Why is it important to study modal verbs?

Why are modal verbs challenging for students?

Although there are a number of reasons that students of English make frequent mistakes when forming expressions that require the representation of modality, we’ve grouped these concerns into four distinct types.

1. Avoidance

While it may be possible to avoid using modal verbs altogether and instead rely upon modal adjectives such as ‘possible’, modal adverbs such as ‘perhaps’ or modal nouns such as ‘probability’ – all of which function as hedging language, an overreliance of these word classes and an avoidance of modal verbs will likely make a writer’s or speaker’s language appear odd or unnatural, particularly to a native speaker of English.

2. Grammar

As will be explored in much more detail in Chapter 3, the grammar of both pure and semi-modals can also sometimes confuse students with mistakes leading to a break down in communication. Because modal verbs lack the inflection of more ordinary lexical verbs, because they sometimes use present and past tense forms such as ‘can’ and ‘could’ for functions other than demonstrating a timeframe, and because (unlike other auxiliary verbs such as ‘want’) they rarely precede full infinitives using ‘to’, it’s understandable that some students make many errors with this word type.

3. Pronunciation

Modal verbs can be pronounced with strong or weak forms when used in connected speech, and because such verbs are most commonly spoken in their quicker weak forms when combined with another verb, non-native speakers of English may sometimes fail to identify them. While failing to hear or understand a modal verb may generally have little effect on overall comprehension, some structures may create the potential for confusion. If, for example, ‘can’ were missed from the offer below, the listener may instead interpret that statement as a promise: