English modal auxiliary verbs

The English modal auxiliary verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality (properties such as possibility and obligation).^[a] They can most easily be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness (they do not have participles or plain forms^[b]) and by their lack of the ending ‑(e)s for the third-person singular.^[3]

The central English modal auxiliary verbs are can (with could), may (with might), shall (with should), will (with would), and must. A few other verbs are usually also classed as modals: ought, and (in certain uses) dare, and need. Use (/jus/, rhyming with "loose") is sometimes classed so as well. Other expressions, notably had better, share some of their characteristics.

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^ Huddleston & Pullum (2002), p. 104.
^ Aarts (2011), pp. 83–85.
^ Quirk et al. (1985), ^{[page needed]}.

[FOOTNOTEHuddlestonPullum2002104-2] Huddleston & Pullum (2002), p. 104.

[FOOTNOTEAarts201183–85-3] Aarts (2011), pp. 83–85.

[FOOTNOTEQuirkGreenbaumLeechSvartvik1985[[Category:Wikipedia_articles_needing_page_number_citations_from_January_2024]]<sup_class="noprint_Inline-Template_"_style="white-space:nowrap;">&#91;<i>[[Wikipedia:Citing_sources|<span_title="This_citation_requires_a_reference_to_the_specific_page_or_range_of_pages_in_which_the_material_appears.&#32;(January_2024)">page&nbsp;needed</span>]]</i>&#93;</sup>-5] Quirk et al. (1985), ^{[page needed]}.

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