KS3 Verbs | Learn about Modals like Will, Shall or Can

English Quiz - Verbs (Modal) 01 (Questions)

In the world of English, modal verbs such as "can", "will", "shall", "may", "ought" and "must" help main verbs. For example, in the sentence, "he can run fast", the verb is "run" and the modal verb is "can".

Each modal verb helps other verbs to express different shades of meaning. "You can read the newspaper" is very different from "you must read the newspaper". MUST, in turn, is much stronger than OUGHT. "You ought to read the newspaper" is a recommendation.

Sometimes people ask permission by requesting, "Can I....?", to which pedantic people will always respond, "May you". CAN means "to be able" to do something, whereas MAY asks whether one is permitted to do something.

WILL is interesting because it is now used in English to create the future tense: "I will go to the cinema". In the past, WILL meant "to want", so "I will go to the cinema" would've meant "I want to go to the cinema" (not that there were cinemas so long ago...). Use modal verbs for precision in your writing.

To sharpen your modal verbs skills, have a go at the following quiz.

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will see my cousins tomorrow; I might see my aunt too.

[ ]	cousins, aunt
[ ]	see, see
[ ]	tomorrow, too
[ ]	will, might

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will receive my exam results later and Amy might too.

[ ]	exam, results
[ ]	I, Amy
[ ]	receive, later
[ ]	will, might

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Can you pass me the salt please? I might need it.

[ ]	Can, might
[ ]	pass, need
[ ]	you, I
[ ]	you, me

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
May I borrow this book please? I will read it tonight.

[ ]	book, tonight
[ ]	borrow, read
[ ]	I, it
[ ]	May, will

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
When can we meet? I must do my homework first.

[ ]	can, must
[ ]	meet, do
[ ]	we, I
[ ]	When, first

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will see you next week; you must come when you can.

[ ]	I, you, you
[ ]	next, week, come
[ ]	see, come, can
[ ]	will, must, can

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Should we call him? He might still be at home.

[ ]	call, be
[ ]	him, he
[ ]	Should, might
[ ]	we, he

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Would you like a cup of tea? I'd like coffee please.

[ ]	like, like
[ ]	tea, coffee
[ ]	Would, I'd (= I would)
[ ]	you, I

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I must go to the wedding and you ought to go too.

[ ]	go, go
[ ]	I, you
[ ]	must, ought
[ ]	to, too

10.

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
They might not go to the wedding but I might go.

[ ]	go, go
[ ]	might, might
[ ]	They, I
[ ]	wedding, go

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is a verb?

English Quiz - Verbs (Modal) 01 (Answers)

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will see my cousins tomorrow; I might see my aunt too.

[ ]	cousins, aunt
[ ]	see, see
[ ]	tomorrow, too
[x]	will, might

Modal verbs can be used to imply the future

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will receive my exam results later and Amy might too.

[ ]	exam, results
[ ]	I, Amy
[ ]	receive, later
[x]	will, might

Modal verbs can also express possibility or uncertainty, as here with "might"

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Can you pass me the salt please? I might need it.

[x]	Can, might
[ ]	pass, need
[ ]	you, I
[ ]	you, me

Modal verbs can make your speech or writing more polite. "Would you like" is more polite than "do you want"

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
May I borrow this book please? I will read it tonight.

[ ]	book, tonight
[ ]	borrow, read
[ ]	I, it
[x]	May, will

"May I?" is a polite way of asking permission

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
When can we meet? I must do my homework first.

[x]	can, must
[ ]	meet, do
[ ]	we, I
[ ]	When, first

Modal verbs help the verbs "meet" and "do" here

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I will see you next week; you must come when you can.

[ ]	I, you, you
[ ]	next, week, come
[ ]	see, come, can
[x]	will, must, can

Modal verbs imply the future here

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Should we call him? He might still be at home.

[ ]	call, be
[ ]	him, he
[x]	Should, might
[ ]	we, he

"Might" gives the sense of "perhaps"

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
Would you like a cup of tea? I'd like coffee please.

[ ]	like, like
[ ]	tea, coffee
[x]	Would, I'd (= I would)
[ ]	you, I

Modal verbs make requests more polite (i.e. not just "coffee please!")

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
I must go to the wedding and you ought to go too.

[ ]	go, go
[ ]	I, you
[x]	must, ought
[ ]	to, too

"Must" is very definite; use it for a commanding tone

10.

Find the modal verbs in the following sentence.
They might not go to the wedding but I might go.

[ ]	go, go
[x]	might, might
[ ]	They, I
[ ]	wedding, go

Use modals to change tone and effect in writing