Модальные глаголы английского языка. Учебное пособие

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me in. 7. I _____ be mad, coming here like this. 8. We _____ dine together and then go to the Opera. 9. But who was it — Daniels or O’Murphy? It

_____ have been one of the two. 10. ’e man lost his way and _____ drive back half a mile. 11. It seemed horrible to him that it was here the fatal portrait _____ be hidden away. 12. ’e man _____ touch him twice on the shoulder before he woke. 13. ’is was _____ comedy, one _____ not make it into tragedy. 14. Two days ago I asked Sibyl to marry me. I am not going to break my word to her. She _____ be my wife. 15. I am afraid that you

_____ go back the way you came. ’ere is no through road. 16. She _____

not to return to dear Mamma or to She•eld, not ever again. 17. ’e next ašernoon there _____ be an attack up the river. 18. ’e carriage _____ have come back by this time. 19. Sooner or later we all _____ pay for what we do. 20. I asked what time the attack _____ be and they said as soon as it was dark. 21. I was very hot and _____ take a drink of beer to cool my mouth.

Exercise 45. Put the words in the box in the gaps. Don’t add any other words:

MARK: We have to get up early tomorrow. BOB: Why?

MARK: Have you forgotten? Angela __________ to move to a new Ÿat tomorrow, and I promised we would help her.

BOB: __________ have to move out by a particular time?

MARK: No, there’s no rush. She doesn’t __________ leave her old Ÿat before the ašernoon, but there are lots of things that __________ to pack, so we ___________ get there fairly early.

BOB: Why __________ have to move, by the way?

MARK: She said that I __________ tell you because she wants to tell you herself, when she sees you tomorrow.

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OUGHT TO

’e modal verb ought to has only one form. In reported speech it remains unchanged. Ought is always followed by the in‘nitive with to. When followed by the non-perfect or continuous in‘nitive it indicates reference to the present or future. In indirect speech it may also refer the action to the past.

e.g. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

I told him that he ought to do it, so he did it. Ought to has the following meanings:

1.Moral duty, moral obligation (which is not always ful‘lled). It corresponds to the Russian .

e.g. You ought to look ašer your children better (you don’t always do it). He ought to be punished, oughtn’t he?

He oughtn’t to mention it to anybody.

In this meaning ought to is possible in all kinds of sentences, though it is felt to be awkward in questions where should is preferred.

Generally ought to refers an action to the future and is followed by the simple in‘nitive. With reference to the present ought to is used with the continuous in‘nitive or with the simple in‘nitive if the verb is stative.

e.g. At your age you ought to be earning your living. You ought to feel some respect for your elders.

Ought to + perfect in nitive in the a•rmative form shows that a desirable action was not ful lled, and it, therefore, implies reproach.

e.g. You ought to have chosen a more suitable time to tell me the news. He ought to have put everything o˜.

Ought not to + perfect in nitive means that something wrong has been done and it is now too late to change it (an undesirable action was ful-lled). It may also be view as a reproach.

e.g. I’m sorry. I oughtn’t to have said it.

You oughtn’t to have married her, David. It was a great mistake.

2.Advisability, desirability. e.g. You ought to see a doctor.

We really ought to buy a new car, oughtn’t we?

3.Supposition implying strong probability.

It corresponds to the Russian , . e.g. ’e new sanatorium ought to be very comfortable.

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You ought to be hungry by now (you probably are, but I’m not certain). ’ere oughtn’t to be any di•culty (it’s unlikely that there will be).

’e use of ought to in this case is not very common as this meaning is normally rendered by must. In this sense ought to is a weaker equivalent of must when the latter denotes near certainty.

Ought to + in nitive is used when describing something exciting, funny or beautiful in the meaning of I wish you could.

e.g. You ought to hear the way he plays the piano!

Note the following set expressions with the modal verb ought to:

He / you ought to know it = he is / you are supposed to know it.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

► FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Exercise 46. Comment on the meaning of the modal verb ought to. Translate into Russian:

1. “If Clare’s to see Kit and Kat before we start,” said Dinny, “we ought to go up, Fleur.” (Galsworthy) 2. What do you think we ought to do about babies? (Cronin) 3. You know, you ought to see a doctor. (Maugham) 4. He had been wrong to let the boy get away with that letter; he ought to have kept him under his eyes from the start! (Dreiser) 5. I’ll tell you something I think you ought to know. (Galsworthy) 6. Don’t you think you ought to be here when he comes? (Forster) 7. I ought to have come ‘rst and get the place decently ready for you. (Hornby) 8. Ought he not to have immediately reported what he had heard to the police? (Dreiser) 9. I’m not going into the reasons, you ought to trust me, Fleur! (Galsworthy) 10. I confess I ought to have thought of that. (Douglas)

Exercise 47. Read about the situations and write sentences with ought to / ought not to. Some of the sentences are past and some are present:

1.Andrew is very upset. You shouted angrily at him. You ought not to have shouted angrily at him.

2.Beatrice is in hospital. Her son hasn’t been to see her. He ought to go and see her.

3.I live in Edinburgh. You went there last week but you didn’t visit me. You __________________________________________________.

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4.Christopher has a new CD player. ’e children used it without his permission. ’ey _________________________________________.

5.’e apple trees have lots of ripe fruit on them but no one can be bothered to pick it so it will be wasted. Someone __________________

_______________________________________________________.

6.Darren is ‘ve years old. He’s playing with a box of matches. He

_______________________________________________________.

7.You’ve bought a new kitchen gadget. You thought the manufacturers provided an instruction leaŸet, but you can’t ‘nd it. ’ere __________

__________________________________________.

8.We called at our friend’s house but she was out. We hadn’t phoned her before we leš home. We __________________________________.

SHALL AND SHOULD

Historically, shall and should were two forms of the same verb expressing obligation (shall was the present tense of the Indicative Mood; should was the Subjunctive Mood). But later they came to express di˜erent meanings and in present-day English their use is not parallel — they are treated as two di˜erent verbs.

SHALL

In modern English the modal meaning of obligation in shall is always combined with the function of an auxiliary verb of the future tense. As a modal verb shall is not translated into Russian, usually its meaning is rendered by emphatic intonation.

Shall combined with only a non-perfect in nitive expresses: 1. Promise, oath, or strong intention.

In this meaning shall is used with the 2nd or 3rd person with a weak stress. In this sense shall is used in a•rmative and negative sentences.

e.g. It shall be done as you wish.

You shall never know a sad moment, Lenny, if I can help it. He shall get his money.

In the 1st person shall in this sense acquires a strong stress. e.g. I want that prize and I shall win it.

2.’reat or warning (shall is used in this meaning in the 2nd and 3rd person). In this sense shall is used in a•rmative and negative sentences. e.g. ’at day shall come.

You shall never see me again!

’e child shall be punished for it. I won’t allow it.

3.A suggestion or o˜er.

It is used in questions (and o˜ers) in the 1st person singular and plural. Such sentences are translated into Russian by the in‘nitive.

e.g. Shall I get you a chair? — Yes, please. Shall we begin? — Yes, let’s.

Shall I read? — Please, do.

Shall is still used to express obligation with the second and third persons, but at present it is not common in this meaning in spoken English.

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Its use, as a rule, is restricted to formal or even archaic style (o•cial regulations or other documents) and is mainly found in subordinate clauses, i.e. it is structurally dependent.

e.g. It has been decided that the proposal shall not be opposed.

► FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Exercise 48. Comment on the meaning of the modal verb shall. Translate into Russian:

1.“Don’t want it, thanks. Finish it yourself.” “Shall I? or shall I keep it for an emergency?” (Priestley) 2. I am yours for ever and ever. Nothing can or shall divide me from you, unless you stop loving. (Galsworthy) 3. Let snobbish people say what they please: Barbara shall marry not the man they like, but the man I like. (Hornby) 4. ’ere shall be no di•culty about money; you shall entertain as much as you please: I will guarantee all that. (Hornby) 5. “If I could have a picture of you, I should treasure it.” “Of course you shall!” (Galsworthy) 6. Princess. You must come and see me and you shall tell me all the news of home. (Maugham) 7. Shall I leave the things here, sir? (Dickens) 8. ’en you shall come; and you will come too, Basil, won’t you? (O. Wilde) 9. You shall not slip through my ‘ngers. (Dreiser) 10. ’ey shall not touch me ever again. (Murdoch)

Exercise 49. Translate the following sentences into English using shall wherever possible:

1.‡ • ? 2. • •• • • - -

, • • •‰ Œ •. 3. «‹• • -

• ?» — « . ‹ • ‰ • ‡ - -

». 4. Ž • • Œ , •

• • ‰ • . 5. «ƒ • ?» — .— «€ , • -

». 6. • • «‡ », • † « ».

SHOULD

In modern English the modal verb should is used with reference to the present or future. It remains unchanged in reported speech.

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3.Supposition implying strong probability (something naturally expected, only with reference to the present or future).

e.g. ’e ‘lm should be very good as it is starring ‘rst-class actors. ’e e˜ect of the tax should be felt in high prices (will probably be felt).

We needn’t get ready yet. ’e guests shouldn’t come for another hour ( ‰ , • • • • ).

’e use of should in this case does not seem to be very common as this meaning is usually rendered by must.

Should may have a peculiar function — it may be used for emotional colouring. In this function it may be called the emotional should. ’e use of the emotional should is structurally dependent. It is found in the following cases:

1)In special emphatic constructions, where a simple predicate is not used: a) in rhetorical questions beginning with why

e.g. Why should I do it? (‡œ Œ ?)

Why shouldn’t you invite him? („ • • • • • • ?) b) in object clauses beginning with why

e.g. I don’t know why he should want to see George. (¡œ †, • •• • €• •.)

I don’t see why we shouldn’t make friends.

c) in attributive clauses beginning with why ašer the noun reason e.g. ’ere is no reason why they shouldn’t get on very well together.

( • •, • • • • • • •.) I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be happy.

d)in constructions of the following kind

e.g. ’e door opened and who should come in but Tom. (€ •-

, • • • ‰… ? , ƒ •.)

As I was crossing the street, whom should I meet but Aunt Ann.

e)in the set phrase How should I know? („ •…• †?)

In the above cases should may be followed by the perfect in‘nitive which in simple sentences refers the action to the past (a) and in complex sentences shows that the action of the subordinate clause precedes that of the principal clause (b).

e.g. (a) I went into business with her as her partner. Why shouldn’t I have done it? („ • • • • • Œ • ?)

(b) He did not know why he should have expected them to look di˜erent. (‚ œ , • • • • • .)

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’ere were ‘šeen equally good reasons why she should not have played bridge.

2)In certain types of subordinate clauses where should + in‘nitive is interchangeable with a simple predicate in the Indicative Mood:

a)in object clauses ašer expressions of regret, surprise, sometimes pleasure or displeasure

e.g. I’m sorry that you should think so badly of me. ( • , • •

• • .)

He was little surprised that Ann should speak so frankly about it. I am content that you should think so.

’e rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed here. ’e perfect in‘nitive is used to show that the action of the subordinate clause precedes that of the principal clause.

e.g. I am sorry that you should have had a row with Kate about it. He was annoyed that they should have asked him that.

b)in object clauses following the principal clause with it as a formal subject

e.g. It is absurd that such things should happen to a family like theirs. ( , • • • • , .)

It was strange that he should be asking those questions.

It struck him as exceedingly funny that his brother should be in love.

In the principal clause we ‘nd such expressions as it is wonderful

(absurd, monstrous, natural, odd, queer, singular, strange, terrible and the like), it infuriated (outraged, puzzled, startled, surprised and the like) me, it struck me as funny, etc. We also ‘nd the following interrogative and negative expressions in the principal clause: is it possible (likely, probable)?, it is not possible (likely, probable), it is impossible (improbable, unlikely). Ašer the a•rmative it is possible (likely, probable) a simple predicate is used.

As we see from the above examples, the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed here either.

If the action of the subordinate clause precedes that of the principal clause, the perfect in‘nitive is used ašer should.

e.g. It is inconceivable that Mrs Crosbie should have written such a letter. It’s much better that you should have found everything out before it’s

too late.

It infuriated her that he should have spoken to her in such a tone.

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NOTE: Should + in nitive may be occasionally found instead of a simple predicate in some other kinds of subordinate clauses, but it is not in common use:

•in predicative clauses

e.g. ’e part that interests me is that such a thing should happen to such

people.

•in appositive clauses

e.g. ’e fact that he should have made such a brilliant speech surprised

me greatly.

c) in constructions of the following kind

e.g. ’at it should come to this! ( œ • • ‰ !)

To think that it should come to this! (ƒ • , • • ‰

!)

To think that it should have happened to me! (ƒ • , • Œ ‰ • !)

To sum it up, it should be said that as compared to the use of a simple predicate in the Indicative Mood, the use of should + in nitive gives the statement emotional colouring such as surprise, amazement, irritation, indignation, pleasure, displeasure, etc., i.e. it emphasizes the speaker’s personal attitude towards the facts stated in the sentence. ’e Indicative Mood represents these facts in a more matter-of-fact way.

►FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Exercise 50. Comment on the meaning of the modal verb should. Translate into Russian:

1. It isn’t the sort of thing one should talk of in private. (Wilde) 2. He wondered what he should say if she asked him what the appointment was. (Caldwell) 3. I should have hated that, but I enjoyed going there so awfully. (London) 4. You shouldn’t go out without an overcoat. (Hornby) 5. If you are interested in pictures you should look in at the British Museum. (Jerome K. Jerome) 6. She should have married someone with more personality than Billy. (London) 7. I think you know, that one should have a plan. (Hardy) 8. He was prepared to settle down as a country gentleman, bring up the kids as kids should be brought up. (Dickens) 9. I suppose I shouldn’t have touched anything at all. (Maugham) 10. ’e Van Dorth Hotel should have been a depressing place, but somehow it wasn’t. (Lawrence)