an auxiliary verb (such as `can' or `will') that is used to express modality
modal auxiliary verbs的用法和样例:
例句
They also have the knowledge that English modal verbs should be placed on the left of the negator and at the beginning of the interrogatives. 这说明受试具有英语定式句中题元动词不能显性提升而情态助动词必须显性提升的句法知识。