Modal verbs - přednáška

MODAL VERBS

Could – it can have past, present or future reference

Note: these are just a few remarks on the form and use of modal verbs. The whole topic in its complexity needs to be studied in any grammar reference book on intermediate or higher level (e.g. Foley pages 174 – 199).

• a closed class of usually 8 verbs: can, may, must, shall, will, should, ought to, need

• modal verbs always function as auxiliary verbs

• they are also distinguished from the rest of the verbs by a number of formal features:

In addition to the general criteria for auxiliaries central modals are marked out by the following characteristics:

1. bare infinitive

2. no non-finite forms

3. no-s form

4. abnormal time reference

5. no co-occurrence * He may will come.

   • the missing forms (e.g. for past and future tense of some modal verbs) are expressed suppletively: can – be able, may – be allowed, must – have to (apart from have to all suppletive forms are restricted to deontic modality)

Although it seems that some modals have present and past forms (can-could, shall-should), these “past forms” apart from could are not used to express past reference – they have other functions

Semantic system

Semantically two kinds of modality are usually distinguished:

1. deontic, root, intrinsic, such as permission, obligation, volition, which involve some kind of intrinsic human control over events

2. epistemic, extrinsic, such as possibility, necessity, prediction, which do not primarily involve human control over events, but do involve human judgment of what is likely to happen.

In Czech epistemic modality is frequently expressed by means of adverbs or modal particles (jistě, určitě, asi, možná, pravděpodobně …)

There are also certain formal features which distinguish deontic and epistemic use of modal verbs, e.g. to refer to the past for epistemic modality modal + past infinitive is used while for deontic modality suppletive forms usually need to be used

ABILITY

CAN

CANNOT/CAN’T

BE ABLE TO – surprising or involves overcoming difficulties + where CAN is not grammatically possible

MANAGE TO – even bigger difficulties

SUCCEED IN DOING STH. – more formal

COULD - describes the possession of an ability in the past

I could read when I was five.

- not used to describe the successful use of an ability on a specific occasion,

be able has to be used

Ed’s car broke down, but fortunately he was able to repair it.

COULD/MIGHT + perfect infinitive: for ability which was not used, to express criticism

She could have paid by credit card but she preferred cash.

You might have told me about the party.

POSSIBILITY, DEDUCTION AND SPECULATION

CAN = general possibility X MAY, MIGHT, COULD = refers to a certain occasion, event or when making a deduction based on evidence

In the mountains weather can change surprisingly quickly.

I may/might/could be able to finish the report today though I can’t guarantee it.

COULD + past infinitive : describes an action which could have happened in the past but the realization of which stays open