life conversations, advice, permission-seeking, and probability expressions.

🌱 Beginner Level (A1–A2): Starting with Simple Modals

🎯 Focus Modals: can, should, must

🧩 Visual Chart:

🔤 Modal	🧠 Function	💬 Example (Real-Life)
Can	Ability / Permission	I can cook rice. / Can I use your pen?
Should	Giving advice	You should revise daily.
Must	Strong obligation	You must wear a helmet.

🎧 Audio Cues (Optional):

Play sentences with rising/falling intonation for questions/advice.

📝 Practice:

Fill in the blank with can / should / must:

I ___ tie my shoelaces. (Answer: can)
You ___ respect your parents. (Answer: should)
Students ___ not cheat in exams. (Answer: must)

🌿 Intermediate Level (B1): Expressing Possibility, Politeness, and Hypotheses

🎯 Focus Modals: could, would, may, might

🧠 Use-Cases:

Modal	Function	Example
Could	Past ability / polite request	She could dance as a child.
Would	Hypothetical / polite offer	I would love a coffee.
May / Might	Possibility	It might rain today.

🧪 Real-life:

Indian English often overuses can or will. This level teaches how to switch to polite modals.

🧠 Practice:

Choose the most appropriate modal:

You ___ (might/must/could) feel sleepy after lunch. → might
___ you help me with this file? (Answer: Could)

🌳 Advanced Level (B2): Modal Verbs in the Past – Regret, Guess, and Judgement

🎯 Focus Modals: should have, could have, must have, might have

📚 Structure + Meaning

Modal Structure	Function	Example
Should have + V3	Regret / missed advice	I should have called her earlier.
Could have + V3	Unused possibility	He could have joined the meeting.
Must have + V3	Strong past assumption	They must have forgotten the deadline.
Might have + V3	Weak guess	She might have left already.

🎓 Reflective Thinking Prompt:

“Think of a time you missed an opportunity. Which modal fits: should have, could have, or must have?”

🧩 🧠 Summary Table: Modal Verb Cheat Sheet

Tense	Modals (Examples)
Present	can, should, must, may, might, will, would
Past	could (past ability), should have, must have
Hypothetical	would, could, might (with conditionals)

🧪 🌍 Real-Life Activity (Roleplay)

🎭 Roleplay Situation:
You’re applying for a job. Practice these:

I can handle Excel.

I should learn more about your company.

I must reach on time.