Modal verb a modal verb is a kind of auxiliary verb that is used to express modalities (the states or ‘modes’ in which a thing exists) such as possibility, ability, prohibition and necessity

3) Modal verbs of possibility and promise
The two final examples to look at are possibility and promise. In the two above usages of modal verbs, the speaker is giving advice and direction to someone else. Possibility and promise could still be used for this, but they are also commonly used to describe our own actions and actions out in the world.
For example, if we are making plans with a friend, saying ‘I could meet up on Thursday’ is an example of possibility. Saying ‘I will meet up on Thursday' sounds much firmer, like a promise. These are all important things to keep in mind while using modal verbs.
4) Inverting modal verbs
Did you know that, by simply changing the word order around, we can turn phrases with modal verbs into questions? By inverting, or switching around, the modal verb and the subject of a sentence, we can form a question. This means that ‘We could go to the cinema tomorrow’ becomes ‘Could we go to the cinema tomorrow?’

Where do modal verbs fit into the national curriculum?
As we’ve learned, modal verbs are important words because they help us to communicate things in specific ways to other people. This is reflected by the national curriculum for England, where modal verbs are one of the statutory requirements.
According to the national curriculum, pupils in upper key stage 2 (years 5 and 6) should be taught to use modal verbs or adverbs to ‘indicate degrees of possibility’. Pupils will become familiar with the term ‘modal verb’ and will be encouraged to express degrees of possibility in their own writing using modal verbs such as might, should, will and must.
At Twinkl we know that teaching grammar can feel like a daunting task, particularly when some aspects have serious sounding names like ‘modal auxiliary verbs’. This is why we have a whole section on our site dedicated to KS2 modal verbs resources. This page is packed with presentations, worksheets and even games to lighten the load and even make learning grammar fun! These teacher-made resources are filled with modal verbs examples and activities to help your students not only meet the national curriculum goals, but also excel in their learning.
Resources to teach a lesson on modal verbs
Modal verbs provide an important chance to help your students improve their understanding of grammar and language conventions. And to help you with this, Twinkl have loads of fantastic, high-quality resources available!
Each of these resources comes ready-made to cut down on lesson preparation time. Plus, they’ve been made by fellow educators to match curriculum aims, giving you the confidence to use them to deliver excellent teaching!