MODAL VERBS AND EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY, PERMISSION, AND OBLIGATION

Modal verbs are essential elements in English grammar, contributing significantly to the expression of modality-how speaker express attitudes, judgments, and potentiality. This paper investigates the use of modal verbs in expressing possibility, permission, and obligation, illustrating their forms, meanings, and pragmatic functions in both spoken and written discourse. With attention to both theoretical grammar and applied usage, this study highlights how modal verbs affect clarity, politeness, and nuance in communication. Examples, comparative structures, and pedagogical implications are discussed to provide a comprehensive understanding of this grammatical category.