Editing Verb (section)

=== Mood and modality ===
Modality<ref>Palmer, F. R., ''Mood and Modality'', Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001.</ref> expresses the speaker's attitude toward the action or state given by the verb, especially with regard to degree of necessity, obligation, or permission ("You must go", "You should go", "You may go"), determination or willingness ("I will do this no matter what"), degree of probability ("It must be raining by now", "It may be raining", "It might be raining"), or ability ("I can speak French"). All languages can express modality with [[adverb]]s, but some also use verbal forms as in the given examples. If the verbal expression of modality involves the use of an auxiliary verb, that auxiliary is called a [[modal verb]]. If the verbal expression of modality involves inflection, we have the special case of [[grammatical mood|mood]]; moods include the [[indicative mood|indicative]] (as in "I am there"), the [[subjunctive mood|subjunctive]] (as in "I wish I ''were'' there"), and the [[imperative mood|imperative]] ("Be there!").