How can you tell they’ve got it: Modal Verbs and Possibility?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Select a modal verb to express certainty, probability, or possibility in a sentence, e.g. 'It will rain' vs 'It might rain' vs 'It could rain'; Replace a modal verb with a modal adverb to achieve a similar effect, e.g. 'He might come' → 'Perhaps he will come'; Distinguish between modals expressing permission (may, can), obligation (must, should), and possibility (might, could) in context. Or just try it together: When your child writes, do they choose between words like "must", "might", "could", and "should" to show whether something is certain, possible, or just an idea — rather than treating every action as definite?

English Grammar & Punctuation Ages 9–10

Modal Verbs and Possibility

Your child can use words like might, must and could to show how sure they are. It will rain sounds very different from it might rain.

In curriculum terms

Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Select a modal verb to express certainty, probability, or possibility in a sentence, e.g. 'It will rain' vs 'It might rain' vs 'It could rain'
Replace a modal verb with a modal adverb to achieve a similar effect, e.g. 'He might come' → 'Perhaps he will come'
Distinguish between modals expressing permission (may, can), obligation (must, should), and possibility (might, could) in context

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Try this together

When your child writes, do they choose between words like "must", "might", "could", and "should" to show whether something is certain, possible, or just an idea — rather than treating every action as definite?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Past, Present and Progressive Tenseages 6–9Modal verbs express degrees of possibility and are understood within the broader framework of verb tense and aspect

Simple Past, Present and Futureages 8–9Modal verbs modify main verbs to express possibility/necessity; learners need a secure grasp of simple verb tenses before adding modal modifiers

The Present Perfect Tenseages 7–11Understanding modal verbs is enriched by the prior study of present perfect, which also expresses nuanced relationships between time and action

Standard English Verbsages 8–9Standard English verb inflections provide the base forms that modals modify

Modal Verbs and Possibilitythis skill · ages 9–10

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 1 ACARA · 1 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9E3LA02low confidenceYear 3 · Language

understand how the language of evaluation and emotion, such as modal verbs, can be varied to be more or less forceful

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2E3LA09high confidenceEnglish · Level 3 · Language strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Adjective Order in Sentencesages 9–10 Brackets and dashes for parenthesisages 9–10 Cohesion within paragraphsages 9–11 Commas Before Joining Wordsages 9–11

All Grammar & Punctuation skills →