Modal Verbs and Possibility
Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission
Typical age: 9–10 years
“When your child writes, do they choose between words like "must", "might", "could", and "should" to show whether something is certain, possible, or just an idea — rather than treating every action as definite?”
0 / 3 mastered
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Needs first
- The Present Perfect Tense
Understanding modal verbs is enriched by the prior study of present perfect, which also expresses nuanced relationships between time and action
- Standard English Verbs
Standard English verb inflections provide the base forms that modals modify
- Past, Present and Progressive TenseREQUIRED
Modal verbs express degrees of possibility and are understood within the broader framework of verb tense and aspect
- Simple Past, Present and FutureREQUIRED
Modal verbs modify main verbs to express possibility/necessity; learners need a secure grasp of simple verb tenses before adding modal modifiers
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