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📘 Grammar
Modal Verbs: Can, Could, May, Must, Should — Used Right
Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to) main verb se pehle aakar uska mood badalte hain — ability, permission, possibility, obligation. Inke baad hamesha V1 (base form) aata hai, aur ye kabhi -s/-ed/-ing nahi lete.
1. What each modal really means
- Can / Could — ability & informal permission: She can solve it. Could I sit here?
- May / Might — formal permission & possibility: You may leave. It might rain.
- Must — strong obligation / near-certainty: You must submit it today. He must be tired.
- Should / Ought to — advice / expectation: You should revise daily.
- Will / Would — future & politeness: Would you help me?
2. Past & certainty forms
Modal + have + V3 past ke liye: She must have finished (zaroor khatam kiya hoga); He should have told me (batana chahiye tha, bataya nahi).
📝 Example"You ___ smoke here" (prohibition) → must not. "___ I borrow your pen?" (polite permission) → May/Could.
3. Degrees of certainty
must (90% sure) > should > may/might/could (50%). Exam me context dekh kar degree choose karo.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Modal ke baad to nahi (sirf ought to exception):
must to go→ must go. - Do modals saath nahi:
will can→ will be able to. - must not = prohibition; need not = no obligation — ye opposite hain, mat milao.
⚡ Quick RevisionModal + V1 (no to, no -s). must=strong, should=advice, may/might=possibility. Past = modal + have + V3.
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