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What are the peculiarities of the modal verbs?
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Semantics
There are various modal verbs in English, such as “can”, “may”, “must”, “ought”. The verbs “be”, “have”, “shall”, “should”, “will”, “need”, “dare” can also.be used as modals.
There are also word combinations used as equivalents of modal verbs, such as “be able”, “be permitted”, “be allowed”, “be capable”, “be bound”, etc.
What do modal verbs denote?
Unlike notional verbs modal verbs do not denote events (actions or states), they express the modality of the event denoted by the notional verb. The modality expressed by modal verbs may be of two types:
1. The modal verb indicates the relation of the speaker (writer) to the event denoted by the notional verb — the speaker (writer) may present events as possible (“can”, “may”), necessary (“must”, “should”, “ought”, “be”, “have”) or desirable (“shall”, “will”, “would”) without indicating whether the event really takes, took or will take place.
He can speak French. (He knows how to speak it. It is possible for him to perform the action.)
You may leave now. (You are permitted to leave now. It is possible for you to perform the action.)
You must do as you are told. (You are told to do it. It is necessary for you to perform the action.)
I will finish the work in time whatever the obstacles. (I wish/am determined to finish the work in time. It is desirable for me to perform the action.)
2. The modal verb indicates the relation of the event denoted by the notional verb to reality — the speaker (writer) may present events as realizable, attainable, indicating that they possibly, probably take, took or will take place in actual reality.
It may rain any moment now. (Maybe it will rain. It looks like rain. The event is realizable.)
He must be finishing his work now. (I am sure that he is finishing his work. The event is attainable.)
Morphological
Most modal verbs do not have a complete paradigm and are called defective verbs. The paradigms of different verbs are not the same.
Some modal verbs have the categories of tense (present or past) and mood (indicative or subjunctive). (See below the description of each modal verb taken separately.)
Syntactical Can modal verbs form a separate member of the sentence?
Modal verbs as distinct from notional verbs cannot form a separate part of the sentence — a simple verbal predicate. They always combine with a notional verb to form a compound modal verbal predicate or with a link-verb and a predicative to form a compound modal nominal predicate.
A compound modal verbal predicate:
I can go there.
I must have done something wrong
He should be waiting for you at home.
A compound modal nominal predicate:
I can be very happy here.
He ought to become more serious.
With the verbs “can”, “may”, “must”, “should”, “shall”, “will”, “would” the infinitive of the notional verb is used without the particle “to”. With the verbs “ought”, “be”, “have” the infinitive of the notional verb is used with the particle “to”.
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He can (may, must, should, etc.) go there.
but:
He ought (is, has) to go there.
The verbs “need” and “dare” combine with the infinitive either with or without the particle “to”.
I wonder how he dared (to) say such things.
He did not need to come.
He needn’t have come.
Besides many common features each modal verb has its own individual features.
The verb “to be”
“To be” when used as a modal verb expresses necessity arising from some previous arrangement or plan.
He is (was) to be at the station at nine. (It is/was arranged, preplanned.)
“To be” used as a modal has the grammatical categories of person, number and tense (present and past): “am”, “is”, “are”, “was”, “were”. It may be followed by different forms of the infinitive.
He is/was to meet them at the station. (It is/was arranged for him to meet them at the station and possibly he will/did.)
They are/were to be met at the station. (It is/was arranged for them to be met at the station and possibly they will be met/were met.)
The perfect infinitive after the verb “to be” in the past tense indicates that the event did not take place. Compare:
He was to go there. (It was preplanned for him to go there and possibly he did.)
He was to have gone there. (He did not go there, though it was preplanned.)
The verb “to have”
“To have” when used as a modal veib indicates the necessity of the event arising from the existing circumstances. The circumstances compel the doer to perform the action.
He has to go there every day. (The event is necessary, compulsory under the circumstances and the doer performs.it. His opinion is irrelevant here.)
The verb “have” has both finite and non-finite forms and the grammatical categories of the notional verb: number, tense, order. It is followed by the non-perfect form of the infinitive.
We have/had/will have to go there at once. (We are/ were/will be compelled to go there at once.)
I have to be waiting until he comes. (I am compelled to be waiting for him now.)
The work had to be done without delay. (Somebody was compelled to do the work without delay.)
He finally presented the project which he had had to do in his spare time. (He presented the project though the circumstances had compelled him to do it only in his spare time.)
Note:
“To have” when used as a modal verb always builds up its negative and interrogative forms with the auxiliary verb “to do”.
Do you have to go there? — I don’t have to go there.
What are the peculiarities of the modal verbs?
§ Модальные глаголы употребляются в связке со смысловым глаголом. Смысловой глагол при этом употребляется в инфинитиве без частицы to (частица to ставится в случае be able to, ought to, have to, need to). Смысловой глагол может опускаться, но при этом подразумевается, что мы понимаем, о чем идет речь: I have to — Я обязан (о чем идет речь, должно быть понятно из контекста беседы, текста).
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§ Модальные глаголы не изменяются по лицам и числам, т.е. в третьем лице единственного числа не имеют окончания -s. За исключением be able to и have to, которые спрягаются (She has to, I will be able to, He was able to и т.п.) и need to.
§ Вопросительная и отрицательная форма модальных глаголов формируется без вспомогательных глаголов.
§ Модальные глаголы не имеют формы инфинитива, причастия и герундия
§ Некоторые глаголы не имеют форм будущего и прошедшего времени
119. The modal verb “can”
The modal verb “can” expresses the possibility of an event (action or state) which depends upon the capacity of the doer of the action or the person experiencing the state.
He can swim and dive very well. (He knows how to do it. He is capable of doing it.)
He can understand you easily. (It is within his capacity to do it.)
The modal verb “can” has tense and mood.
Indicative Subjunctive
present tense past tense
can could could
The verb “can” (“could”) may be followed by different forms of the infinitive. The forms of the infinitive express the meaning of voice, order or aspect.
“Can” — Indicative:
He can do it. (He is capable of doing it now or in general.)
Can he be doing it? (Is it possible that he is doing it now?)
Such things can be done. (It is possible for such things to be done now or in general.)
Can he have done it? (Is it possible that he has done/ did it?)
He cannot have done it. (It is impossible that he did it.)
Can he have been doing it for so long a time? (Is it possible that he has been doing it for so long a time?) He could do it. (He was capable of doing it. — with reference to the past)
“Can” — Subjunctive:
He could do it if he tried. (It would be possible for him to do it if he tried.)
He could have done it if he had tried. (It would have been possible for him to do it if he had tried.)
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