English Modal Verb

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. In the English language, a modal verb is a type of auxiliary verb. The key way to identify a modal verb is by its defectiveness (they have neither participles nor infinitives). In addition, modal verbs do not take the inflection -s or -es in the third person singular, unlike other verbs. The modal verbs in English are as follows, paired as present and preterite forms. shall and should will and would may and might can and could mote (Archaic) and must Note that use of the preterite forms does not necessarily refer to past time. The following have also been categorized by some as modal verbs: p. 33