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modal auxiliary
modal auxiliary definition
modal auxiliary
an auxiliary verb that is used with another verb to indicate its mood, as can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would: it has no special form in the third person singular and no present or past participle [the modal auxiliary “would” indicates the subjunctive mood in “We would go if we could”]
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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