<P> A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality--that is: likelihood, ability, permission and obligation . Examples include the English verbs can / could, may / might, must, will / would and shall / should . In English and other Germanic languages, modal verbs are often distinguished as a class based on certain grammatical properties . </P> <P> A modal auxiliary verb gives information about the function of the main verb that it governs . Modals have a wide variety of communicative functions, but these functions can generally be related to a scale ranging from possibility ("may") to necessity ("must"), in terms of one of the following types of modality: </P>

What is the function of modal auxiliary verbs in english