A modal continuous is just one variety of the many modal forms.We use it to express A-A-C-L-O-O-P-R-S (ability, advice, capacity, likelihood, obligation, order, permission, request, suggestions).
Form
To form modal continuous, simply remember this formula.
modal + be + -ing
Past Modal Continuous
For past modal continuous, use should, would, could, might. Then add be and of course, an -ing verb.
Use
• Use past modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject is doing an action. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely.
I could be living in Vietnam then. I can’t remember now.
We should be keeping an eye on his progress at school.
She would be regretting this decision.
His flashy personality might be ruining his blind date.
Present Modal Continuous
For present modal continuous, use can, must, may, will, shall. Then add be and of course, an -ing verb.
Use
• Use present modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject will be in the middle of doing an action or is planning to take an action in the future. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely that he is or will.
The young girls must be thinking about their spring dance.
The audience will be sneering at his corny jokes.
The child may be imbibing his parents’ habits.
He shall be demonstrating proper first aid for sprains.
Her eyes can be stinging from the smoke.
Modal Continuous Exercise
Answer this exercise on modal continuous.
1. I ______ this song right now.
a. should be memorizing
b. may be memorizing
c. would be memorizing
2. I have no idea where she is. She _____ with friends in New York.
a. will be staying
b. should be staying
c. must be staying
3. Too much pressure from the management _____ to her stress level.
a. will be contributing
b. might be contributing
c. should be contributing
4. He _____ with his friends if not for his girlfriend’s request for him to stay with her.
a. shall be going
b. would be going
c. must be going
5. Our guests _____ earlier that we thought.
a. may be arriving
b. could be arriving
c. can be arriving
6. They ____ the fireworks display now.
a. shall be watching
b. could be watching
c. might be watching
7. We are not sure we can visit grandma next week. We _____ on holiday.
a. might be going
b. can be going
c. should be going
8. Your students _____ for you.
a. may be waiting
b. could be waiting
c. should be waiting
9. I didn’t see him yesterday. He ______ from me.
a. might be hiding
b. shall be hiding
c. will be hiding
10. It was very quiet. The children _____.
a. could be studying
b. would be studying
c. must be studying
Find the answers to this exercise here.
See also: Modals of Deduction and Speculation and Modals: Can’t Have, Needn’t Have.
For additional information on this topic, check out this Cambridge Grammar lesson.
For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.