Modal Auxiliaries

The modal auxiliaries in English are: can, could, had better, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would.
Modal auxiliaries generally express a speaker's attitude, or 'moods'. For example, modal can express that a speaker feels something is necessary, advisable, permissible, possible, or probable; and, in addition, they can convey the strength of these attitudes.
Each modal has more than one meaning or use. See Chart 2-23

a. MODAL AUXILIARIES I + You + We + They + He + She + It +

can do it could do it had better do it may do it might do it must do it ought to do it shall do it should do it will do it would do it

Modal do not take a final -s, even when the subject is he, she, or it. Correct: He can do it. Incorrect: He cans do it. Modals are followed immediately by simple form of verb. Correct: He can do it. Incorrect: He can to do it. The only exception is ought, which is followed by an infinitive (to+the simple form of verb) Correct: She ought to go the meeting

b. SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS be able to do it be going to do it be supposed to do it be to do it have to do it have got to do it used to do it

in (b) is a list of some common expressions whose meanings are similar to those of some of the modal auxiliaries. For example, be able to is similar to can; be going to is similar to will. An infinitive (to + the simple form of verb) is used in these similar expression.

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