Modal Verbs Expressing Supposition and Means of Rendering them into Armenian and Russian

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Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov

Modal Verbs Expressing Supposition and Means of Rendering them into Armenian and Russian

Student: Tumasyan Viktoria

Department: Linguistics and Intercultural Communication

Course / Group: 3^rd year, group 2 (psychology)

Supervisor: A. Davtyan

Yerevan 2008

In linguistics modals are expressions broadly associated with notions of possibility and necessity. Modals have a wide variety of interpretations which depend not only on the particular modal used, but also upon where the modal occurs in a sentence, the meaning of the sentence independent of the modal, the conversational context, and a variety of other factors.

Expressing modality.

Modality is expressed in different ways by different languages. Modality can be expressed by grammaticized elements such as auxiliary verbs or verb endings,by inderect means such as a preposition phrase or a clause, on in other ways, such as by adverbs. For example, in English, the sentences below have the same meaning, but express the meaning in two different forms:

Eg. It is possible that she will come.

She may come.

Subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle, differences in interpretation occur depending on the way modality is expressed. Certain forms of expression may highlight certain aspects of modal meaning. Many languages will mark some modalities with particular word endings, but will leave other means for marking other modalities.

Traditionally, studies of modality distinguish between:

1. sentence modality, which deals with sentence types, such as declarative (a statement), imperative (a command), interrogative (a question), optative (a wish), exclamatory (an exclamation), etc;

2. verbal modality, which deals with the modal verbs and mood of verbs.

Types of modality.

Many different kinds of modal interpretations have been observed and studied, resulting in a variety of typologies. What follows below is one of the many ways that modality has been classified.

Epistemic.

Epistemic modals are used to indicate the possibility or necessity of some piece of knowledge. Epistemic modals do not necessarily require inference, reasoning, or evidence. One effect of using an epistemic modal is a general weaking of the speaker's commitment to the truth of the sentence containing the modal.

Deontic.

Deontic modals are those that indicate how the world ought to be, according to certain norms, expectations, speaker's desire. In other words, deontic uses indicate that the state of the world doesn't meet some standard or ideal, whether that standard be social standards, personal desires. The sentence containing the deontic modal generally indicates some action that would change the world such that it is closer to the standard (ideal).

When considering modality it is useful to distinguish between two parts:

· the dictum: what is said

· the modus: how it is said, the speaker's prepositional attitude toward what is said, the speaker's cognitive, emotive or volitive attitude.

Modal verbs

We find the following modal verbs in English: can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would, need and dare. And the modal expressions to be + Infinitive and to have + Infinitive. They are used before the infinitives of other verbs, and add certain kinds of meaning connected with certainty or with obligation and freedom to act.

Modal verbs are called defective because most of them lack verbals and analytical forms (compound tenses, analytical forms of the Subjunctive Mood, The Passive Voice). Besides they do not take -s in the third person singular. The absence of inflextion is due to the fact that the present tense of these verbs was originally a past and the past tense had no inflextion in the third person singular. That's why these verbs are called preterative presents.

The absence of the -s in the verbs will and ought has another explanation. These forms originated from the old subjunctive, where the verbs had no inflextion in the third person singular.

Modal verbs can't form a predicate by themselves. They perform the function close to an auxiliary verb. Unlike pure auxiliaries which have only grammatical meaning losing their lexical meaning to full extend, modal verbs maintain their lexical meaning.

Modal verbs have the following pecularities:

1.Most of them are followed by the infinitive without the particle to.

2 Most of them form the negative and the interrogative form without the auxiliary do.

3.All the modal verbs have two negative forms -a full one and a contracted one.

Eg. May not - mayn't

Should not - shouldn't, etc.

Modal verbs are characterized by specific meaning, particalar functions in the sentence and a member of morphological picularities. Accordingly they form a special class of verbs. Owing to their meaning and function in the sentence modal verb can't have voice and aspect. Neither they are used in the imperative mood.

Most of the modal verbs have more than one meaning. Each of their meanings is characterized by a specific usage:

1. Some of the meanings may be found in all kinds of sentences, others occur only in affirmative or interrogative or negative sentences.

2. Different meanings may be associated with different forms of the infinitive-simple and perfect (both in the active and passive forms), continuous and perfect continuous.

3. If the modal verbs have more than one form, their different meanings are not necessarily found in all those forms.

It is important to take into account one more feature peculiar to modal verbs. They all show that a certain action is represented as necessary, possible, desirable, doubtful, etc. from tne point of view of the speaker.

The use of modal verbs is in most cases independent of the structure of the sentence: The use of this or that modal verb is determined by the attitude of the speaker towards the facts contained in the sentence. In this case we may speak of the free or independent use of modal verbs.

Eg. He may be in the hall now, waiting for me.

But sometimes the use of certain modal verbs depends on the structure of the sentence, mainly on the type of the subordinate clause, and occasionally also on the lexical character of the predicate verb in the principal clause. This may be called the structurally dependent use of modal verbs.

Eg. Christine feared she might not be met at all.

When the use of modal verbs is structurally dependent, their meaning sometimes becomes weakened, in fact, it can be quite vague. This may be accounted for by the fact that these verbs are rather part of the structure than bearers of individual meaning.

Modal verbs are generally used in conversation. In past-time contexts they may be found only in reported speech or thought.

Thus, You should have done it before, or He might be wrong, or It must be true cannot be possible found in narration unless they are used after- He thought that…. He said that. He knew that, etc.

The only exceptions are the Past Tense forms could, would, had, was and might which may be used not only in conversation but also in narration.

Eg. Walker was illiterate and could not sign his name.

Most modal verbs can be used in three modal meanings: the concrete, the imperative, the suppositional.

Modal verbs can express various degress of certainy about a fact or an event.

a) complete certainty (possitive and negative)

b) probability/possibility

c) weak probability

d) theoretical or habitual possibility

e) conditional certainty or possibility

f) strong obligation

g) prohibition

h) weak obligation/recommendation

i) willingness, volunturing, resolving, insisting and offering

j) permission

k) absence of obligation

l) ability

An interesting, rather complicated point about modal verbs is that their meaning usually `spreads over' a whole clause. This means that one can change a modal structure from active to passive, without affecting the meaning very much.

A child could understand this thesis.

This thesis could be understood by a child.

Modal verbs expressing supposition

1. Can/could

So in the course of time the verb can has lost the meaning and is used as a modal verb in different meanings.

The modal verb can is used in three modal meanings - the concrete, the imperative and the suppositional.

The suppositional meaning: 1. strong doubt

2. very strong doubt

Strong doubt - can/ could smb be, be doing, know sth

The modal verbs can and could are used both in present and past-time contexts. The difference between them is that can show the reality while could express either unreality or a greater degree of doubt.

3. Could it be that soul thought, they realized? - that what it dreamed, they made true? ( O. Wilde)

To distinguish between a question about somebody's ability to do something and the expression of strong doubt the Indefinite Infinitive is used in the first case and the Continuous Infinitive in the second (with the exception of the verbs to be, to know, to love, to live, to hate…).

There is practically no difference in the meaning between can and could. Could makes the sentence more emphatic.

To express strong doubt or very strong doubt about an action not taking place, the expression to fail to do something is used. Negative prefixes dis- and mis- are also used. deontic epistemic modal verb

Uncertainty, doubt

In this meaning can is found only in interrogative sentences ( in general questions).

Besides sentences of this kind are often emotionally coloured and so their application is rather restricted.

Depending on the time references, can in this meaning is used in combination with different forms of the infinitive.

Thus, if reference is made to the present, the simple infinitive is found with stative verbs.

The combination of can with the Perfect Infinitive may also indicate an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking. This is usually found with stative verbs.

However, if can is followed by a dynamic verb the perfect continuous infinitive is used.

2. May and might

In old English period the verb may was often used with the infinitive in the meaning of ability. The verb may in old English period had the meaning of to be able. But in the 16^th century the verb may lost its meaning and the verb can came to be used in this meaning.

The verb may is used in three modal meanings: the concrete, the imperative and the suppositional.

In the meaning of supposition implying uncertainty the verbs may and might occur in affirmative and negative sentences.

In this meaning may and might can be followed by different forms of the infinitive depending on the time reference expressed.

May and might in combination with the simple infinitive usually refer the action to the future.

The combination of may with the perfect infinitive may also indicate an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking. This is usually found with verbs that do not admit of the continuous form.

However, if may is followed by a verb that can have the continuous form, the perfect continuous infinitive is used.

In English may is also rendered by means of the modal words perhaps and maybe, sometimes the verb may weakens its meaning to a great extent but doesn't entirely lose it. Therefore the combination of may (might) + inf. can't be considered as an analytical mood-form but remains a modal phrase weakening of meaning may be observed in object clauses after expressions of hope, wish and fear.

Must and have to

The modal verb must has only form which is used as a present tense in the indicative mood. As a past tense must is used only in indirect speech. The missing tense are supplied by to have to, to be obligded to.

The suppositional meaning - near certainty

Eg. I never talk when I am working, and never listen either, and it must be dreadfully tedious for my unfortunate sitters. (O. Wilde)

The indefinite Infinitive is used when speaking about the present , the Perfect Infinitive when speaking about the past.

Eg. I remember her bringing me up to a redfaced old gentleman, and hissing into my ear, in a tragic whisper which must have been perfectly audible to everybody in the room, the most astounding details. (O. Wilde)

When we express near certainty about an action in the present we mostly use the continuous infinitive after must (with the exception of such verbs as to be, to love, to hate, to know) not to confuse the patterns of primary and suppositional meaning.

In this meaning must may be followed by different forms of the infinitive. In reference is made to the present, continuous infinitive is used with verbs which admit of the continuous form.

When must expresses supposition implying strong probability, its use is restricted in two ways:

1. It is not used with reference to the future. In this case we find modal words in the sentence. (evidently, prabably, be likely)

2. It is not used in the interrogative or negative form. It is found only in the affirmative form.

To express supposition imlying strong probability with negative meaning, in addition to modal words, the following means are employed.

Have to/

As a modal verb have to differs from the other in that it is not defective. It can have category of person and number and all necessary tense forms as well as verbals. It is followed by a to infinitive.

Have to expressing supposition.

This is an American usage which is sometimes heard in Britain. It is chiefly used with to be.

4. Must and may compared

Both may and must serve to express supposition but their use is not parallel.

May denotes supposition implying uncertainty whereas the supposition expressed by must implies strong probability.

May and can compared

The differences between the meaning of the negative forms of can and may.

He may not be ill = It's possible he isn't ill.

He can't be ill = It is not possible that he is ill.

He may not be working = It is possible that he isn't working.

He can't be working = It's impossible that he is working.

Can + negation in these sentences denotes doubt, incredulity, improbability on the part of the speaker, whereas may expresses an uncertainty about a negation of some fact.

3. Ought to and should

Ought to

The modal verb ought to has only one form which is used with the reference to the present future. In reported speech it remains unchanged. Ought is always followed by the infinitive with the particle to.

Ought to used for supposition imlying strong probability

Should

Historically shall and should were two forms of the same verb expressing obligation. But later they came to express different meanings and in present-day English their use is not parallel and they are treated as two different verbs.

Supposition implying near certainty

Should in the suppositional meaning is an equivalent of must but is used only about the present and future.

5. Will/would

Will is not a purely modal verb. It almost always combines its modal meaning with its functionery as an auxiliary verb expressing futurity. It has two forms.

a) the present tense - will

b) the past tense - would

The suppositional meaning - near certainty

In this maening will is is an equivalent of must.

Smb/smth will/would be, be doing smth

Smb will have been, have done smth

Eg. I don't know whether I regret or not, I made a wish, perhaps you would call it prayer. (O. Wilde)

Conclusion

As we have already mentioned in linguistics modals are expressions broadly associated with notions of possibility and necessity Modality is expressed by grammaticized elements such as auxiliary verbs or phrase or a clause, on in other ways, such as by adverbs.

Studies of modality distinguish between:

1. sentence modality, which deals with sentence types, such as declarative (a statement), imperative (a command), interrogative (a question), optative (a wish), exclamatory (an exclamation), etc;

2. verbal modality, which deals with the modal verbs and the mood verbs.

What follows below is one of the many ways that modality has been classified:

1. Epistemic

These are modals which are used to indicate the possibility or necessity of some piece of knowledge.

2. Deontic

These are modals which are used to indicate how the world ought to be, according to certain norms, expectations, speaker's desire.

We find the following modal verbs in English: can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would, need, dare. And the modal expressions to be + Infinitive and to have + Infinitive.

The considered material enables us to conclude that nearly all the modal verbs can be used in the meaning of supposition. The difference lies either in the degree of doubt or in the construction they occur.

Modal verbs can and could expressing supposition has the meaning of strong doubt, very strong doubt. To distinguish the expression of strong doubt we use the Indefinite Infinitive in the first case and the Continuous Infinitive in the second (with the exception of the verbs to be, to know, to love, to live, to hate…). Also in the meaning of supposition can and could express uncertainty and doubt. In this meaning can and could are found only in interrogative sentences .

Depending on the time refernce, can in this meaning is used in combination with different forms of the infinitive. If reference is made to the presrent the simple infinitive is found with stative verbs.

The combination of can with the perfect infinitive refers the action to the past. But the combination of can with the perfect infinitive may also indicate an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking.

Modal verbs may and might expressing supposition have the meaning of uncertainty. In the meaning of supposition implying uncertainty the modal verbs may and might occur in affirmative and negative sentences.

May and might in combination with the simple infinitive usually refer the action to the future.

May in combination with the continuous infinitive of the verbs that admit of the continuous form refers the action to the present.

The combination of may with the perfect infinitive may also indicate an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking. This is found with the verbs that do not admit of the continuous form. However, if may is followed by a verb that can have the continuous form, the perfect continuous infinitive is used.

The suppositional meaning of the modal verb must expresses near certainty. We use the Indefinite Infinitive speaking about the past.

When we express near certainty about an action in the present we mostly use the Continuous Infinitive after must.

Must can not be used to express near certainty about a negative or future action. In this case the modal word “probably” is used.

Also must in the meaning of supposition expresses probability. Must in this meaning is found only in affirmative sentences. In this meaning must may be followed by different forms of the infinitive. If refernce is made to the present, the Continuous Infinitive is used with verbs which admit of the continuous form. Must in combination with the Perfect Infinitive refers the action to the past. The combination of must with the Perfert Continuous Infinitive indicates an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking.

Occasionally the combination of must with the perfect Continuous Infinitive may express an action going on at a given past moment.

The suppositional meaning of the modal verb ought to implies strong probability. The use of ought to in this case is not very common as this meaning is normally rendered by must or should.

The modal verb ought to in the meaning of supposition also implies near certainty.

The suppositional meaning of the modal verb should implies near certainty. Should in the suppositional meaning is an equivalent of must but is used only about the present and the future.

The suppositional meaning of the modal verbs will and would expresses near certainty. In this meaning will is an equivalent of must.

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