Kata kerja modal misalnya may, can, must, should, need. Mereka menyatakan kemampuan, izin, keinginan, dll., untuk melakukan sesuatu. (I may, can, must swim.) Banyak kata kerja modal tidak dapat digunakan dalam semua tense bahasa Inggris. Itulah sebabnya kita perlu mengetahui pengganti untuk kata kerja modal ini.
| Kata Kerja Modal | Pengganti | Contoh |
|---|---|---|
| must | to have to | I must swim. = I have to swim. |
| must not | not to be allowed to | I must not swim. = I am not allowed to swim. |
| can | to be able to | I can swim. = I am able to swim. |
| may | to be allowed to | I may swim. = I am allowed to swim. |
| need | to have to | I need to swim. = I have to swim. |
| need not | not to have to | I need not swim. = I don’t have to swim. |
| shall / should / ought to | to be supposed to / to be expected to / to be to | I shall / should / ought to swim. = I am supposed to swim. / I am expected to swim. / I am to swim. |