Class 6 English - ICSE
Modals: Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should
In this chapter for Class 6 ICSE English Grammar, students will explore Modal Auxiliary Verbs—specifically Can, Could, May, Might, Must, and Should. Modals are special helper verbs that express the speaker's attitude or mood, such as ability, permission, possibility, obligation, and advice. Mastering modals is essential for board exams as they frequently appear in gap-filling exercises, sentence transformation, and error correction tasks. Understanding how to use the correct modal in everyday communication also helps improve both writing and speaking skills.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Can
Used to express physical or mental ability in the present, as well as informal permission (e.g., 'I can swim').
Could
Used as the past tense of 'can' to show past ability, or to make polite requests and suggestions (e.g., 'Could you help me?').
May
Used to ask for or grant formal permission, and to express a strong possibility that something will happen (e.g., 'It may rain today').
Might
Used to express a weak or remote possibility, meaning it is less likely to happen than when using 'may' (e.g., 'We might visit the zoo').
Must
Used to express strict necessity, strong obligation, or rules that must be followed (e.g., 'You must wear a school uniform').
Should
Used to give advice, make recommendations, or state what is the right thing to do (e.g., 'You should study for the test').
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In ICSE Class 6 English Language exams, questions on modals typically carry 3 to 5 marks. They commonly appear as fill-in-the-blanks, sentence rewriting based on clues in brackets, or error-spotting exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'can' and 'could'?
'Can' is used for present ability and informal permission, while 'could' is used for past ability, polite requests, and weaker possibilities.
Do we add 's' or 'ed' to modals?
No, modals never change their form. They do not take 's', 'ed', or 'ing' (e.g., we say 'She can swim', not 'She cans swim').
When should I use 'must' instead of 'should'?
Use 'must' when something is a strict rule or absolute necessity (an obligation), and use 'should' when giving friendly advice or a recommendation.
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