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, which express a likelihood, ability, permission, request, order etc., usually help main verbs to state the future. It is the reason they are categorised as auxiliary verbs in the context.

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 ...

Most learners of English get to know soon enough that a verb is a word that describes an action, condition or experience, but not many are able to confidently distinguish main verbs from auxiliary ...

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 ...

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 ...