Learn English Grammar and Vocabulary
Modal Auxiliaries
The following verbs are called modal auxiliaries:
shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought, dare and need
Modal auxiliaries have the following characteristics:
They are never used alone. A principal verb is either present or implied.
- I can swim.
- She can knit.
- We will wait.
- You should go.
Principal verbs can stand alone.
- I write.
- She sings.
- They work.
- It runs.
The modal auxiliaries have a single form throughout the present tense, whatever be the number and person of the subject.
- I can knit. She can knit. They can knit.
- You may go. She may go. They may go.
Primary auxiliaries change their form according to the number and person of their subject.
- I am coming. She is coming. You are coming. We are coming.
- He has come. They have come. You have come. I have come.
- I do agree. You do agree. He does agree.
Principal verbs also change their form when the subject is a third person singular noun or pronoun.
- I work. You work. She works. They work.
- I run. You run. He runs. They run.
The modal auxiliaries do not have the infinitive or participle forms. You cannot, for example, say to shall, to must or to may.
Notes
When you say to will, to need or to dare, the verbs, will, need and dare are used as principal verbs and not auxiliaries.
In the same way you cannot add -ing to any of the auxiliary verbs to make present participles. Auxiliaries do not have past participle forms either.
Notes:
When you say willing, needing and daring, the verbs will, need and dare are used as principal verbs, and not auxiliaries.
The primary auxiliaries, on the other hand, have infinitive and participle forms.
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