Modal Auxiliaries in Bahasa Inggris: Life Today: an English Textbook of Senior High School

Modal auxiliaries are essential components of English grammar that express various functions including ability, possibility, obligation, and permission. This study focuses on the types, meanings, and frequencies of modal auxiliaries found in the textbook Bahasa Inggris: Life Today for Grade XII Senior High School. This research employs a qualitative method using content analysis to examine how modal auxiliaries are presented in the textbook. Eight types of modal auxiliaries—can, could, may, might, should, will, would, and must—appear in the textbook, while shall does not occur. A total of 126 occurrences were identified: can (35), could (16), may (17), might (7), should (12), will (20), would (13), and must (6). The dominant function of each modal corresponds to its general grammatical and communicative usage, such as can for ability, will for certainty, and should for advice. The findings indicate that the textbook offers a variety of modal auxiliary uses, though with uneven distribution, which may influence students‘ understanding and usage based on how frequently and in what context each modal is presented.