Modal verb
Auxiliary verbs expressing modality (possibility, necessity, obligation, permission), such as 'can', 'could', 'may', 'might', 'must', 'shall', 'should', 'will', 'would'. Modals modify the meaning of main verbs.
Real World
Government COVID-19 guidance shifted from 'you should stay at home' (advisory) to 'you must stay at home' (obligatory) in March 2020, with the single modal verb change signalling the move from guidance to law.
Exam Focus
Always specify the degree of modality (epistemic, deontic, dynamic) and link the modal choice to the speaker's authority or certainty.
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