Andy Grammer’s song has great grammar practice! He gives us a good chance to practice modals.
The modal auxiliary verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must and ought to. They are used to express a possibility (something that may happen) or obligation (something you must do). They behave in an irregular way:
- Most cannot be used in past or future tense.
- They do not take “-s” in the third person.
- Use “not” to make them negative.
Use them before other verbs and in short answers.
For example:
“I may be able to go.”
“She ought to not date him.”
“Will you follow me on twitter?”
In “Honey I’m Good” Grammer uses modals:
“I could have another but I probably should not.”
“I’ve got somebody at home, and if I stay I might not leave alone”
He’s talking about the possibility of having another drink and what may happen if he makes that decision. He knows he has an obligation to someone else.
Now let’s practice. Choose the best modal for each sentence!
