Modals for Expressing Opinions

Aside from expressing politeness, there are modal verbs that speakers or writers can use to convey the different degrees of certainty or modality of their opinions or arguments. These verbs are helpful in structuring one’s speech or writing.

The table below lists the modal verbs to show the different degrees of certainty or modality of one’s opinions.

Degree of Certainty / Modality	Modal Verbs
Strong	Shall, can, must
Moderate	Should, would, can, ought to
Tentative	May, might, could

The following are examples of sentences showing the different degrees of modality.

Strong:

1. Peace shall be achieved in war-torn countries.
2. Families and friends separated by political ideology can be peaceful again.
3. We must not allow warlords to control nations!

Moderate:

1. People should always seek and work for peace.
2. If people would work for peace, life would be better.
3. The leaders in war-ravaged areas ought to provide a safe shelter for its people.

Tentative:

1. The victims of war may not show physical trauma, but they are emotionally scarred.
2. Children who are victims of war might suffer undue emotional shock.