Page 43 - New Grammar with a Smile 6

Modal auxiliaries

The following are the modal auxiliary verbs in English—can, must, may, might,
will, would, should, must, shall, should and ought to. They are used with other
verbs to express probability, determination, ability, obligation, possibility, wishes and
so on. Modal auxiliaries cannot be used alone. They need a principal verb to complete
the meaning. For example,
• Radha is late. She may be sleeping. (possibility)
• I should wash my clothes today. (obligation) Note

• He can drive a car. (ability) Modal auxiliaries do not change
• Can I shut the door? (permission) their form according to the
number and person of the
• You should obey your parents. (advice) subject. For example,
• Could I leave early today, Sir? (permission) • Jaideep can swim.
• Rajan will always be late. (about habits) • I can swim.

You will learn more about modals in Chapter 6. • They can swim.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Read this sentence.
• Radhika baked a cake.

In this sentence, the action of the subject (baked) is transferred to the object (cake).

A transitive verb is one that is used with an object—a noun, phrase, or pronoun
that refers to the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb.

Here are more examples of transitive verbs.
• He wrote a letter.

• She sang a song.
• Mother pushed the trolley.

Now, read these sentences.
• They run.
• Birds fly.
• It rains.
• The artist painted.
• The baby sleeps.
• Creepers grow fast.
• The pigeon flew away.

In these sentences, the verbs run, fly, rains, painted, sleeps, grow and flew do not
have any objects.

Verbs that do not require an object to complete their meanings are
called intransitive verbs.
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