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1BUSINESS ENGLISH
UNIT 4
MODAL AUXILIARIES
DEFINITION
Modal auxiliaries are verbs which indicate the speaker’s / writer’s attitude towards the state or event
expressed by another verb (i.e. the main verb). In German the principal modal auxiliaries are müssen,
können, sollen, dürfen, wollen, and mögen. In English the chief modal auxiliaries are may, might, can,
could, must, have to, will, would, shall and should.
1. MAY
May + PRESENT INFINITIVE expresses possibility or permission:
This may be a short-run1 phenomenon. ‹Es kann sein, dass...› (possibility)
The structure of some industries may shift gradually over time. (possibility)
You may go. ‹Sie dürfen gehen.› (permission)
May + PERFECT INFINITIVE expresses speculations about past actions:
He may have taken out a loan.
2. MIGHT
Might + PRESENT INFINITIVE expresses possibility in the present or future. The difference between may
and might is that might makes a possibility seem more remote:
Today he might say something about the underlying2 structure of the steel industry.
The bank might grant the accountant a housing loan next week.
Might + PERFECT INFINITIVE is used in speculations about past actions:
The company’s profitability might have been affected by cyclical fluctuations3.
Might + PERFECT INFINITIVE can also express irritation at the non-performance of an action in the past:
You might have told me. (Du hättest es mir doch sagen können!)
3. CAN
Since can has no infinitive and no present perfect, past perfect or future tenses, it often has to be
replaced by be able. Can is followed by the infinitive without to, while be able is followed by the
infinitive with to:
They have been able to increase their market share. (Present Perfect Tense)
They had been able to increase their market share. (Past Perfect Tense)
They will be able to increase their market share. (Future Tense)
In the present tense you can use either can or be able. Can is the more usual form:
Can you use a computer?
Are you able to use a computer?
Can is used to express permission, possibility or ability:
The boss says we can leave the office at six o’clock. (permission)
One can distinguish short-run factors from long-run factors. (possibility)
His personal assistant4 can speak three languages fluently. (ability)
1
short-term (kurzfristig)
2
zugrundeliegend
3
konjunturelle Schwankungen
4
Chefsekretärin
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