Shrnutí - morfologie

past: COULD/COULD NOT – general permission

In the past we could not travel in Western Europe.

NOT ALLOWED TO – specific permission

I was not allowed the keep the puppy I found in the park.

MUST X HAVE TO/NEED TO - obligation imposed by the speaker X obligation imposed by authority other than the speaker or outer circumstances

past + future: for both must and have to we use had to - I had to go to the doctor yesterday. I will have to soon decide what to do after the graduation.

SHOULD/OUGHT TO - often less strong alternative to MUST since their meaning is also subjective

BE TO/OBLIGED TO/ SUPPOSED TO/ REQUIRED TO – objective, based on authority

All visitors are to/are required to/ are supposed to report with the reception.

5) Prohibition and criticism

Present + future: MUSTN’T, CAN’T, MAY NOT, NOT ALLOWED TO, SHOULD NOT/OUGHT NOT TO

Past: COULDN’T, SHOULD NOT/OUGHT NOT + perfect infinitive; WAS/WERE NOT ALLOWED TO

6) Absence of obligation

Present: (objective) DON’T HAVE TO, DON’T NEED TO, NEEDN’T (subjective)

Children uder six don’t have to/don’t need to pay for public transport. You need’t/don’t need to hurry. Pavel is not here yet.

Past: DIDN’T HAVE TO/DIDN’T NEED TO – we don’t know if the action happened or not, it more likely didn’t

I didn’t have to take an entrance exam thanks to my good results at secondary school.

NEEDN’T HAVE DONE – the action happened, but it was not necessary

We got up really early to catch the first train, but at the station we realised that it goes only on Sundays – we needn’t have got up so early.

Present + future: MUST, SHOULD (NOT)

You must still remember her, you went to school together.

If we catch the train at 7 o’clock we should reach our destination before noon.

Past: MUST + perfect infinitive

You must have seen the film. It has been on TV more than 5 times.

Negative: CAN’T

This can’t be the place – there’s nobody inside and there are no lights on.

CAN’T/COULDN’T + perfect infinitive

The man you met could not have been my brother because he is on holiday.

SHOULD is not normally used to predict negative or unpleasant situations

8) Will/Would

Deontic modality = different shades of volitive disposition to realize an action

in conditional sentences: I can explain it if you will (=are willing) bear with me a little longer.

general characteristics: She will/would sit for hours at the window.

With inanimate subjects: The drawer won’t/wouldn’t shut.

Epistemic modality = probability based on speakers judgment

That will be the postmen. (To je určitě pošťák)

You will have heard about it of course. (Jistě jste už o tom slyšel)

That would be Mary, I expect (To by mohla být Marie)

She would have been around twenty when shegot married. (Bylo jí (mohlo jí být) tak dvacet, když se vdávala)

9) Modal verbs + negation

• if modal verb phrase is negated then either the modality or the activity/state expressed by the main verb is negated

I mustn’t come late again. = must [not come] = obligation not to