| 释义 |
Definition of modal verb in English: modal verbnounməʊdlˈvɜːbməʊdlˈvɜːb Grammar An auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. English modal verbs include must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may, and might. 〔语法〕情态动词（英语情态动词包括must，shall，will，should，would，can，could，may和might） Example sentencesExamples - The negative modal verb maun't (mustn't) is sometimes used in rural areas, but the positive form maun, as used in Scots and in Northern Ireland, is rare.
- Secondly, all the various kinds of modality can be expressed (some more idiomatically than others) without the use of the modal verbs.
- That minimum is represented in English by verbs such as must and ought, which are modal verb with no preterite (inflected past tense).
- He shook his head impatiently. ‘We instruct the computer to ignore what we call grammatical words - articles, prepositions, pronouns, modal verbs, which have a high frequency rating in all discourse.
- Did he really say that the modal verb form might was being eliminated in favor of may and ‘has practically disappeared from the language’?
Definition of modal verb in US English: modal verbnounməʊdlˈvɜːb Grammar An auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. English modal verbs include must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may, and might. 〔语法〕情态动词（英语情态动词包括must，shall，will，should，would，can，could，may和might） See also auxiliary verb Example sentencesExamples - Secondly, all the various kinds of modality can be expressed (some more idiomatically than others) without the use of the modal verbs.
- Did he really say that the modal verb form might was being eliminated in favor of may and ‘has practically disappeared from the language’?
- That minimum is represented in English by verbs such as must and ought, which are modal verb with no preterite (inflected past tense).
- The negative modal verb maun't (mustn't) is sometimes used in rural areas, but the positive form maun, as used in Scots and in Northern Ireland, is rare.
- He shook his head impatiently. ‘We instruct the computer to ignore what we call grammatical words - articles, prepositions, pronouns, modal verbs, which have a high frequency rating in all discourse.
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