Modal Verbs in the English Language

Modal verbs. Structure with Modal Verbs There are 12 modal verbs in English. They are: can, may, must, should, ought to, shall, will, would, need, dare, to be, to have to. The latter two are modal only in one of their meanings. Ten of them (that is all but "to be to" and "to have to) are also called defective verbs as they lack some features: 1. They don't take -s- in the third person singular. 2. They have no verbals, so they have no analytical forms. 3. They have (except "can" and "may") only one form and no past tense. 4. They are followed (except for "ought to") by a bare infinitive. 5. They need no auxiliary to build up the interrogative and negative forms.