4.220 Introducing what you are going to say

Sometimes you introduce what you are going to say by using a modal followed by a verb such as 'say' or 'ask' which refers to the act of saying something. You can also combine a modal with a verb such as 'think' or 'believe' which refers to the holding of an opinion.

You use a modal in order to sound more polite, or to indicate your feelings about what you are going to say.

In structures like these, the subject is usually 'I'. Sometimes you use an impersonal structure beginning with 'it' or 'you'. For example, instead of saying 'I ought to mention that he had never been there', you can say 'It ought to be mentioned that he had never been there'.