Introduction
Modal verbs are used to show the speaker’s attitude towards the action or state indicated by the infinitive, i.e. they show that the action or state denoted by the infinitive is considered as possible, obligatory, necessary, desirable, doubtful, uncertain, etc.
Modal verbs are called defective because of the following peculiarities:
they have no infinitive, no gerund and no participle; accordingly they have no future tense, no Continuous and Perfect tenses;
they are followed by the infinitive without the particle to (except ought, to be, to have and partly need and dare);
they have no ending –s/es in the third person singular of the present tense;
the interrogative and negative form of the present and past tense of modals is formed without the auxiliary verbs.
2. Can
Can has two forms: can – for the present & could – for the past.
Meaning |
Forms |
Ways of rendering into Ukrainian |
Other ways to express the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
1. mental, physical and circumstantial ability (in all types of sentences) |
can / can’t could / couldn’t + simple infinitive
|
може міг могли
|
to be able to; to know how to do smth.; to have the ability to do smth. |
Can you lift this heavy chair? I could swim quite well at the age of 8. He can see nothing without his glasses. |
2. permission (in questions and statements) |
can – present tense could – in reported speech + simple infinitive |
можеш можете
|
to permit to be allowed
|
Can we keep it? You can go now. |
3. request (in questions)
|
can could (more polite) + simple infinitive |
чи можу я; чи не могли б ви |
to permit to be allowed
|
Can you do it for me? |
4. prohibition (in negative sentences) |
can’t + simple infinitive |
не можна |
not to permit; not to be allowed |
You can’t cross the street here.
|
5. unreality (in all types of sentences) |
could do – present could have done – past
|
міг би могли б |
would be able to do smth.; would have been able to do smth. |
But for this I could do it quite easily now. I could have got here earlier if I had known that you were waiting for me. |
6. a) astonishment, strong doubt about the present and past (in questions)
b) incredulity, improbability about the present and past (in negative sentences)
c) the weakest probability (in statements)
|
can / could smb. do can / could smb. be doing can / could smb. have done can / could smb. have been doing
smb. can’t / couldn’t do smb. can’t / couldn’t be doing smb. can’t / couldn’t have done smb. can’t / couldn’t have been doing
can could
+ any infinitive |
Невже?
Не може бути, щоб
може бути; можливо; мало ймовірно, але можливо
|
Is it possible that … ? Do you believe that … ?
It’s hardly possible that… I refuse to believe that… I don’t believe that… It’s impossible that… it’s incredible that… I don’t think it’s possible that…
It’s possible Perhaps By chance |
Can he be her husband? He is twice as old as she is. Can he have said it?
She can’t be telling lies. He couldn’t have made such a mistake.
You could be right. I’m not sure. |
7. emotional colouring (in special questions) |
can / could + any infinitive |
І що вони... І про що вони... І як він... І що це вона... |
|
What can you know of such things? What can they be speaking about? How can you have made such a mistake? |
Set phrases with can:
She can’t help crying. / Вона не може не плакати.
He couldn’t help admiring the city. / Він не міг не милуватися містом.
I can’t but ask about it. / Мені нічого не залишається, як запитати про це.
They couldn’t but refuse him. / Їм нічого не залишалося, як відмовити йому.
May
It has two forms: may – for the present & might – for the past.
Meaning |
Forms |
Ways of rendering into Ukrainian |
Other ways to express the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
1. absence of obstacles to the action (in statements) |
may – present tense might – past tense + simple infinitive |
можеш міжуть могли |
|
Children may borrow books from the library. |
2. permission (in questions mostly) |
may – present tense might – past tense + simple infinitive |
можеш можете могли
|
to be permitted to be allowed
|
May I come in? – Yes, you can (may). / No, you can’t (may not). |
3. request (in questions)
|
may – present tense might – past tense, in reported speech + simple infinitive |
можна може
|
|
May I see him today? He asked me if he might rest for an hour. |
4. prohibition (in negative sentences) |
may not + simple infinitive |
не смій не можна ні в якому разі |
|
You may not smoke in the room.
|
5. reproach (in statements) |
might do might have done |
міг би могли б |
|
You might just as well come in time. You might have asked me at first. |
6. weak possibility about the present, future and past (in statements and negative sentences) |
may / might do – present and future may / might have done - past
|
можливо може бути
|
perhaps, maybe, possibly
|
She looks pale. She may be ill. He might have already come. It may rain tomorrow.
|