Shrnutí - morfologie

Semantically two kinds of modality are usually distinguished:

1. deontic modality: the speaker is giving permission, so there is deontic modality used to control the situationexample: You CAN go when you have finished.

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

1. epistemic modality: the speaker is expressing their attitude about whether it is true or not, accepting that there is a possibility, but not being certainexample: It MIGHT be true.

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

1) 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.

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

COULD/MIGHT – for possibilities depending on certain conditions

example: I could/might go with you if I can get a day off.

CAN’T/COULDN’T – used for things we know are impossible or to make negative deductions

example: This can’t be what she wanted because the colour is different.

MAY NOT/MIGHT NOT – something is possibly not the case

example: Why is Jana absent. – She may not know about the meeting.

CAN/COULD/MIGHT (less certain) + NOT + perfect infinitive – negative deduction about the past

The man you met yesterday can’t have been my brother. He is on holiday.

MAY cannot be used in a question, can, could or might have to be used instead. Can/could might it be true?

(refers only to “possibility, deduction…”, not e.g. “permission”)

3) Permission

CAN/MAY (more formal), COULD + MIGHT (more tentative)