Modal
Auxiliaries: Functions & Uses
Nidhu Bhusan Das
Modals
are auxiliary verbs because they help the main verb to express the mode or
manner of action. They also express the attitude of the speaker. Modals are
also called Defective verbs. The most commonly used modals are: can, could,
may, might, need, will, would, shall, should, dare, must, used to, ought to.
|
can |
could |
may |
might |
|
will |
would |
shall |
should |
|
need |
dare |
must |
used to |
|
ought to |
…………………. |
………………… |
……………… |
Now let us see how
the modals function and how they are useful as grammatical elements.
|
Functions & uses of Modals |
|
can |
Indicates –
ability,possibility,permission,advice,offering help, right |
|
could |
Indicate – past ability,
polite request, wish,advice,possibility |
|
may |
Indicates –
possibility, permission, request, doubt/uncertainty, wish/prayer, purpose,
concession. |
|
might |
Indicates –
possibility, weak possibility,permission,polite request, gentle reproach,
purpose |
|
Shall |
Indicates – Simple
present with first person ( I, We ) subject. With second/third person subject
indicates – command,threat,promise,compulsion,certainty,determination |
|
Will |
Indicates – Simple
present with second or person (you, he/she, they ) subject. With first person
( I, We) subject indicates –
willingness,promise,intention,threat,determination,quality/capacity.Never
used with the first person in question. |
|
Should |
Indicates – Past
form of Shall. Besides, it indicates duty/obligation, supposition/possibility/condition,
opinion, disapproval, purpose & result, assumption, wish, and after the
conjunction Lest. |
|
Would |
Indicates – Past
form of Will.Besides,it indicate polite request,refusal,wish, past
habit,permission,determination, preference |
|
Need |
Indicates – Used
in the Negative & Interrogative, Need not with a Perfect
Infinitive |
|
Dare |
Inflectional
suffix –s/es is not added when dare
is followed by not if the subject is in the third person singular(he/she) in
the simple present tense. |
|
Must |
Indicates – obligation/compulsion,
strong determination,duty,certainty of belief/strong likelihood,
inevitability, prohibition. |
|
Ought to |
Indicates –
Duty/social or moral obligation,advice,desirability,strong
probability,recommendation,Ought to have for past obligation,
Ought not to have disapproval |
|
Used to |
Indicates – discontinued habit |
We may show all the
functions and uses of the modals in the table above in sentences to indicate
how the modals express mode/manner of action and attitude of the speaker/user.
(to be continued)
