modal verb
1
3.0
- noun
- /ˈmoʊdəl vɜrb/
- Specialized
:
verbo modal
- I say wanting, so that is the main verb, not a subsidiary, secondary, dependent, or modal verb.
Zol and zolin is a modal verb in in German and it denotes sometimes well that that's the sort of thing that should happen.
- Zol and zolin is a modal verb in in German and it denotes sometimes well that that's the sort of thing that should happen.
Examples
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A modal verb, such as can or must, is used to express necessity in a sentence.
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The exceptions are future tenses, which are formed with the modal verb 'will'.
Blog text (31) -
Identify the modal verb in the sentence.
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And how can a modal verb be a main verb?
Blog text (31) -
That they are not modal verbs but main verbs?
Blog text (31) -
As for being 'my modals', they are just the same as any grammatical definition of modal verb in English.
Blog text (31) -
Zol and zolin is a modal verb in in German and it denotes sometimes well that that's the sort of thing that should happen.
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In their simplest form, hedges are single words, such as adverbs (generally, probably), verbs (imply, suggest), and modal verbs (may, should).
Academic text (2001) -
In English, the word may functions as a modal verb to indicate permission.
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When learning grammar, understanding how to use might as a modal verb can clarify expressions of possibility.
Synonyms
3
4.9
A helping verb that shows possibility, permission, or obligation
1
5.5
A helping verb like can that you use with another verb to show chance, need or time
A helper word used with verbs to show possibility or need, for example can and must
How Supporting
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'modal' relates to modality/auxiliary meanings (possibility, necessity, permission) and 'verb' names the word class, so 'modal verb' straightforwardly denotes a verb expressing modality. This is a common grammatical label with clear equivalents across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Modal verb comes from 'mode', a word for the way something happens. A modal shows what the speaker thinks and the verb is a helping word, so a modal verb tells about 'possibility', 'permission', or 'necessity'.