C4: Verbs: Modals

C4: Verbs: Modals: Use modal auxiliaries (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) correctly with verbs to communicate the appropriate mood and tense.  See Writing for Success Section 5.6 pp. 207-211 or the following: http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/modal.htm

Ability:

I can carry all the groceries up the stairs.

Sam could have taken eighteen credits last semester.

Possibility:

The Hendersons may move out of the neighborhood.

Sarah might have been drinking too much coffee that morning.

Necessity:

Students must schedule time to complete their homework.

It must have been below freezing last night since the plants are dead.

Expectation or Advisement:

Mark should not be late for any more classes.

The wedding should have been held in grandma’s backyard.

Intention:

The town council shall invite all the taxpayers to the gala.

Debra shall be known as the Queen of the Heartland.

Speculation:

I would fix the fence if I knew where to buy the right nails.

I would have built the smokehouse right next to the shed.