Before reading this article, make sure you are familiar with the uses of can and may. You will need that information to understand can vs may. You may have heard someone say “Can I go to the bathroom.” You might have also heard “May I go to the bathroom”. Can we use both “can” and…

The last semi-modal on our list is “used to”, which you will probably be very familiar with. You have probably used “used to” to talk about habits: As a child I used to play near the stream every day. This was an action that happened many times in the past but no longer. You can…

For many of you, reading this post will be one of the few times (if not the first time) you have seen the word “ought to”. This word is the next semi-modal verb on our list. What is it and why are we including it on our list? What does it even mean? It is…

Probably one of the more unusual semi-modal verbs is “had better”. While it follows the rules of normal modal verbs, this one is the only one that comprises a verb in the past tense (which stays the same for all tenses) and an adverb. You can use it for a variety of things, such as…

The next semi-modal verb on our list is the verb “to need”, which means “to require something”. Usually it follows the rules for normal verbs, such as in the following example: I need to go. A non-modal use of the verb “need” Did you know that there is a way to use it as a…

The next semi-modal verb on our list is the verb “to dare”, which means “to have the courage to do something” or “defy/challenge someone to do something”. But wait, Jamie, you might say: I have seen this verb used normally, such as in the sentence below. How is this a semi-modal verb? Does he dare…

What are the differences between must vs have to? Formality Urgency (must vs have to) Further learning So we have looked at the modal verb “must” and the semi-modal verb “have to” and have seen that they serve very similar roles. They both talk about an obligation – something that is needed to be done.…

The verb “to have” is very versatile. It forms the perfect tenses and also has its own meaning which shows possession. For example: As a semi-modal verb When the verb “have” is in the form “have to”, it functions like must, showing obligation and is a semi-modal verb. But why is it a semi-modal verb…

Before we talk about what a semi-modal verb is, you should be familiar with the concept of a modal verb. What is a semi-modal verb? A semi-modal verb is similar to a modal verb. In fact the prefix semi– means “half” or “partially”. In this case a semi-modal verb is partially a modal verb and…

In the English language, the modal verb pair can/could is one of the most difficult modal pairs to learn as the modals can be used in a variety of situations. These include: The difficulties that many English-learning beginners have is that can and could are used in many situations and can even be used in…

The modal pair shall/should seem like they should be the easiest modal verbs to learn, so why aren’t they? Unlike most modal verbs, there are some regional and dialectical differences between shall and should. Let’s look at their uses and differences below: Order/command/prophecy Questions (advice or suggestions) + shall/should Normal/recommended behaviour (without strong obligation) +…

Of all the modal verbs, will/would are probably used the most. Why, you may ask. They are used to form both the future and conditional tenses. However, these two do more than just that. They can also be used for habits, indirect order and politeness. Let’s have a look at these uses: Habits + will/would…

What is the difference between the modal verbs may and might? How do you use them? This post explores these questions and more.

Must and must not are somewhat unique among the modal verb pairs. How can the positive and negative form of a verb mean the same thing??? Read more about it here