Modal Auxiliary Verbs! How Do They Work? English with Billgreen54

·12 min·1 clip

Bill Green explains why modal verbs like 'can' and 'must' always need another verb in perfect English.

The episode begins with Bill Green introducing modal auxiliary verbs as tools to express manners, politeness, ability, possibility, permission, or obligation. He states that modal verbs, including can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must, and ought, are always used with another verb and never stand alone. Bill notes that have to, want to, and need to function similarly to modal verbs. He provides pronunciation guidance for 'have to', emphasizing an 'f' sound. Examples demonstrate modal usage, such as 'Can we go now?' for ability. Bill compares 'can' and 'could', explaining 'can' is more direct while 'could' is politer and used across tenses. He discusses 'will' for future tense and 'would' for politeness. The lesson covers 'shall' as more British, suggesting 'should' in American English. Bill highlights 'may' as the most polite modal and notes 'may' and 'might' are often interchangeable. He addresses 'ought to' as a phrase, clarifying that other modals are not followed by 'to'. Bill contrasts 'must' (more British) with 'have to' (more American) for obligation. Examples compare informal 'do you want' with formal 'would you like'. He stresses intonation's role in politeness when using modals. The episode concludes with a reminder to enjoy practicing modal verbs.

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