Modality

Modal verbs are used in writing to indicate likelihood, ability, permission, or obligation. The most common modal verbs are: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would.

When students analyse texts or images, they tend to fixate on one interpretation and use the verb ‘is’ to express it.

The activities we have collated encourage students to develop different interpretations and to use modal verbs to indicate how certain they are about their claims.