Modality
Table of Contents
Introduction
A verb is an essential part of a syntactic structure having different kinds like min verbs, static and modal verbs etc. This study is about one of the types of verbs which is modal verb and modality. It gives an account of modality, its types and modal verbs.
Definitions of modality
- In grammar, modality refers to linguistic devices that indicate the degree to which an observation is possible, probable, likely, certain, permitted or prohibited.
- Modality reflects the speaker's point of view toward a particular described situation.
- Driven and Redden state that modality is concerned with the speaker's assessment of , or attitude towards, the potentiality of a state of affairs.
- Modality in grammar can be expressed by modal verbs or modal phrase expressions.
TYPES OF MODALITY
The following are types of Modality
- Epistemic modality
- Deontic modality
- Dynamic modality
Epistemic modality
Meaning
Epistemic is derived from a Greek word which means understanding or knowledge
Definition
Epistemic modality is a sub-type of linguistic modality that deals with a speaker's evaluation/judgment of, degree of confidence in, or belief of the knowledge upon which a proposition is based. In other words, epistemic modality refers to the way speakers communicate their doubts, and certainties, and guesses their "modes of knowing".
- Impossible: He will not be there
- Improbable: He will probably not be there
- Possible: He will possibly be there
- Certain: He will be there
Deontic modality
Meaning
It is derived etc from a Greek word which is used for duty.
Definition
When a model verb is used to affect the situation by giving permission.
Examples
You can go when you have finished.
She can ask me.
This sentence is giving permission
Categories
Forbidden
You must not go out.
Permissible
You may go out.
Recommended
You should go out
Obligatory
You must go out
Dynamic modality
Dynamic modality also expresses ability and inability.
Dynamic modality doesn't express the speaker's opinion, nor does the speaker affect the situation.
Example
He can speak the English language.
This sentence describes a factual situation.
Categories
I can climb.
I can ride a bicycle.
He can ride.
Volition
Modal verbs
A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express ability, possibility, permission or obligation. A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality, as well as modal verbs, are distinguished as a class based on certain grammatical properties.(Palmer:2001:33)
Characteristic of modals verbs
This indicates that models have become restricted to finite use only. A finite verb form is capable of forming negative not and expressing questions by inversion.
Example
He might have been questioned by the police.
He might not have been questioned by the police.
Might he have been questioned by the police?
Inflexions in the third person singular
no (- ing) form, and no (-ed) participle means that auxiliary verbs do not inflect for person, number and tense. Therefore for such forms *wills.* Mays, * cans are not possible forms. Because of this feature, they are sometimes called detective verbs.
Example
I'd like to can study.
I can goes. (Both sentences are incorrect)
No concord
with the subject or no subject–verb arrangement: Actually models fail to capture the subject–verb agreement because of their lack of inflectional features.
Example
He must stay. But (He must stay.)
When the models occur in their present or past forms. They may denote past, present tenses or even future time. Though there are historical past forms for them, they are not used to indicate past time as the case is with lexical verbs. Thomson and Martinet state that past forms like might, would, should and could are just of past time in certain grammatical contexts like conditional clauses and indirect speech, but generally they occur in sentences to refer to now or future.
Example
Could you help me? Present time.
MODAL VERBS AND THEIR USES
We use modal verbs with another verb to show that an action is possible, necessary and certain.
Examples
I can swim.
I can dance to fast songs.
She can cook biryani.
We use “can” or “able to” to say that it is possible to do something, or that somebody/something has an ability to do something.it is used for present ability and possibility.
Examples
You can use this phone anywhere in the world.
Can you speak Japanese?
Some animals are able to sleep standing up.
Ability and Probability
Examples
I won’t be able to eat for three hours after the operation.
We could give up our jobs and live on a desert island.
If you had a credit card, you could buy it on the Internet.
We can use it for past ability and possibility. For past ability and possibility we use
Examples
Before I got this job I couldn’t afford a car.
When I was young I was able to run for miles without getting tired.
Could the first cameras take colour photos?
We use “can” for something that is generally possible or general truth.
Examples
It can be very cold in New York in January.
Life can be very hard for those people on low incomes.
Bad flights can cause delays at any time.
Making guess
(May, might, could, must, can’t, should)
When we are completely certain about something, we don’t use modal verbs but sometimes we guess. If we are certain our guess is correct. We use “must”.
Examples
She must be earning plenty of money.
It can’t be her, she is on holiday.
I filled the petrol tank yesterday, it can’t be empty.
If we make a guess about the future, we use “may(not), might(not) or could”.
If we wait for a more few days, the prices might be cheaper.
The tickets may not arrive in time
I couldn’t get a part-time job next summer.
When we expect something to be true or have a strong feeling our guess is correct, we use “should or should not”.
Examples
You can phone Henry at work. He should be in the office now.
Don’t take any food. There should be plenty to eat once you get there.
Allow half an hour to get through security at the airport, it shouldn’t take longer than that.
Rules (must, mustn’t, have (got) to)
We use them for positive rules and necessary actions. We use “have” to say that something is necessary or is a rule. We also use “must” but it is less common than have (got) to. It means the same as having to. We don’t use “must” or “have to” for past future situations, we use forms of “have to”.
Examples
The taxi is here, we have to leave now.
All car passengers have to wear a seat belts.
I must lose some weight.
We had to have visas to visit China last year.
We use can’t or not allowed to say that there is a rule not to do something. We can also use must not, but actually only for explaining rules and in instructions.
Examples
You can’t smoke here.
We are not allowed to use a calculator in the exam.
These lights must not be used outdoors.
The need can be a modal verb, but the only modal forms that we use are “needn’t and needn’t plus have plus past participle”.
Examples
You needn’t leave yet, it's early.
You needn’t have done that report.
We didn’t need to charge the battery.
We can use “need to” to say that something is physically necessary.
Examples
I need to get some sleep.
He really needs to lose weight.
She needed to stay in the hospital overnight.
We use “needn’t/don’t need to” to say that something is not necessary or is not a rule.
Examples
You needn’t take any food- lunch is provided.
You don’t need to buy a battery- it already has one.
Men don’t need to have to do military service in Britain.
The pain went away so I didn’t need to see a doctor.
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