문법 강좌 8
min de lecture
영어 조동사: TOEIC®을 위한 완벽 가이드
영어 조동사(can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must) 사용 규칙, 예시, TOEIC® 빈출 함정 마스터.
Par 990prep Team •
GrammarModal VerbsTOEICEnglish
What Are Modal Verbs in English?
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that modify the meaning of the main verb. They express ability, permission, obligation, advice, probability, or prohibition. In English, the pure modals are: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, and must.
Modals have special grammatical features: they do not take -s in the third person, they are followed directly by the base infinitive without to, and they have no infinitive or participle form.
Modals by Function
Ability
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | present ability | She can speak three languages. |
| could | past ability | He could run fast when he was young. |
| be able to | ability in all tenses | She will be able to attend the meeting. |
Permission
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | informal permission | Can I use your phone? |
| could | polite permission | Could I borrow your pen? |
| may | formal permission | May I leave early today? |
Obligation and Necessity
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | strong / personal obligation | You must submit the report by Friday. |
| have to | external obligation | Employees have to wear an ID badge. |
| shall | contractual / formal obligation | The contractor shall complete the work by June. |
Prohibition
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must not | formal prohibition | You must not enter without authorization. |
| cannot | common prohibition | You cannot park here. |
Advice and Recommendation
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| should | general advice | You should review the contract carefully. |
| ought to | advice (more formal) | They ought to arrive early. |
| had better | urgent advice | You had better call the client now. |
Probability and Deduction
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | near certainty | She must be in the office by now. |
| may | likely possibility | The shipment may arrive tomorrow. |
| might | weaker possibility | It might snow this weekend. |
| could | theoretical possibility | The delay could cause problems. |
| can't | logical impossibility | That can't be the right answer. |
Willingness and Offers
| Modal | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| will | willingness / future | I will send the report today. |
| would | politeness / conditional | Would you like some coffee? |
| shall | offer / suggestion | Shall I open the window? |
Semi-Modals
In addition to pure modals, English uses semi-modals that function similarly but conjugate like regular verbs:
| Semi-modal | Usage |
|---|---|
| have to | obligation (I have to go.) |
| be able to | ability (She is able to help.) |
| be going to | future intention (We are going to launch the product.) |
| used to | past habit (I used to work there.) |
| need to | necessity (You need to sign the form.) |
Common TOEIC® Traps
TOEIC® questions on modals often exploit the following confusions:
- Must vs have to: must for personal obligation, have to for external obligation. In the past, only had to is correct
- Can vs may: can for ability or informal permission, may for formal permission or possibility
- Should vs must: should is advice, must is obligation. Do not confuse them in TOEIC® business emails
- Would vs will: would for conditional and politeness, will for certain future
- No double modals: you never say *will can or *must should. Use will be able to instead of *will can
Preparation Tips
To master modals for the TOEIC®:
- Learn modals by function: group them by meaning (ability, obligation, advice, etc.)
- Practice with full sentences: memorize typical examples from the business world
- Pay attention to context: on the TOEIC®, the sentence context determines which modal is correct
- Train on Part 5: this is the part where modals are most frequently tested
Frequently Asked Questions
Can expresses present ability or informal permission (I can swim). Could is the past of can (I could swim when I was young) or expresses a more uncertain possibility / polite request (Could you help me?).
Must expresses personal obligation or strong belief (You must see this film). Have to expresses external obligation or rules (I have to wear a uniform). In the past, only had to is possible.
Yes, modals appear very frequently on the TOEIC®, especially in Part 5 (incomplete sentences) and Part 6 (text completion). They also appear in Part 3 dialogues.
Will is the standard modal for future tense and spontaneous decisions. Shall is mainly used in formal English for suggestions (Shall we begin?) or contractual obligations (The tenant shall pay...).
May expresses a more likely possibility (It may rain this afternoon). Might expresses a weaker or more hypothetical possibility (It might rain, but I doubt it). On the TOEIC®, this nuance is often tested in the Reading parts.
Perfect Your Grammar with 990prep
Modal verbs are an essential grammar point on the TOEIC®. Practice with 990prep exercises to master their use in realistic professional situations.
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