Modal Tenses [Click] index
Modal tenses in English are a type of verb tense that express the speaker's attitude toward an action or state. These tenses are formed by combining a modal verb with a base verb. The modal verb changes to show different attitudes like ability, possibility, permission, obligation, and deduction. Here are some examples:

Can: "I can speak French fluently." (ability)

Could: "He could run a marathon when he was younger." (past ability)

May: "May I borrow your pen?" (permission)

Might: "She might come to the party later." (possibility)

Must: "You must finish your homework before you watch TV." (obligation)

Should: "We should call our parents to let them know we're safe." (advice or suggestion)

Would: "I would love to travel the world someday." (hypothetical or conditional statement)

Will: "I will meet you at the restaurant at 7 pm." (future prediction)

These modal tenses can be used in different contexts to convey different meanings, but they all share the common feature of expressing the speaker's attitude towards the action or state being described.
Here are some more examples of modal tenses in English in the past, present, and future:

Past:

Could have: "He could have passed the test if he had studied more." (past ability)

Should have: "I should have gone to bed earlier last night." (regret about a past action)

Might have: "She might have missed the train if she hadn't run." (past possibility)

Must have: "They must have arrived at the party before us." (deduction about a past action)

Present:

Can: "I can play the guitar." (present ability)

May: "May I ask you a question?" (present permission)

Must: "You must wear a mask in the store." (present obligation)

Should: "We should recycle our plastic bottles." (present advice or suggestion)

Future:

Will: "I will study harder for my exams next week." (future prediction)

Might: "She might go on vacation to Hawaii next year." (future possibility)

Could: "I could help you move next month." (future ability)

Should: "They should arrive at the airport two hours before their flight." (future advice or suggestion)