Are you looking for modal verbs activities for ESL students? Read on for a rundown of the types of modals in English and fun modals activities your students will love.
Modals: Form and Meaning
Modal verbs (also called helping verbs or auxiliary verbs) are very common in English. Sentence structure with modals is fairly simple to teach. To form a sentence with a modal, use the following formula:
Subject + modal + main verb in base form + the rest of the sentence
Example: She can play the flute
To make the sentence negative, just add not, ‘t or ‘nt after the modal:
Example: They shouldn’t eat dairy. It makes them sick.
To form questions, use the formula modal + subject + main verb in base form:
Example: Will you go to school tomorrow?
Types of Modal Verbs
There are many types of modals that serve different functions in English. Here are some of the most common modals:
Possibility
We use the modals could, may and might to express that something is or is not possible. For example, “It might rain tomorrow,” and “You could graduate early if you take extra classes.”
Suggestion/Advice
We use the modals should and the modal-like expression might want to to give advice. For example, “If you want to be healthier, you should eat more vegetables.”
Request
We use the modals will, would, can, and could to make requests. For example, “Could you pass the salt?” and “Will you call me tomorrow?”
Permission
We use the modals can, may, and could to ask permission. For example, “May I borrow your pen, please?” and “Could I see that blouse?”
Ability
To express ability in the present, use can. For example, “I can touch my toes.” To express past ability, use could. For example, “When I was a teenager, I could run fifteen miles in one day.”
Necessity
We use the modals must, have to, and need to to express that something is necessary. For example, “I need to fill up the tank with gas” and “We must pay this bill immediately to avoid a fee.”
Likelihood
We also use must to express that something is likely. For example, “That man drives a fancy car. He must be wealthy.”
Modal Verbs Activities for ESL
There are so many fun activities that you can do with modals! Here are a few of my favorite modal verbs activities for ESL:
- To practice modals of ability (can/can’t), create a list of abilities ranging from typical to atypical/outrageous. For example, “touch your toes,” “speak three or more languages,” and “run 26 miles at once.” Your students can help compile this list. You can have them discuss with a partner or a group, or you can take a class survey. Variations of this activity would be to discuss what different animals can/can’t do or discuss what students could do in the past that they can’t do now.
- To practice modals of advice, create a list of problems (these can be made up ones about yourself or about fictional people) such as, “Tom needs to start eating healthier. What should he do?” Students take turns giving advice using should/shouldn’t. For more advanced students, have them create a dialogue based on a problem and perform it in front of the class. To practice writing, have students write an imaginary problem in the form of a letter for an “Ask Alice” advice column. Students can take turns responding to partners’ letters.
- To practice modals of necessity, have students write down 3-4 short-term and long-term goals. Then have them write sentences about what they need to/have to/must do in order to achieve their goals.
You can find complete modals grammar lessons with worksheets and activities in my modals grammar bundle! This bundle includes two modals lessons (modals of advice and modals of ability) along with a set of task cards for extra practice.
If you are wanting general tips for how to teach English grammar, check out this post!