Using modal verbs

              E.g. “Damn it!” he thought, “I’m going to get out of this hole. I will make money. I am an Englishman and I will suffer no priest to interfere in my business”.

“I said I would do anything for him. We decided that we wouldn’t interfere”.

       This meaning is found in affirmative and negative sentences. The present tense will, in addition to expressing its modal meaning, serves to refer an action to the future; the past tense would is generally used in reported speech and also serves to refer an action to the future but in this case it is viewed from a past moment.

       The use of will and would which expresses unreality in the present or serves as a milder or more polite form of will is parallel in the following cases:

 

1. in interrogative sentences where they express willingness, consent,

E.g. Will you dine with me tomorrow, Lewis?

      “Won’t you sit down”? said doctor.

 

2. in clauses of condition introduced by if where they also express willingness, consent,

                   E.g.  No, we are not going to quarrel at all if you’ll only let me talk.

 

This modal verb will – would is more often used in literature. Here are several examples on its usage.

Look where we would there was no rock or tree (O. Wilde).

   Sometimes the boys would play a trick on their teacher (M. Spark).

  It would be impossible to build a bridge without knowing it.(W. Faulkner)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. The modal verb “Need”

 

The modal verb need may be used either as a defective or as a regular verb.

1. As a defective one need has only one form, which is the present tense. In reported speech it remains unchanged. It is followed by the infinitive without to.

Need expresses necessity. When reference is made to the present or future it is followed by the simple infinitive. It is used in negative and interrogative sentences. In interrogative sentences need usually implies that there is no necessity of performing the action.

E.g. You needn’t be afraid of me.

     In negative sentences it is not always the verb need that is in the negative form; the negation may be found elsewhere  in the sentence.

E.g. I don’t think we need give her any more of our attention. I need hardly say that I agree with you.

In combination with the Perfect infinitive need express an action which has been performed though it was unnecessary. It implies a waste of time or effort.

E.g. You needn’t have come. The deal is off.

        It was obvious. You needn’t have protested. We needn’t have told him a lie even if we didn’t want to tell him the truth.

2. As a regular verb need can have all the necessary forms including the verbal. It also expresses necessity. It is followed by the infinitive with to and is mainly used in interrogative and negative sentences (like the defective need).

E.g. He didn’t need to explain.

        You don’t need to tell me that you are sorry.

        Did you need to read all those books?

It should be noted that this need is in more common use than the defective one, particularly in American English.

E.g. He needs a new coat.

       Does he need my help? He does not need anything.

11. The modal verb “Dare”

 

The modal verb dare may also be used as a regular and as a defective verb.

1. Dare as a defective verb has two forms which are the present and the past forms. It means ‘to have the courage or impertinence to do something’ Its use is very restricted. In present-day English it is mainly found in questions beginning with how which are actually exclamations and in negative sentences.

E.g. How dare you say that!

        How dare she come here!

        How many years is it since we danced together? I dare not think.

2. Dare as a regular verb has all the necessary forms including the verbal. It has he same meaning as the defective dare. Its use is also restricted. It is mainly found in negative sentences.

E.g. He does not dare to come here again.

       She told me she had  never dared to ask him about it.

3. I dare say.

E.g. I dare say I looked a little confused.

       My son is not in town but I dare say he will be before long.

     In Russian this phrase is usually rendered as очень возможно, пожалуй, полагаю, осмелюсь сказать.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter II

 

2.1. Comparison of modal verbs “Can and May”

  

  The use of can and may is parallel only in two meanings: possibility due to circumstances and permission. In these meanings, however, they are not always interchangeable for a number of various reasons.

1. Thus in the meaning of possibility due to circumstances the use of may is restricted only to affirmative sentences, whereas can is found in all kinds of sentences.

     Can – He can find this book at the library. Can he find this book at the library? He cannot find this book at the library.

     May – He may find this book at the library.

     Their time reference is also different. May refers only to the present or future: the form might is used in past-time contexts only in reported speech. Can (could) may refer to the present, pastor future.

     May – He may find the book at the library. I said that he might find the book at the library.

     Can – He can find the book at the library. He could find the book at the library yesterday. He can find the book at the library tomorrow.

     Both could and might combined with the Perfect infinitive indicate that the action was not carried out in the past.

     E.g. He might have found the book at the library.

     He could have found the book at the library.

     It follows from the above that the sphere of application of can in this meaning is wider than that of may.

2. When may and can express permission the difference between them is rather that of style than of meaning – may is more formal than can which is characteristic of colloquial English.

     E.g. May (might) I speak to you for a moment, professor?

     Can (could) I have a cup of tea, mother?

     May in negative sentences expressing prohibition is uncommon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2. Comparison of modal verbs “Must and May”

   

     Must and may can be compared in two meanings:

1. Both may and must serve to express supposition but their use is not parallel. May denotes supposition implying uncertainty whereas the supposition expressed by must implies strong probability

     E.g. For all I know, he may be an actor. His face seems so familiar. He must be an actor. His voice carries so well. I saw him an hour ago. He may still be in his office now. He always comes at 10 sharp. So he must be in his office now.

They must be satisfied with going to the piers… (M. Spark)

2. May and must are used to express prohibition in negative sentences. But may is seldom found in this meaning. In negative answers to questions with may asking for permission we generally find must not or cannot.

     E.g. ‘May I smoke here?” “No, you mustn’t (you can’t).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.3. Comparison of modal verbs “Must, To have to and To be to”

 

     The verbs must, to have to and to be to have one meaning in common, that of obligation. In the present tense the verbs come very close to each other in their use, though they preserve their specific shades of meaning. Thus must indicates obligation or necessity from the speaker’s viewpoint, i.e. it expresses obligation imposed by the speaker.

     E.g. I must do it. (I want to do it).

     He must do it himself.

     To have to expresses obligation or necessity imposed by circumstances.

     E.g. What a pity you have to go now (It is time for you to catch you train).

     He has to do it himself. (He has got no one to help him).

     To be to expresses obligation or necessity resulting from an arrangement.

     E.g. We are to wait for them at the entrance. (We have arranged to meet there, so we must wait form them at the appointed place).

     Sometimes the idea of obligation is absent and to be to expresses only a previously arranged plan.

     E.g. We are to go the cinema tonight.

     In the past tense, however, the difference in the use of the three verbs is quite considerable.

     Must has no past tense. It is used in past-time contexts only in reported speech.

     E.g. He said he must do it himself.

 

     Had to + infinitive is generally used to denote an action which was realized in the past as a result of obligation or necessity imposed by circumstance.

     E.g. I had to sell my car. (It was necessary for me to do it because I needed money).

     He had to put on his raincoat. (It was raining hard outside and he would have got wet if he had not).

 

     Was (were) to + infinitive is used to denote an action planned for the future which is viewed from the past. The action was no realized in the past and the question remains open as to whether it is going to take place.

 

     E.g. We were to meet him at the station. (It is not clear from the sentence if the action will take place).

 

     If the speaker wishes to make it clear at once that the plan was not fulfilled, the Perfect infinitive is used to show that.

 

     E.g. We were to have met him t the station. (That means that we failed to meet him). However, the simple infinitive may also be used in this case.

     In reported speech (in past-time contexts) must remains unchanged in all of its meanings.

     E.g. He said he must do it without delay.

     He said I mustn’t tell anyone about it.

     The doctor told her that she must eat.

     They believed the story must be true.

    

     Parallel to must, had to + infinitive is also used occasionally in reported speech to express obligation.

 

     E.g. He said he had to make a telephone call at once.

     In this case had to is close to must in meaning: it does not include the idea of a realized action but refers to some future moment.

 

2.4. Comparison of modal verbs “Must, Should and Ought to”

 

All the three verbs serve to express obligation. Must, however, sounds more forceful, peremptory.

E.g. You must do it at once (Вы должны сделать это немедленно!).

 

Both should and ought to express obligation, advisability and desirability and are used when must would sound too peremptory.

E.g. You should do /ought to do/ it at once (Вам следует/надо/нужно сделать это немедленно).

Should and ought to are very much alike in meaning and are often interchangeable. In using ought to, however, we lay more stress on the meaning of moral obligation, whereas should is common in instruction and corrections.

E.g. You ought to help him; he is in trouble.

        You should use the definite article in this sentence.

 

Must, ought to and should serve to express supposition implying strong probability. Must, however, seems to be in more frequent use than the other two verbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final conclusion

 

I will formulate few basic grammatical rules applying to modal verbs:

    

1. All verbs are NEVER used with other auxiliary verbs such as do, does, did etc. The negative is formed simply by adding “not” after the verb; questions are formed by inversion of the verb and subject.

 

2. Modal verbs NEVER change form: you can never add an “-s” or

         “-ed”, for example.

 

     3. Modal verbs are NEVER followed by to, with the exception of ought        

          to.

 

     4. Modal verbs are used in conversation. In the past it is possible to find  

         them only in reported speech. The only exceptions are the Past Tense 

         forms could, would, had, was and might which maybe used not only       

         in conversations but also in narration.

 

So, as you can see there are in Modern English these modal verbs: ought to, must, shall, should, will, need, dare: to have and to be can also be used as modal verbs. May express possibility/high probability (97%) and permission (3%). The modals used to express permission are can (58%), may (16%), could (13%), and might (13%), could (17%), will (17%). The three most frequent modals are would (28% of all modal occurrences), could (17%), and will (17%).

 

 

 

 

Plan

Chapter I. Theory and practice of using modal verbs and their definitions

 

1. The modal verb “Can”
2. The modal verb “May”
3. The modal verb “Must”
4. The modal verb “To have to”
5. The modal verb “To be to”
6. The modal verb “Ought to”
7. The modal verb “Shall”
8. The modal verb “Should”
9. The modal verb “Will”
10. The modal verb “Need”
11. The modal verb “Dare”

 

Chapter II.  Comparisons between modal verbs

 

1. Comparison of  modal verbs “Can and May”
2. Comparison of modal verbs “Must and May”
3. Comparison of  modal verbs “Must, To have to and To be to”
4. Comparison of  modal verbs “Must, Should and Ought to”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

1. “Грамматика английского языка. Пособие  для студентов педагогических институтов». Под ред. Ильиша.
2. “The English verb. A new grammar for every one”. А.К. Кравченко, Л.В. Ушакова и др. Иркутск, 1997.
3. «Грамматика английского языка». Р.В. Резник, Т.С. Сорокина, Т.А. Казарицкая, 1991.
4. Модальные глаголы в английской речи: учебное пособие для студентов институтов и факультетов иностранных языков”. А.П. Грызулина. М., “Высшая школа”, 1986.
5. «A Grammar of Present Day English» I.P. Krylova, E.M. Gordon, 2000.