Modal Verbs in English: How to Use Modal Verbs Correctly. Grammar Lesson.

Hi, how can I help you? Hi, how may I help you? 

Which sentence is correct? Can you give me a pen, please? 

Or Could you give me a pen,  please? Which one is correct? 

Watch this video and let’s find out!

Hello and welcome to English Lessons with  Kate! In this lesson we're going to talk  

about the most common modal verbs in English  and you will learn how to use them correctly. 

In the first part of the video we’re  going to talk about general rules we  

should know to use modal verbs correctly. And in the second part of the video we’re  

going to learn the difference between Can, Could  and May. At the end of the lesson, we’re going to  

have a little quiz to test your knowledge,  so please stay with me until the very end.

You probably have learned English tenses - Past,  

Present and Future. But modal  verbs are a little bit different.

These are the most common modal verbs.  May, might, must, can, will, could,  

should, would. These modal verbs are  often used in English conversations. 

But there are two modal verbs that are  used very rarely - Ought to and shall. 

Now I'm talking about American English. In  American English they rarely use these two  

modal verbs. I’m going to explain the verbs Shall  and Will later today, so please keep watching. 

Now let’s talk about the important rules we  need to know to use modal verbs accurately. 

Rule number 1. Modal verbs don't change For example, we say I play. He plays.  

We add an –s for He, she, it. But we do not change the modal verb. 

For example. I can play the  guitar. He can play the guitar. 

Do not say He cans Or she cans. The modal verb always stays the same. 

She should do the task. We should do the task. Do not say shoulds. Do not change the modal verb.

Rule number two. Use the  base verb after a modal verb. 

We use the base verb after the modal verb. The base verb is the infinitive form without "to." 

She might go to the party with us. We  do not say she might to go to the party. 

Or she might going to the party  with us. It is wrong to say this. 

So the verb after the modal verb stays  the same. Do not add to, do not add -ing 

Take a look at this sentence.  I must finish the project. 

I often hear my students say - I must to finish But we don't need to use TO after the modal verb 

I must finish the project. I  must do it. Not I must to do it.

3. In negatives, we use NOT after the modal verb We never use don’t, doesn't, isn't, aren't,  

wasn't, won't with these modal verbs. I could not understand the rule. 

It would be wrong if I say I  didn’t could understand the rule. 

We must not forget about the meeting. It would be wrong if I say We don’t  

must forget about the meeting. These mistakes are very common. 

You cannot, you may not, you could  not, you must not, you will not,  

you would not. Or we can use contractions. "You cannot" becomes "You can't." 

"You could not" becomes "You couldn't." "You must not" becomes "You mustn't." 

"You will not" becomes "You won't." "You would not" becomes "You wouldn't." 

Please pay attention to the structure ‘cannot’.  We say cannot, but it’s actually one word  

I cannot. I cannot do that. When we spell  this word, this is a really common mistake.

Rule 4. The modal verb always  comes first in questions.

Could I help you with your essay? In questions a modal verb comes  

before the subject. In this sentence we have  the subject I, and two verbs could and help. 

Do I could help is not correct. Am I could help is also not correct. 

So, in questions, the modal  verb always comes first. 

And we do not use auxiliary verbs like  – do, did, does, am, are and so on.

Can, Could and May Now let’s talk about these  

3 modal verbs that we usually use when we ask  questions, when we ask someone to do something. 

Can, Could and May. But how  do we know which one to use? 

First, when we ask a question, we ask  for permission or we request someone to  

do something for us. We start the  question with Can, Could or May. 

We use CAN in more informal situations. I  mean when you're with your family or friends. 

We use COULD in a little bit more formal  situations when we make a polite request.  

For example, with your colleagues at work or  when you’re in a store talking to a salesperson. 

MAY is used in formal situations,  when you’re talking to a customer,  

client, or giving an interview. And you’re  trying to be very formal and very polite. 

There is one important grammar rule. When forming questions with 'Can'  

and 'Could,' any subject pronoun can  be used. We can say, Can I, can you,  

can we, can she, can he, could  they, could she, could he, okay?

When we use May, we can just use  it with I or we. May I or may we? 

We can't ask permission for someone else. May I borrow your pen? May we sit here? 

Now let’s compare three different  words in the same question. 

Can I have some tea? Could I have  some tea? and May I have some tea? 

If I'm at home, I can ask one of my family  members, "Can I have some tea?" This situation  

is really informal so we use CAN. Let's say I am in a coffee shop,  

it's a little bit more formal situation  and I could ask "Could I have some tea"? 

And let’s imagine that I am in a  fancy restaurant ordering some tea,  

and I would say "May I have some tea?" 

Also you could add the word please. You may  also hear, "Can I have some tea, please?" 

I often hear my students say: it's  not correct to say ‘Can I have’,  

or it's rude to say “Can I have". It's not.  It’s not rude, it's just less formal. People  

say that. That's totally normal. The phrase "Can  I have" is commonly used in everyday speech and  

it's simply less formal. It’s a direct and  straightforward way to ask for something. 

Every time you go to the store you will  hear May I help you? And you can also  

hear - How can I help you? Both phrases  are commonly used in customer service. 

Can is not always about a skill or physical  ability to do something, for example Can you  

swim? I can swim. We’re talking about the ability. But it is also about asking for permission and  

giving permission – For example. Can  I go home now? You can go home now.

Will or Shall? Now let’s talk about the  

difference between Shall and Will. Shall is going  to sound more formal and more polite than ‘will’ 

"I shall call them now." Sounds more  formal than I will call them now. 

Like I said before, native speakers do  not use Shall so much in American English.  

It’s not incorrect, but it may sound  very formal and very polite sometimes. 

In polite questions Shall is used when  we ask something or offer something. 

Shall we? 

Shall we dance? Or Shall I do the dishes? In this  case I’m making a polite offer to do the dishes.  

I’m offering to do the dishes. But it sounds  very formal. We can just say: Should I do the  

dishes? It’s a more natural way to say this. We use will when we talk about decisions we  

make in the moment. For example. I will  call them now. I will go to the party. 

When we ask a question about the future  or make a request, we often use 'will'. 

Will you help me with my homework? Will you go to the party?

Now let’s have a little quiz. Let’s check  if you can use modal verbs correctly.

Thank you for watching this video! You  did a fantastic job today! I hope this  

video was useful for you and now you  know how to use modal verbs correctly. 

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