CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1c

ELA4th GradeConventions of Standard English

The Standard

Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use helping verbs such as can, may, might, should, and must to show different meanings. They explain whether a sentence expresses ability, permission, possibility, advice, or obligation.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students choose a modal that clearly shows ability, permission, possibility, advice, or obligation. They can replace the modal in a sentence and explain how the meaning changes.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat can, may, might, should, and must as interchangeable. They may write forms such as “musts go” or “can to go” instead of using the base verb.
How to Assess It: Give students the sentence “Lena finish her homework tonight.” Ask them to add two different modals, then explain how each one changes the meaning.

Lesson moves

Give pairs action cards and modal cards, then have them build sentences showing permission, possibility, ability, advice, or obligation.
Ask students to write three versions of “We leave now” using modals, then explain the meaning of each version.
Play Modal Switch by reading a sentence aloud and having teams replace its modal to match a meaning you call out.
Examine classroom rules and permission slips, then rewrite selected sentences with can, may, should, or must.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Learning progression

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

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