2. The meanings they express are complex and depend upon the context of their use. For example, ‘I can/could go on Saturday’ (strong/weak possibility), ‘Can/could you open the window?’ (informal/formal request), and ‘She can/could swim 20 lengths’ (present/past ability). Modals tend generally to express possibility and obligation, but the nuances are subtle, e.g. ‘You should go’ (advice), ‘You must go’ (command), ‘You must be George’ (deduction). Scottish uses of modal auxiliaries tend to differ from typical English uses.

3. The modal auxiliary ‘would’ is often referred to as the conditional in sentences such as ‘If I were rich, I would ...’.