Subject English Chapter MODALS

Class IX &X Grammar

Prepared by Suman Singh

What are Modals?

Modals are auxiliary (helping) verbs that express necessity, possibility,

permission, ability, obligation, etc. They are used with the base form of the
main verb.

Modals:

Modals Function
Can / Could Ability, Permission, Possibility
May / Might Permission, Possibility, Wish
Shall / Should Suggestion, Advice, Duty, Offer
Will / Would Future, Willingness, Habit,
Politeness
Must Necessity, Obligation, Strong
Advice
Ought to Moral Duty, Advice
Need / Needn’t Necessity / Lack of necessity
Dare / Dare not Courage / Lack of courage
Used to Past habit
Have to External obligation

Detailed Uses with Examples:

Can / Could
 **Can** – ability, permission, possibility
 ✓ I can swim.
✓ Can I borrow your pen?



✓ He could run fast when he was young.

 **Could** – past ability, polite request, possibility

✓ Could you help me, please?




May / Might

 ✓ May I come in?

 **May** – permission, possibility, wish

 ✓ It may rain today.

 ✓ She might be at home.

 **Might** – weaker possibility

Shall / Should

 ✓ Shall we go for a walk?

 **Shall** – offers, suggestions (1st person)

 ✓ You should respect your elders.

 **Should** – advice, duty

Will / Would

 ✓ He will come tomorrow.

 **Will** – future, willingness

 ✓ I will help you.

 ✓ Would you like some tea?

 **Would** – polite request, habitual action in past

 ✓ He would always tell stories.

Must

 ✓ You must wear a seatbelt.

 Strong obligation, necessity, advice

 ✓ We must obey the rules.

Ought to

 ✓ You ought to respect your teachers.

 Moral duty or advice
Need / Needn’t

 ✓ You need to study.

 **Need** – necessity

 ✓ You needn’t worry.

 **Needn’t** – lack of necessity

Dare / Dare not

 ✓ He dare not speak against the teacher.

 **Dare** – courage to do something

Used to

 ✓ I used to play cricket in school.

 Past habit

🔄 Important Points to Remember:

• Modals are not used alone – always with a main verb (base form).

✓ She can dance. ✅

• Modals do not change according to the subject.

✗ She cans dance. ❌

📝 Quick Practice:
1. 1. You ______ obey your parents.
2. 2. ______ I use your phone?
3. 3. He ______ run 10km every day when he was younger.
4. 4. It ______ rain today. Take your umbrella.
5. 5. We ______ not park here. It’s a no-parking zone.

Here’s a detailed explanation of the usage of Must and Would, with

examples:
1. MUST

Must is a modal verb used to express necessity, strong obligation, and

strong advice. It can also indicate a logical conclusion.

Uses of Must:

Necessity / Strong Obligation:

 When something is essential or required.

 Often used when the speaker wants to strongly emphasize that
something must be done.

Examples:

 You must wear a helmet while riding a bike. (Safety is necessary)

 All students must submit their assignments by Friday. (Deadline is
required)
 We must follow the rules. (Obligation)

strong Advice:

 Used to give advice that the speaker feels is essential.

Examples:

 You must see that movie. It's amazing! (Strong recommendation)

 You must eat healthy if you want to feel good. (Advice)

Logical Conclusion (Inference):

 It can be used to indicate something that logically has to be true or is

most likely true based on the situation or facts.
Examples:

 She must be tired after working all day. (It’s logical to think that she
is tired)
 That must be the teacher’s car, because it’s the only one left in the
parking lot. (A logical assumption based on evidence)

Negative Form: "Must not" (Mustn't)

 Must not is used to show prohibition or something that is not

allowed.

Examples:

 You must not talk during the exam. (Prohibited behavior)

 He must not drive after drinking. (Not allowed for safety reasons)

2. WOULD

Would is the past form of 'will' but is often used in different contexts to
express various meanings, such as polite requests, habits in the past,
conditional statements, and willingness.

Uses of Would:

Polite Requests or Offers:

 Would is often used in formal or polite requests and to offer

something in a courteous way.

Examples:

 Would you like some tea? (Polite offer)

 Would you mind helping me with this project? (Polite request)
Hypothetical Situations (Conditional Sentences):

 Would is used in conditional sentences to describe what would

happen in a hypothetical situation, typically after "if."

Examples:

 If I went go to the party, I would be the happiest person.

(Hypothetical situation)
 If I were you, I would not take that risk. (Suggestion in a conditional
situation)

Past Habit / Repeated Action:

 Would can describe a habit or repeated action in the past, similar to

the expression "used to".

Examples:

 When I was a child, I would visit my grandparents every summer.

(Past habit)
 She would always play the piano after school. (Repeated action in the
past)

Polite or Tentative Statements:

 Would is also used to make statements sound more polite or

tentative. It softens the statement, making it less direct.

Examples:

 I would say that this solution could work. (Tentative statement)

  I would like to visit the museum this weekend, if possible. (Polite
request)

Expressing Willingness or Desire:

 Would is used to express willingness or desire in hypothetical or

polite situations.

Examples:

 I would love to attend the concert with you! (Willingness)

 She would be happy to help you with the assignment. (Desire)

Negative Form: "Would not" (Wouldn't)

 Wouldn't is used in negative requests, polite refusals, and

expressing unwillingness.

Examples:

 I wouldn't like to come to the party. (Refusal)

 He wouldn't agree to the proposal. (Unwillingness)

Summary:
Modal
Primary Usage
Verb

Must Strong obligation, necessity, advice, logical conclusion

Polite requests/offers, hypothetical situations, past habits,

Would
tentative statements, willingness/desire

Difference between must and should

The modals "must" and "should" are both used to express necessity,
obligation, and advice, but they differ in the strength of the requirement
and the context in which they are used. Here's a breakdown of the
differences:

1. Must

Must expresses strong obligation, necessity, or a command. It indicates

something that is required or essential. There is often no choice in the
matter.

Uses of Must:

 Strong Obligation / Necessity:

When something is required or compulsory, must is used.
o Example:
 You must wear a helmet while riding a bike. (It is
required by law or safety regulations.)
 Employees must clock in by 9 AM. (Company rule)
 Logical Conclusion / Assumption:
Must can also express a logical conclusion based on available
information.
o Example:
 She must be tired after running the marathon. (It is
logical to assume she is tired.)
 Prohibition:
Must not (mustn't) is used to indicate something forbidden or not
allowed.
o Example:
 You must not use your phone during the exam.
(Prohibited)
2. Should

Should expresses advice, recommendation, or mild obligation. It is less

strong than "must" and allows for more personal choice. It is used to
suggest what is good or right to do.

Uses of Should:

 Advice:
Should is often used to suggest what is a good idea, but it’s not as
forceful as "must."
o Example:
 You should eat more vegetables. (Advice, but not
compulsory)
 He should study for his exams. (Recommendation)

 Moral or Ethical Obligation:

Should can express a moral duty, but with a lighter tone than
"must."
o Example:
 You should help the poor. (It’s a good moral obligation,
but not legally required)

 Expectation:
Should can express an expectation that something is likely to happen.
o Example:
 The train should arrive by 7 PM. (Expectation based on
schedule)
Key Differences:
Aspect Must Should

Strong obligation or Weaker advice or suggestion.

Strength
necessity. (No choice.) (More optional.)

Essential, required, Advice, recommendation, mild

Use
command. obligation.

Forceful, often non- Gentle, allows more freedom of

Tone
negotiable. choice.

You must finish the You should finish your

Example
assignment by tomorrow. homework before dinner.

Must not = something you

Prohibition No direct prohibition.
are not allowed to do.

Summary:

 Must implies a strong obligation or necessity. It is something that

must be done, or it’s a command.
 Should implies a suggestion or advice. It is recommended or
expected but not as strong as "must."

Example Comparison:

1. You must attend the meeting.

o This is a compulsory requirement; there is no choice.
2. You should attend the meeting.
o This is advice or a recommendation; it’s a good idea, but not
mandatory.
The modals "ought to" and "should" are quite similar in meaning and
usage, as they both express advice, recommendation, or moral obligation.
However, there are subtle differences in their usage and tone. Let's break it
down:

1. Ought to

Ought to is used to express a moral obligation, duty, or recommendation.

It can also suggest that something is right or appropriate to do, based on
personal or societal expectations.

Uses of Ought to:

 Moral or Ethical Obligation:

o Ought to is often used for stronger moral obligations or
duties. It suggests that something is the right thing to do, and
there is a sense of responsibility.

o Example:
 You ought to help your parents with the housework.
(Moral obligation)
 People ought to be kind to others. (Ethical responsibility)

 Recommendation or Suggestion (similar to should):

o It can also be used to suggest what is right or appropriate,
much like "should".
o Example:
 You ought to see a doctor if you’re feeling ill.
(Recommendation)
2. Should

Should is used to give advice, make recommendations, or express

expectations. While it can also express a moral obligation, it’s generally
softer than "ought to" and more commonly used in a variety of situations.

Uses of Should:

 Advice or Recommendation:
o Should is most commonly used for giving general advice or
suggestions.

o Example:
 You should take an umbrella, as it looks like it’s going to
rain. (Recommendation)
 She should try the new restaurant in town. (Suggestion)

 Moral Obligation (similar to ought to):

o Should can also express a moral or social obligation, but with
a softer tone compared to "ought to".

o Example:
 You should apologize for being rude. (Moral obligation,
but softer)
 People should respect each other's privacy. (Social
responsibility)

 Expectation:
o Should can express an expectation or what is likely to happen.
 o Example:
 The package should arrive by tomorrow. (Expectation)

Key Differences:
Aspect Ought to Should

Slightly stronger, can indicate a

Strength Weaker advice or suggestion.
moral duty.

Moral obligation, ethical General advice,

Use responsibility, or strong recommendation, or
recommendation. expectation.

Stronger and more formal. Can Softer, often used in casual

Tone
sound like a duty. advice or situations.

You ought to finish your You should finish your

Example
homework before playing. homework before playing.

Negative Ought not to = must not (strong Should not (shouldn't) =

Form prohibition). softer prohibition.

Subtle Differences in Tone and Context:

1. Ought to sounds a little more formal and stronger when giving

moral advice, while should is more common and often used in
everyday advice.

o Ought to:
You ought to respect your elders.
(Implies a stronger moral duty.)
 o Should:
You should respect your elders.
(Still advice, but less forceful than "ought to".)

2. Ought to can sound a bit more serious or even preachy, while

should is more neutral and commonly used in both casual and formal
contexts.
o Ought to:
You ought to help the poor whenever possible.
(A more formal or moral directive.)
o Should:
You should help the poor.
(Common suggestion or advice.)

Example Comparison:

1. You ought to eat more vegetables.

o Stronger suggestion, might imply it's something you really
should do for your health.
o
2. You should eat more vegetables.
o A gentler suggestion, not as forceful as "ought to," and sounds
more like general advice.

Summary:
Aspect Ought to Should

Stronger, more formal moral Weaker, more common advice or

Strength
obligation or duty. recommendation.

Tone More serious and preachy. Softer and more casual.

 Aspect Ought to Should

Moral duty, ethics, strong Advice, recommendation,

Usage
obligation. expectation.

Both are quite similar, but "ought to" implies a slightly stronger sense of
duty or moral obligation, while "should" is more commonly used in
everyday speech for advice and suggestions.