Can Could May Might Must Shall Should Will Would

Use can for present ability and informal permission. It also marks general ability and can make requests in everyday speech.

Could is the past form of can for ability, but it also softens requests and shows possibility. Use it for polite permission and hypothetical situations.

Use may for formal permission and to signal possibility. It sounds more polite and official than can when asking to do something.

Might shows a smaller possibility and is used for cautious guesses. It can also make polite suggestions and soften statements about the future.

Use must for strong obligation, necessity, and logical conclusion. It tells someone they are required to do something or that something is almost certain.

Shall is formal and traditional for offers and suggestions, especially with I and we. It is rare in everyday speech but common in legal and polite contexts.

Should gives advice, recommendations, and mild obligation. It tells someone what is right or best to do and can express expectation.

Will marks future actions, promises, and decisions. It is used for predictions and for voluntary acts that someone intends to do.

Would is the polite conditional form for requests, offers, and hypothetical situations. It softens speech and is used in imagined or repeated past actions.

These modal verbs each serve distinct functions for ability, permission, possibility, necessity, and politeness. Choose can/could for ability and requests, may/might for permission and possibility, must for obligation, shall for formal offers, should for advice, will for future intent, and would for polite conditionals.