Modal Verbs

The article English Modal Verbs lists and explains the nine modal verbs in English—can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would—and discusses some of the possible definitions and meanings of these modals.

The article Modal Auxiliary Verbs: The Grammar of Modal Verbs in English explains and provides examples of the grammar of the nine English modal verbs.

The article English Quasi-modal Verbs lists and explains the four quasi-modal verbs in English—ought to, used to, would rather, had better—and discusses some of the possible definitions and meanings of these quasi-modals.

The article English Catenative Verbs explains the conjugations and uses of catenatives as well as the difference between catenative verbs—verbs that form strings of verbs by linking to the infinitive form of another verb—and modal or quasi-modal verbs.

Modal Verb Meanings

The article Semantics and Pragmatics of English Modal Verbs: The Meanings and Uses of Modal Auxiliary Verbs in English offers the most common semantic and pragmatic meanings of the nine English modal verbs.

The article English Modal Verbs: Can and May offers the most frequent definitions of the modals can and may with examples to illustrate use.

The article English Modal Verbs: Will and Shall offers the most frequent definitions of the modals will and shall with examples to illustrate use.

The article English Modal Verbs: Could and Might offers the most frequent definitions of the modals could and might with examples to illustrate use.

The article English Modal Verbs: Would offers the most frequent definitions of the modal would with examples to illustrate use.

The article English Modal Verbs: Must and Should offers the most frequent definitions of the modals must and should with examples to illustrate use.

Multiple Modals

The essay Multiple Modals in Modern English: Use, History, and Structure of Periphrastic Modal Verbs explains the structure, users, history, and pragmatics of multiple modals— periphrastic verb constructions characterized by the use of two or more modal verbs within a single verb phrase—in Modern English.