verb | Strong verb | Serial verb construction | object–verb–subject | Modal verb | modal verb | Intransitive verb | intransitive verb | Deponent verb |
The modal verbs, which are defective verbs – they have only a present indicative form and (in some cases) a preterite, lacking nonfinite forms (infinitives, participles, gerunds), imperatives, and subjunctives (although some uses of the preterites are sometimes identified as subjunctives).
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There are a few exceptions: the verb be has irregular forms throughout the present tense; the verbs have, do and say have irregular -es forms; and certain defective verbs (such as the modal auxiliaries) lack most inflection.