INTRODUCTION
Modal auxiliaries are sometimes called modal operators. The term modal refers to the specific way the speaker would like his hearer to understand what he says. For instance:
1. Can I have your pen please?
suggests politeness in making a request as opposed to
2. Give me your pen.
which though a request sounds more like an order.
Modal auxiliaries can be used with verbs in verb phrases as for instance in: can dance, must go, ought to come, should pray. Modal auxiliaries are also used with other auxiliary verbs such as have, do or be as in: must have, will be, should do. When modal auxiliaries occur with have and/or be they are usually the first elements of the group followed by have and the main verb as in the following examples:
3. My father should have been invited (modal + have + main verb)
4. She must be offended
(modal + be + main verb)
5. Her grades can be improved (modal + be + main verb)
6. The assignment should be done today. (modal + be + main verb)
It is suggested that you read Quirk and Greenbaum (1975) for the different modalities and (Eka 1994) for the types of modal auxiliaries. The discussions in this unit are adapted from these two sources.
3.1 Modality in Modal Auxiliaries
Modal auxiliaries express the following ideas: politeness, permission, ability, possibility, willingness, obligation necessity, insistence, negation, authority logical inference and time reference. These modalities are however expressed by specific modal auxiliaries as follows:
Can/Could
Can express the following modalities
•Ability = be able to, be capable of, know how to
7. He can speak French but cannot write it well
(He is able to speak, capable of speaking).
•Politeness
8. Can I have your pen?
Could you sign my form?
•Permission = be allowed to, be permitted to
9. Can I come in} Am I allowed to
10. May I come in}
Note that may is more formal
•Possibility
11. Anybody can make mistakes.
12. The car can break down. (It is possible that it can)
•Could
Could expresses past ability, permission and possibility.
Past Ability
13. I could not drive when I was 18
•Permission
14. Could I borrow books from your library (present or future)
•Possibility
15 We could goto the dance
16 The light could go off.
•Contingent Possibility or ability (in hypothetical/unreal situations)
17. If I had more money I would buy many books.
Note that can, could suggest ability (past, present),possibility and
permission.
Ability can include the implication of willingness (especially in spoken English)
18. Can/could you dome a favour?
May/Might
May, like can, expresses
•Permission (be allowed to) but as earlier noted, may is more formal than can
19. You may use my library if you like.
Note that in the negative, mustn’tis used instead of may not:
20. You mustn’t use my library NOT You may not use my library
•Possibility
The lights may/might go off. (It is possible ….)
•Permission (rare)
21. Might I use your car?
•Possibility
22. What you say might be true.
Note the use of may as an auxiliary with the subjunctive as in
23. May I never see her again.
Shall/Should
Shall usually expresses
•willingness on the part of the speaker in the second and third persons:
24. You shall do exactly as you wish.
25. He shall keep his promise.
•Intention on the part of the speaker only on the first person:
26. I shall see you tomorrow.
27. We shall succeed in our endeavours.
•Insistence (in restricted and legal usages.)
28. You shall do as I say (restricted)
29. The tenant shall keep the house in good order (legal)
Of these three modalities it is the one of intention that is most common in modern English. Shall is not frequently used outside British English. Will is generally preferred.
30. Shall/Will I see you tomorrow?
Will has also become common in expressing the future as well as
helplessness and perplexity:
31. How will he get there?
32. What will I do?
Should
Should expresses the following modalities:
•Obligation and logical necessity
33. You should take care of your children (necessity = ought to)
34. They should be back by now
•‘Putative’ be after certain expressions e.g. It is a pity/odd.
35. It is odd that you should stay away from my house.
36. I am sorry that this should have happened.
•Contingent use. This occurs in the 1st person only (especially - in
British English (in the main clause)
37. If we had the money we should like to go abroad.
38. If I sawher, I should have given her the good news.
•In rather formal real conditions
39. If you change your plans, please let me know.
Will/Would
Will often expresses the following modalities
•Willingness
40. She will help you if you ask her.
41. Will you (please, kindly) shut the door? (used in polite requests)
42. Will you have another bottle of coke?
•Intention (futurity)
43. I’ll write as soon as I get your letter. (mainly in the1st person)
44. We won’t stay longer than 3 hours •Insistence
45. She will do it whatever you say.
This means that she insists on doing it or that I insist on her doing it. Note that will is never contracted in this usage because it is stressed in speech.
•Prediction (specific)
46. The lecture will be finished by now (= must by now)
•Timeless
47. Water will boil when heated (= boils)
•Habitual
48. He’ll talk (always) for hours if you give him the chance.
Would
Would expresses the following:
•Willingness, politeness, insistence
49. Would you lend me your pen, please.
•Habitual event/activity in the past:
50. Every morning he would go for a walk (customary behaviour)
•Contingent use in main clause of a conditional sentence
51. She would drink too much if I didn’t stop her.
•Probability
52. That would be his brother
Must
•Expresses obligation and (logical) Necessity/Inference:
53. You must submit the assignment today (you are obliged to).
54. There must be a reason for his behaviour = (but there cannot be a reason)
Ought to
•Ought expresses obligation/logical necessity
54. You ought to do it.
55. She ought to be hereby now.
Note that ought and should both denote obligation and logical necessity but are less categorical than must and have to. Ought to is often
awkward in questions inviting inversione.g.
Ought you to do it?
Should is often preferred in such situations
e.g. Should you do it?
Had better is also often used in place of must/ought to. The effect is milder (less categorical)
56. Must you travel today?
57. Well, I don’t have to,but I think I had better (travel)
3.2 Tense of Modals
Only some of the modals have corresponding present and past forms. Examine the following:
can
may
shall
will
must
ought to
need
dare
could
might
should
would
(had to)
used to
-
-
58. He can speak Ibibio now.
59. He couldn’t even understand it last year
The usual past tense of may is could when it denotes permission
60. Today we may/can go home early.
61. Yesterday we could only leave in the evening.
3.3 Modals and Aspect
When modals express ability or permission, the progressive and perfective aspect are normally excluded and also when shall and will express volition (willingness). These aspects are freely used with other modal meanings.
•Possibility
62. He can’t be studying all day.
63. He may have missed the bus.
64. She may have been visiting her uncle
•Necessity
65. You must be joking.
66. He must have stayed up late
•Prediction
67. The lecture will still beholding tomorrow.
•Futurity
68. The guests would have arrived by now.
3.4 Negation in Modal Auxiliaries
Almost all auxiliaries can be used negatively. Modal auxiliaries also undergo negation.
can cannot can’t
may may not mayn’t
must must not mustn’t
ought to ought not to oughtn’t
need not needn’t
Note that needn’t expresses the absence of obligation:
69. You must see him today.
70. You need not see him today
Note also that there is usually a difference in meaning between must and have to. Must expresses obligation or compulsion from the speaker’s viewpoint:
71. I must finish this work today.
Have to expresses external obligation.
72. You have to finish this work today.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Compare the following
1. You must go now (I want to read)
2. It’s a pity you have to go now (It’s time for you to catch the plane)
3. We must begin before two o’clock (or we shan’t finish before close of work)
4. We have to begin before 2 o’clock (That’s the scheduled time).
Note also
am/is to is used for definite commands and prohibitions. This form or must is used for instructions. On notices or orders (have to is never used here). Examine the following:
Pedestrians must use the overhead bridge.
(the traffic wardens instruct them to)
Motorcyclists often have to use the side roads (the nature of their work compels them to).
All junior staff are to report to the secretary (Departmental Order).
Police constables have to salute their officers (that is the custom/
convention).
4.0 CONCLUSION
Like the main verb, auxiliary verbs play a significant role in English sentences. They make it possible to express different nuances of meaning that describe various modalities. You will need to learn to use them appropriately to avoid conveying wrong meaning.
5.0 SUMMARY
The main points discussed in this unit are:
•Modal auxiliaries are auxiliaries which suggest modality; that is, the specific way the speaker would like his hearer to understand what he/she says.
•Modal auxiliaries express the following ideas: politeness, permission, ability, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, insistence, negation, authority logical inference and time reference.
•Modals have corresponding present and past tense forms except need and dare
•Modals express progressive and perfective aspects except when they express ability or permission.
•Also when shall and will express volition (willingness), the progressive and perfective aspect are normally excluded.
•Modal auxiliaries also undergo negation.
ANSWER TO SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Compare the following
1. You must go now (I want to read) - external obligation
2. It’s a pity you have to go now (It’s time for you to catch the plane) - external obligation
3. We must begin before two o’clock (or we shan’t finish before close of work) - internal obligation
4. We have to begin before 2 o’clock (That’s the scheduled time)- internal obligation.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
Examine the following passage and identify which forms of should/would can differentiate between volition, obligation or pure future:
I would injure no man, and should provoke no resentment; I would relieve every distress and should enjoy the benedictions of gratitude. I would choose my friends among the wise, and my wife among the virtuous; and therefore should be in no danger from treachery or unkindness. My children should by my care be learned and pious, and would repay to my age what their childhood had received.
From Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Eka, D. (1994). Elements of Grammar and Mechanics of English. Uyo: Samuf Educational.
Quirk, R. and Greenbaum, S. (1975). A University Grammar of English. London: Longman.
Udofot, I. and Ekpenyong, B. ( 2004). A Comprehensive English Course for Schools and Colleges. Lagos: Quantum Co. Ltd.
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