Will shall would & should modal verbs/ Modal auxiliary Verbs

Will, shall, would, and should modal verbs are also called secondary auxiliaries. As you know that modal verbs express mood of the speaker in terms of possibility, request, permission, command, and compulsion.

Apart from future tense, “Will” modal auxiliaries is used for:-

Conditional sentences
Express polite offers
Show Willingness
Express determination

Shall modal auxiliary takes priority while making offer, command, official statements, and ask polite advice or opinions. Besides, it also plays role to form conditional sentences as well.

Would and should” modals are past form of “will and shall” modal verbs. Should modal expresses advice, duty, obligation, recommendation, and largely used in the higher level of conditional sentences.

Whereas, would modal is used to express request, desire, possibility, and hypothetical conditions.

Hereafter, I’m going to explain will, shall, would and should modal verbs one by one with useful examples.

Will is commonly used in english communication. It is used to show future actions as well as to show various moods of person. It also used to form conditional sentences.

The future tense is formed as

Will– simple future
Will be– continuous future
Will have– perfect future
Will have been– perfect continuous future tense.

I will definitely help you tomorrow.
They will not let you down in any situation.
We will be enjoying there tonight.
He will have completed his due work by the time we leave. Don’t worry.
We will have practiced well before we start.
She will have been living here for a course next year.

Simple conditional sentences are formed with will modal auxiliary. But, “will” is used in the main clause instead dependent

Examples of conditional sentences with “will”

If I work hard, I will clear the exam.
If you exercise regularly, you will get slim soon.
If they practice properly, opponents will not beat them.
If we get up early, we will play for an hour.

Presentation of offers and requests

Offers and requests are generally expressed in the interrogative sentences. Besides would, use of modal auxiliary will is preferred.

Will he give us his extra time after office?
Will you give me that book?
Will you need my help?
Will you have a glass of water?

For polite request would is preferred

Will modal auxiliary is preferred for simple request
But, for request and polite request, could and would is used respectively.

Would you please help me to carry this luggage?
Would you like to have some fruits in breakfast?
Would you write an application for me?
Would you support me in this election?

Would you and could you

Could is used only for request; whereas, would is preferred to express polite request.

Could you solve this problem?
Would you solve this problem?

In these examples, second one is more polite than earlier.

Will modal verb to express likelihood

I think that will be his new bike about which he mentioned earlier.
Definitely, she will be with her mother.
Nothing to worry.
They will come on time.We haven’t visited market for a week.
The prices of bananas will be affordable now.

Moreover, to express willingness, “modal auxiliary will” is preferred. In this way, modal auxiliary will functions in the sentence, as per the situations.

In the process of explaining Will, shall, would, and should Will and shall modal verbs are used to express future tense, determination, request, willingness, command, offer, warning etc.

In terms of usages, “will and shall” have less similarities but more differences.

will	shall
future tense	rarely used
determination	command or official statement
willingness	offer
request	warning

Table 4. Difference between will and shall modal verbs.

“Shall” modal verb has clear domain of function in english grammar.

It takes priority while making offer, command, official statements, and ask polite advice or opinions. Besides, it also plays role to form conditional sentences as well.

In this time, shall I negotiate on the behalf of you?
Today, shall I complete your homework?
I think you are busy. Shall I book a ticket for you?

To make an official statement and command

Recently, Supreme Court ruled that no citizen shall be hungry and deprived now onwards.
No person shall be permitted to enter in the premises of school during exams.
Definitely, he shall be punished for his misbehaviour.

What shall I do without your guidance
Where shall we go for holiday celebration?
Who shall I call for discussion?

You shall contact the shopping company if your product hasn’t arrived by next week.

If your order is cancelled, you shall not be beneficiary of discount offer.

In case to make future tense, “Will or will be is more applicable compare to shall and shall be.

Finally, in the process of explaining Will, shall, would and should modal verbs, now I’m going to explain “Would and should” modal verbs.

Both “Would and should” are past form of “will and shall” modal verbs. Should modal expresses advice, duty, obligation, recommendation, and largely used in the higher level of conditional sentences.

Whereas, would modal verb is used to express request, desire, possibility, and hypothetical conditions.

Let’s see the table showing differences of “would and should” modal verbs.

Should, should have	would, would have
advice	request
duty	desire
obligation	past possibility
recommendstions	hypothetical conditions
conditional sentences

Table 5. Difference between would and should modal verbs.

Usually, “Would” modal verb describes polite request, desires, and conditions.

Whereas, in order to express advice, duty, obligation, recommendation and conditions, “Should” modal receives priority.

Would modal for request, desire, and Conditions

Would you please post my letter?
I have too late. Would you drop me at school, please?
To express desires, would is more useful.
Really, I would like to swim in this river.
When would you like to go out for picnic?
Where would you like to celebrate your success party?
Would you like to have ice-cream?

Second conditional sentences are expressed in past tense.

If-clause + past simple tense; would + bare infinitive.

If I went to Switzerland, I would visit Alps.
If I were you, I would quit.
I would buy a new sport bike if I got a job.

Now, let’s see use of “Should” modal verb.

You should check out before 10 a.m. (obligation or commitment)
Before exam, you should clear all dues. (obligation or commitment)
Why should I pay for the mistake don’t by others?

Now onwards, You should eat plenty of vegetables to avoid constipation. (advice and recommendation)
For health, you should avoid oily and junk food. (advice and recommendation)
As a good citizen, you should keep your environment clean.(duty)

To express past expectations, “Should have” is taken. But, such expectations cannot be reversed.

I shouldn’t have criticized you yesterday, I regret for that. (should have + present tense)
Actually, you should have learned to be disciplined, it was an unacceptable behavior. (should have + past tense)

Expressing past possibility, would have along if-cause is used.

It is also irreversible.(Would have + if-clause = third conditional sentences)