Injecting Attitude into Your Sentences
3.3 🎨 Injecting Attitude into Your Sentences
Welcome to the world of Modal Verbs! Modal verbs add attitude, mood, condition, or possibility to your sentences. They tell the reader whether an action is necessary, possible, allowed, or advised.
🗺️ The Core Modal Family
- Never Change Shape: Modals never add -s, -ed, or -ing.
- Followed by Base Verbs: Always use the raw base verb after a modal.
- No “Do/Does” in Questions: Move the modal to the front to ask a question.
- Direct Negatives: Add not directly after the modal verb.
📝 Real-World Examples Explained
1. Expressing Possibility
“It might rain during the afternoon commute.”
- might: Shows uncertainty (around 30–40% chance).
2. Expressing Advice
“You should back up your files every evening.”
- should: Gives helpful professional advice without forcing an order.
3. Expressing Necessity
“All employees must wear safety helmets inside the factory.”
- must: Expresses an absolute rule or legal requirement.
🚫 Common Mistakes: Correct vs. Incorrect
1. Adding “To” After a Modal Verb
❌ Incorrect: “You must to sign the agreement now.”
✅ Correct: “You must sign the agreement now.”
Why it’s wrong: Modal verbs are followed directly by base verbs without “to” (except for ought to).
2. Adding “-s” for Third Person
❌ Incorrect: “He cans speak three foreign languages.”
✅ Correct: “He can speak three foreign languages.”
Why it’s wrong: Modals never change shape for He, She, or It.
✏️ Quick Quiz: Spot the Modal Error!
Fix the error in this sentence: “She shoulds calls the client before leaving.”
🔑 Quiz Answer
✅ Correct: “She should call the client before leaving.” (Remove -s from should and call).