Modal auxiliaries are special auxiliary verbs thatexpress the degree of certainty of the action in the sentence, or the attitudeor opinion of the writer concerning the action. Some common modal auxiliaries aremust, can, will, and should. The following chart lists theforms and meanings of the modal auxiliaries in English.
| Present | Past/Conditional | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| may | might | possible, not certain, with permission (negative=not certain) |
| can | could | possible, physically able, optional (negative=not possible) |
| will | would | definite future, desired, promised |
| shall | should | probable future, intended future (conditional=morally advisable) |
| must | -- | obligatory, urgent, necessary, logical deduction |
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