Grammar & Language
Making Sense of the Modals
A Lecture by Dr. Sabri G. Bebawi
Why Modals Are Confusing
While studying ESL in London, England, I found modals among my most challenging concepts. I could not understand, for example, why we used the past form of the modal 'would' in present sentences, such as 'Would you bring me a cup of coffee?' or 'Could you help me?' It took me a long time to understand English modals and their function.
Well, I will share my findings about modals — what they really mean, how they are used, and when and under what conditions we can use them.
The Nine Central Modals
There are nine central modals in English. They are used to help convey a specific meaning — indicating the degree of possibility, probability, authority, or ability.
The Meaning of Modals
As it was the case with me, the meaning of modals can be confusing to an ESL learner. In traditional grammar books, we often find large charts that attempt to summarise the form and meaning of modals. Such presentations give a somewhat fragmented view of the modals. Here, we will consider the semantic meaning in which modals are used.
Social Interactional Uses of Modals
One central system in the social use of modals entails making requests. These can be requests of a general nature — 'Will / Would / Can / Could you help me with this exercise?' — or specific requests for permission: 'May / Might / Can / Could I go home early?'
The second major system in the social interactional use of modals involves the giving of advice. Consider these sentences, arranged in order of increasing authority:
You might take an online course. / You could take an online course. / You should take an online course. / You had better take an online course. / You must take an online course.
Notice that each sentence above reflects the authority of the speaker. As we move down the list, the authority of the speaker — or the urgency of the message — increases.
Logical Probability Uses of Modals
The logical use of some of the same modals typically deals with an inference or prediction. For example:
John: Someone is at the door. / Mary: It may be Martha. (Inference)
Notice now that in the following examples the degree of certainty regarding inference increases: 'That could be Martha' expresses less certainty than 'It may be Martha.'
Degrees of Certainty
We saw that modals are used to indicate degrees of certainty and ability. 'Degree of certainty' refers to how sure we are — what we think the chances are that something is true. If we are sure that something is true in the present, we do not need to use a modal. For example, if I say 'Martha is sick,' I am stating a fact. My degree of certainty here is 100%.
If I am asked, 'Why isn't Martha in class?' and I am not sure of the reason, I can respond in the following ways:
1. She must be sick. — Here, I am 95% sure that she is (not 100%). / 2. She may be sick. — Here, I am 50% sure that she is. / 3. She might be sick. — Here, I am less than 50% sure that she is. / 4. She could be sick. — Here, I am stating a mere guess. This is a very weak degree of certainty.
The Negative
Forming such sentences in the negative can be confusing. Read these sentences carefully:
1. Maria is not hungry. — I am 100% sure that she is not hungry. / 2. She may not (or might not) be hungry. — I am 50% or less sure that she is not hungry. / 3. Maria cannot be hungry. She has just had dinner. — Here, I believe that there is no possibility that Maria is hungry, but I am not 100% sure. / 4. Maria is not eating. She must not be hungry. — Here, I am expressing a logical conclusion, a best guess.
The Modal Perfect
So far, we have discussed modals in the present time. Using modals in the past requires more understanding of the perfect tense. It is safe to say that a modal in the past is a modal perfect.
Perfect = verb to have + the past participle of a verb. Example: 'I have studied English for two years.' So, a modal perfect = a modal + have + past participle.
Examples: must have eaten / may have been / should have gone / might have been / could have passed. Negative: must not have eaten / may not have been / should not have gone / might not have been / could not have passed.
If I have to respond to the question 'Why didn't Martha eat?' I can respond: 1. Martha was not hungry. (I am certain.) 2. Martha could not have been hungry. (I believe it is impossible.) 3. Martha must not have been hungry. (I am making a logical conclusion.) 4. Martha might not have been hungry. (I am mentioning one possibility.)
Degrees of Certainty: Future Time
We have examined the use of modals in the present and past. Now, let us examine their use in the future. Modals should be used to express expectations about future events.
For example: Maria has been studying hard. She should do well on the test tomorrow. Or: She ought to do well on the test tomorrow. In these two sentences, the speaker is saying, 'Maria will probably do well on the test. I expect her to do well. That is what I think will happen.'
Progressive Forms of Modals
The progressive (or continuous) form of modals can be in the present or past. The formula for the progressive is: verb to be + the verb in the -ing form. So, a modal in the present progressive will be something like this: 'Tom may be sleeping.' (modal) may + (verb to be) be + (verb) sleep + -ing.
Another example: 'All of the lights in Ann's room are turned off. She must be sleeping.'
Modals in the past progressive follow the formula: Modal + perfect progressive = Modal + have + been + verb + -ing. Examples: She must have been sleeping. / He might have been studying. / She could have been playing. These mean that the action was in progress at a time in the past.
Would and Could in the Past
Another matter to tackle is using 'would' to express a repeated action in the past, and using 'could' to express an ability in the past.
When 'would' is used in the past, it means 'used to.' For example: 'When I was younger, I would run for two hours every day.' This means I used to run for two hours daily, and now I don't. Another example: 'In Paris, I would spend hours walking up and down the Champs-Élysées.' This means that I used to do that when I was in Paris.
When 'could' is used in the past, it means 'was able to.' For example: 'My girlfriend could lift the desk, but I could not.' This means that my girlfriend was able to lift the desk, but I was not.
A Summary
Modals are helping words that are used to express: (1) possibility, (2) ability, (3) degree of certainty, and (4) level of authority.
Remember that would, could, and might are used when the degree of probability is 50% or less. Should is used to offer advice, and must is used to express an order or a command; the degree of authority differs between the two.
Also notice that 'shall' is no longer used in American English except when stating a question — for example, 'Shall we go to the theatre?' or 'Shall we call Mary?'
The degree of possibility decreases as we use the past form of the modal: 'I may visit you tonight' (50% chance) vs. 'I might visit you tonight' (less than 50%). 'Will you shut the door?' (you are close, possibility is high) vs. 'Would you shut the door?' (you are far, you might not want to). 'It would be best if you studied harder' (advising without authority) vs. 'You must study harder' (commanding with authority).
Try It Yourself
My grammar book is not on my desk. Where is it?