Modal verbs general description

Modals are one of the main ways of expressing modality in English. Modality can be defined as a logical category which shows the relation of the action or state to reality. It can be shown by-different linguistic means: phonetically, lexically, lexical-grammatically and syntactically.

Phonetically: modality can primarily be shown through intonation and stress.

It’s a nice ↓ film. (categorical)

It’s a nice ↑ film. (hesitation)

Lexically: modality can be shown through the usage of modal words or modal phrases such as surely, certainly, maybe, probably, perhaps, apparently, to be (un) likely, to be certainly, etc.

The play finishes at 10.30, so I'll probably be home about midnight, (probability, likelihood)

Lexical-grammatically: modality can be revealed through the usage of modal verbs (can, may, must, need, shall, will, ought, dare, etc.):

Do remind me because I may forget, (probability)

Grammatically: modality can be shown through the usage of mood-forms of the verb. Mood is a grammatical category of the verb which shows the speaker's attitude towards the factuality of a state-of-affairs described in a sentence. It shows in what relation to reality the speaker places the action / state expressed by the predicate verb.

If you should change your mind, do let me know, (probability of the action)

Modal verbs (can, may, must, need, shall, will, ought, dare) have certain features in common.

1. They have no verbals, consequently they have no analytical forms (perfect, continuous, passive, etc.) and need no auxiliaries to form questions and negations:

— Can you do it?

— No, I can't.

2. The verbs can, may, shall, will have two tense forms of the indicative mood — the present and the past.

The Present Tense The Past Tense

can could

may might

shall should

will would

E. g. He can read. He could read when he was

three.

You may go to the He kept telling me what

pictures. I might or might not do.

You shall be sorry. He said I should be sorry.

It won't open. The door wouldn't open.

The forms could, might, should, would, besides denoting a past action, may denote an unreal action.

E. g. He could do it if he wanted to. You might do something about it. You should speak to her about it. He would not do a thing like this.

So we say that these modal verbs have one form of the subjunctive mood.

When followed by a perfect infinitive, this form denotes an unreal action in the past.

E. g. I could have done it easily. You might have done it. She should have agreed. I would have gone.

The modal verbs must and need have only one form of the indicative mood.

The modal verb ought has only one form — that of the subjunctive mood.

3. Most modal verbs can be used in three modal meanings: the informational, the imperative, the inferential.

CAN