By Modal verbs, Modal auxiliaries

If we follow Swann, we can use need as a modal verb in an affirmative sentence when a 'non-affirmative' word (such as only, hardly, seldom etc.) gives the sentence a negative kind of meaning. Look at Swann's last example: the sentence becomes incorrect when only is removed.That said,...

Hi EladioYou have a mathematical mind! Congratulations! In addition to what CalifJim and MrP have said, I would like to add a couple of comments. In one of your sentences not is in the wrong place:"Shall not we ever get used to this house?" Not can't be after a defective/modal...

Statement: "Must" is about subjective necessity and "have to" about objective necessity. If so, why can't we use "must" in the past? -Remember that "must" is a full modal verb and "have to" is not. -Remember also that all 9 core modals, are used to express the speaker's (or listener's)...

You call them differently because they are different. Auxiliary verbs (also called Primary auxiliary verbs - to be, to have and to do) form tenses and show Aspect. They can also be lexical verbs and they can be inflected. Modal auxiliary verbs do not change form and they add modality to the...

Many sources call them 'semi-modals', Seyfihoca, though they may be grouped in various ways. “Have to ... though semantically very close to must, has none of the modal properties and is clearly a catenative , not a modal.” (Huddleston, 1984: 165) But for others, such as Palmer, the meanings of...

I was a bit confused myself in the beginning becuase I thought that modals were just can, could; may, might; will, would; must; shall, should. These verbs are the "classical" modals, but every verb that expresses/describes the modus of a full verb is a modal verb: I may go e.g. means I have...

All of your sentences are correct. The choice of where to position the "maybe" is one of style rather than grammatical necessity. If style is what you'd like to improve on, I would suggest getting rid of the "was...maybe" structure altogether: He saw something that may have been a ghost. It...