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Modals

IBPS PO · English Language

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

Modals are special verbs that express ability, permission, possibility, necessity, or obligation. They help show the speaker's attitude or opinion about an action. Common modals include can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, and ought to.

Unlike regular verbs, modals never change their form and are always followed by the base form of the main verb. Key Rules: First, modals never take 's' in third person singular. You say 'He can swim' not 'He cans swim'. Second, questions are formed by moving the modal before the subject: 'Can you help?' Third, negatives add 'not' after the modal: 'cannot', 'should not'.

Fourth, modals are followed by infinitive without 'to' (except ought to).

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL commonly tests modal selection in sentence correction, cloze tests, and error spotting. Questions often test the difference between similar modals like can/could, may/might, should/must. You'll see sentences with missing modals where you choose the most appropriate one. Error spotting questions frequently test incorrect modal usage or wrong verb forms after modals. Shortcut Trick - PAWN Method: P-Permission (may/can), A-Ability (can/could), W-Willingness (will/would), N-Necessity (must/should).

This helps you quickly identify which modal fits the context.

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Worked Example

Solve this step-by-step before moving on

1

Step 1

Identify the context - This shows necessity/obligation

2

Step 2

Apply PAWN method - We need 'N' for Necessity

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Step 3

Among options, 'must' shows strong necessity

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Step 4

Check: 'You must complete this work by tomorrow' - grammatically correct Answer: (b) must Another Key Trick: For past forms, remember can→could, may→might, will→would, shall→should. But 'must' stays the same for past meaning, though 'had to' is preferred for past necessity. Common Mistakes: Students often use wrong verb forms after modals. Never write 'can to go' or 'must going'. Always use base form: 'can go', 'must go'. Another error is using double modals like 'might can' - only one modal per verb phrase. Also, don't confuse 'could' (past ability) with 'could' (polite present possibility). Context determines meaning. Formality Levels matter in exams: 'May I?' is more formal than 'Can I?'. 'Would you?' is more polite than 'Will you?'. Questions often test appropriate modal choice based on formal/informal situations. Remember that 'shall' is rarely used in American English but appears in British English contexts, especially in first person questions: 'Shall we go?'

🔑 Key Points

Modals never change form and are followed by base form of main verb
Common modals: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to
Questions formed by placing modal before subject (Can you help?)
Negatives add 'not' after modal (cannot, should not, might not)
PAWN method: Permission-Ability-Willingness-Necessity for quick identification
Past forms: can→could, may→might, will→would, shall→should
May/Shall are more formal than Can/Will in usage
Never use double modals or 'to' after modals (except ought to)

📌 Exam Facts

Modals are also called auxiliary verbs or helping verbs
Only modal that takes 'to' is 'ought to'
Must has no past form - use 'had to' for past necessity
Semi-modals include: used to, need to, have to, be able to
Could expresses both past ability and present possibility
Shall is primarily used with first person (I/we) in questions
Might is past form of may but also shows less possibility than may
Would rather is followed by base form without 'to'

💪 Practice Questions (1)

Q 1medium

Choose the option that correctly fills in the blank: The manager said that all employees ________ submit their reports before the deadline, failing which strict action would be taken.

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: Modals + base form of verb (no 's', no 'to', no 'ing')
PAWN trick: Permission-Ability-Willingness-Necessity for context
Formula: Subject + Modal + Base Verb (He can swim)
Trap: Never use double modals or wrong verb forms after modals
Past forms: can→could, may→might, will→would, but must stays same
Formality: May/Shall more formal than Can/Will
Exception: Only 'ought to' takes 'to' among pure modals

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