Ability, Admission and Advice
Basic Modals
Modals verbs modify principal verbs to express various degrees of modality such as necessity, permission, etc. . The most common modals are:
Can
Should
He can obtain the employee uniforms.
She should spend more time on inventory control.
Modal verbs remain in base form for all subjects.
Positive Form:
Subject + Modal + Verb + objects
He can obtain the employee uniforms.
She should spend more time on inventory control.
Negative Form:
Subject + Modal + Not + Verb + objects
Their lateness can't have been caused by a high volume of orders.
You shouldn't rely on self-discipline alone to lose weight.
Question Form:
Modal + Subject + Verb + objects
Can you design the recreational facilities?
Should we hire a front office manager?
Can for Ability and Permission
'Can' is used to speak about abilities as well as asking for or giving permission.
Giving Advice with Should
Use 'Should' to ask for or give advice or suggestions.
Ought to, Had Better
'Ought to' and 'had better' express the same idea as 'should'. Although not as common as 'should' both these forms can be used in place of 'should'.
Example:
We ought to have ambient lighting.
We ought to focus on ordering and purchase procedures.
NOTE: 'had better' is a more urgent form.