Dreyfus' answer is correct. Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as possibility, intention, obligation and necessity. There are approximately 10 or 11 modal verbs: ... can/could, may/might, shall/should/ought, will/would, need, and must. Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as: - Something is possible or not possible - Something we want to happen - Something is certain - Something is expected - Something is intended - Something is obligated - Something is necessary - Something is needed Modal verbs can never function as main verbs, they are auxiliary verbs. That means they are used together with a second verb (the main verb). Modal verbs express the speaker's (or listener's) judgement or opinion at the moment of speaking. EXAMPLES OF MODAL VERBS (Can you find the main verbs?) I can speak English. I could not speak English when I was 6 months old. We may be going soon. We might be going by train. I shall try to explain. I should try to explain clearly. I ought to try to explain clearly. They will try to understand. They would have to pay attention to the explanation if they want to understand. I need to try my best to explain modal verbs. I must try my best to explain modal verbs. Modal verbs are not one of the 12 English verb tenses, they are just auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) that help to explain the speaker's 'feeling' about the main verb.

modal verbs are: must/ can/could/should/would/dare/ought to/may/might Definition:A modal verb (also modal, modal auxiliary verb, modal auxiliary) is a type of auxiliary verb that is used to indicate modality.

What ARE the modal verbs? (use "are" because "verbs" is plural) Asking this question means you want a list of all the modal verbs. What are modal verbs? (no "the") Asking this question means you want an explanation or definition of "modal verbs".

All the auxiliary verbs except "be, do and have" are called modal verbs. Unlike other auxiliary verbs, modals only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence. Be, do, and have also differ from the other auxiliaries in that they can also serve as ordinary verbs in a given sentence. The modal verbs are: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, ought to, will and would.