Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs used to express ideas such as (necessity, ability, possibility, advice, obligation, probability, requests, permission, etc.), in English they are combined with verbs in their infinitive forms. Modal verbs have their own question and negation forms, they do not depend on the auxiliary verb -do for this purpose. Modal verbs in English include (-can, -could, -will, -would, -should, -must, -may, and -might), the modal verbs -ought to and -shall are antiquated and are not regularly used in modern English. 

Note: The modal verb may is no longer used as frequently to ask for permission or give permission as it was in the past, -may is typically viewed as very formal in modern spoken English.

 

The modal verb -may is used to:

 

1) To give and request permission (formal).

2) To express a strong possibility of an action happening in the future. 

3) To express wishes, hopes, and beliefs about the future.

​

​

​​​​

​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Formation - Affirmative Statements 

​ ​

The modal verb -may is only used in the present tense, it is used most often in affirmative statements to ask for and give permission. Modal verbs are never conjugated depending on the subject, they remain the same for all subjects which makes them simple to use, modal verbs are always combined with a main verb in the infinitive form.  

​

​

Structure used to form affirmative statements in the simple present ​with the modal verb -may.

​Subject + may + main verb in the infinitive form

​

Structure used to form affirmative questions in the simple present with the modal verb -may.​

​May + Subject + main verb in the infinitive form?

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​​​​​​

​

​​

​​​​​​​​​​      Examples

​​      Ex: May I help with something? 

      Ex: I may just go tonight, I need to take my mind off of my problems. 

      Ex: The doctor said my brother may require surgery. 

      Ex: May it start raining? 

​

 

​​

 ​

Formation - Negative Statements 

​​

The modal verb -may is used in the present tense, it is used most often in negative statements to deny permission. Modal verbs are never conjugated depending on the subject, they remain the same for all subjects which makes them simple to use, modal verbs are always combined with a main verb in the infinitive form. Negative statements and questions in the present tense with the verb -be and modal verbs are not formed with the verb -do, they have their own negative question and statement forms. Negative questions and statements with the modal verb -may are not typical (with the exception of denying permission with negative statements), the use of contractions with -may are almost never used. Negative questions are meant to express surprise, confirm information, or encourage agreement.

​​

​

Structure used to form negative statements in the simple present ​with the modal verb -could.

​Subject + could not + main verb in the infinitive form

​

Structure used to form negative questions in the simple present with the modal verb -could.​

​Could + Subject + not + main verb in the infinitive form?

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​​

​​

​

​                .

               

​

​​​​

      Examples​

      Ex: May I not leave yet? 

      Ex: You may not listen to music until you finish your chores. 

​      Ex: It may not be a good day to go to the beach. 

      Ex: The medicine may not make much of a difference, but it's all we have for now. 

​

​

​​​​

​

May uses 

​​

​

To give and request permission (formal)

 Note: Conditional statements can be used in this context. 

​

      Examples

      Ex: May I borrow your pen? 

      Ex: You may begin now. 

​      Ex: You may not start until I blow the whistle.

      Ex: May we not go tonight? 

      Ex: You may take it with you. 

      Ex: May I have 5 minutes to think about it?

      Ex: You may have a party with your friends if you get a good grade on the test. 

      Ex: May George and I go to the concert if we can get tickets? 

​

​​​​

​​​​

To express a strong possibility of something happening in the future  

​​

      Examples

​      Ex: It may snow tonight, you shouldn't go out. 

      Ex: I may attend St. John's this fall. 

​      Ex: It seems Erick may quit his job, he's very upset. 

      Ex: May the stock market crash because of the report? 

​      Ex: The slight increase may not make much of a difference.

​      Ex: May not changing the fluid cause the transmission to fail?

​      Ex: May Daniels win the election? 

      Ex: The engine may overheat if you leave it on too long. ​

​​

​​

​

To express wishes, hopes, and beliefs about the future

​​

      Examples

​      Ex: May you have prosperity in your future.

      Ex: May everything work out for the better. 

​      Ex: May you not have to go through more trouble. 

      Ex: It may not be the best time to invest in the stock market. 

​      Ex: May Laura get married to Frank? 

​      Ex: May our family not catch a break? 

​      Ex: It may be too late to do anything. 

      Ex: Our latest failure may give us the data we were looking for. 

​

​​

​ 

​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​May-  Using -may at the end of statement to confirm information

               

The modal verb may can be added to the end of a statement made with -may to confirm information, note that affirmative statements use negative questions with -may and negative statements use affirmative questions with -may. 

​

 

      Examples

      Ex: You may come, may you not? 

      Ex: It may not rain today, may it? 

      Ex: Your friend may need help, may he not? 

      Ex: The company may not recover, may it? 

​

​​​​

​

​​​​​