Modal verbs in English are essential auxiliary verbs that express ability, permission, obligation, and possibility. These modale Hilfsverben work alongside main verbs to convey various meanings and intentions in communication.
Key aspects include:
- Modal auxiliaries like can, may, must, and should are used with infinitive verbs
- They express what someone can/may/must/should do
- Modal verbs can stand alone in short answers
- They typically refer to present or future situations
- Substitute verbs are used when modal verbs cannot form certain tenses
