Is "dare" a modal verb?

[imakedon]

Which of the two below is a correct English phrase please (Oh, no, not “neither”, huh?):
(a) I would not dare to unscrew…
OR
(b) I would dare not to unscrew…
(“Dare” specificity is meant here).
Thanks.
--Igor

 

[emsr2d2]

Which of the two below is a correct English phrase please (Oh, no, not “neither”, huh?):
(a) I would not dare to unscrew…
OR
(b) I would dare not to unscrew…
(“Dare” specificity is meant here).
Thanks.
--Igor

In the right context, you could use both. The first is more likely.

 

[Tdol]

Neither of these sentences does much to demonstrate whether dare can be a modal verb. Dare can behave like a modal verb sometimes- when we say I daren't tell them, it is. It is sometimes classified as a semi-modal, like need, which means that it can behave like a modal or like an ordinary verb.

 

[5jj]

In neither of those sentences does DARE function as a modal verb.