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
We can save our public spaces.
You should provide disabled access to your restaurant.
Modal verbs remain in base form for all subjects.
Positive Form:
Subject + Modal + Verb + objects
We can save our public spaces.
You should provide disabled access to your restaurant.
Negative Form:
Subject + Modal + Not + Verb + objects
The hotel can't have been offering employees benefits.
You shouldn't rely on self-discipline alone to lose weight.
Question Form:
Modal + Subject + Verb + objects
Can you include deli departments in your franchise plan?
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 focus on ordering and purchase procedures.
We ought to have ambient lighting.
NOTE: 'had better' is a more urgent form.