Imagine trying to speak without expressing possibility, permission,or necessity; it would be like painting without colour. That’s were the modal verb step in. These special helping verbs—can, could, ...

Modal verbs are easy to spot because there are so few of them. In addition to must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may and might, we can add ought to and have to. If we are told that we 'must ...

There are three basic kinds of verbs plus many subclasses. Here we cover only the three basic types. Initially, verbs are divided into main verbs and auxiliary verbs. Then auxiliary verbs are divided ...

Anna Slavkova from Bulgaria asks: I would like to have your explanation of how to turn the modals must/need not/used to into reported speech. When we use reported speech to convey what someone has ...

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea minima culpa: Michael Bulley (Letters, 10 May) is right to correct me – Latin does have the modal verbs he names, which cover possibility (possum), permission (licet) and ...

Christina Lamelas from Spain writes: I have some doubts dealing with appropriate use of the auxiliary particles do/does/did with need and dare. Sometimes I find need and dare used with these ...

Danilo Gomez Barbosa from Columbia writes: Could you please explain the difference between the modal auxiliary verbs should, could and would and how they are used? Thanks for your help. If he'd taken ...