✍️ How to express opinions and uncertainty: modal verbs
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In business and blockchain, it’s important to express opinions, make suggestions, and show uncertainty politely. Modal verbs help you do this clearly and professionally.
Let’s look at five advanced ways to use modal verbs in Web3 and business conversations.
❓What is a modal verb?
A modal verb is a special helping verb that adds meaning to the main verb in a sentence. It shows things like possibility, ability, permission, advice, or necessity.
Common modal verbs include:
can, could
may, might
Must
shall, should
will, would
We use modal verbs in business and technical conversations to express opinions and uncertainty in a polite, non-absolute way. This helps build trust, avoid miscommunication, and keep conversations open and professional.
Examples:
You should review the smart contract before deployment.
This might be a bug in the code.
We could launch on testnet first.
Modals are always followed directly by the base form of the verb (no -ing, -ed, or “to”).
For example:
✅ She might join.
❌ She might to join.
❌ She might joining.
🔧 Modal verbs + passive voice
This structure lets you focus on the action or possibility, not who does it. It’s great for formal situations or when the subject isn’t clear.
Why it matters: In blockchain and tech, you often don’t know, or it doesn’t matter who is responsible. Passive structures let you highlight the issue or solution without assigning blame.
Structure: Modal + be + past participle
Examples:
This could be solved with a Layer-2 solution.
The upgrade might be delayed due to testing.
Gas costs should be reduced in the next hard fork.
🧩 Hedging phrases with modals
Use hedging to soften opinions or show uncertainty, especially in professional discussions.
Why it matters: Hedging helps you stay diplomatic when giving feedback, making suggestions, or discussing uncertain outcomes. It shows that you’re thoughtful and respectful of complexity.
Common phrases:
It could be that…
It might seem like…
There may be a case for…
Examples:
It could be that users aren’t aware of the security risks.
There may be a case for migrating to another chain.
It might seem like the protocol is decentralized, but...
🔮 Modals for speculation and possibility
These modals help you talk about what’s possible, likely, or unlikely. This is very useful when discussing trends, risks, or projections.
Why it matters: Web3 is full of unknowns. These phrases help you speak responsibly and confidently about what might happen without sounding too certain.
Common verbs: might, could, may, must, can’t
Examples:
The token price might increase if the upgrade succeeds.
That could be an attack vector.
It must be a network issue. We’ve checked everything else.
It can’t be the smart contracts. The tests all passed.
🔗 Conditional modality
This combines modals with conditionals to explain what would happen in a certain case.
Why it matters: It’s important to talk about “what if” situations in project planning and technical decisions. This helps you clearly explain consequences, risks, or next steps.
Structure: If + condition, subject + modal + base verb
Examples:
If the DAO approves the proposal, we could move forward.
If Solana had better EVM compatibility, more developers might use it.
If gas fees rise, users may switch to another chain.
💬 Modal collocations and common phrases
These are useful modal expressions often used in meetings, presentations, or business discussions.
Why it matters: These collocations are natural and professional. Using them makes your English sound fluent and polished in workplace communication.
Examples:
We should take that into consideration.
You might want to double-check the smart contract.
It may be worth exploring another option.
This could turn out to be a big opportunity.
🗣️ Tip for Fluency
In business and Web3 conversations, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Using modal verbs helps you stay polite, flexible, and professional when things are uncertain.
Try combining modal verbs with conditionals or hedging phrases to sound more natural and collaborative.
For example:
We might want to reconsider the deployment schedule if the audit isn't finished.
It could be that users are confused by the user interface (UI).
Practicing these structures will help you speak more like a confident, tech-savvy professional.
🏢 Dialogue: Discussing a mainnet launch
Characters:
Mia – Project Manager
Leo – Lead Smart Contract Developer
Mia: Hey Leo, how’s the security audit going? Are we still on track to launch this Friday?
Leo: We might need to reconsider that. The audit uncovered a few vulnerabilities in the contract logic. Nothing critical, but they could be exploited under certain conditions.
Mia: That could be a serious issue. Do you think it must be fixed before we launch?
Leo: Absolutely. It should be resolved before any public release. Otherwise, the contract might be exposed to unnecessary risk.
Mia: Hmm. Could it be patched quickly?
Leo: Possibly. It might be done by Wednesday, but that depends on how complex the fixes are. The auditors haven't given us final feedback yet.
Mia: So, if the fixes are minor, we could still launch by Friday?
Leo: Yes, if everything goes smoothly. But it may be worth preparing a backup plan in case testing takes longer than expected.
Mia: Good idea. We should take that into consideration. What about the front end?
Leo: That’s progressing well. There may be a case for releasing the interface with limited contract interaction, just for demo purposes.
Mia: You mean like a read-only mode?
Leo: Exactly. That way users can explore the features, but no funds would be at risk.
Mia: I like that. It might ease user onboarding while we finalize the backend. One more thing. Do you think the UI issues we saw earlier might confuse users?
Leo: It could be that some flows aren’t intuitive yet. We might want to run a quick user test to confirm.
Mia: Alright. Let’s list the action items and risks. It sounds like this could turn out to be a strong launch. If we manage the final stretch carefully.
Leo: Agreed. I’ll sync with the audit team and update you later today.
Mia: Thanks, Leo. I appreciate your careful approach.
