Feat ures of Modal Auxi l i ari es

Modal auxiliaries are as follows:

CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, WILL, WOULD, SHALL, SHOULD, MUST
Characteristic features:
(1) They are always (finite
1
) verbs.
Table 1 The classification of verbs according their morphology !udai 1"#$:%1&
'()!*
FULL V!"# $U%&L&$!' V!"#
Finites +on,Finites Anomalous
%
Finites
(resent Tense &nfinitives am, is, are, was, were
V)* and V)s have, has, had
(ast Tense +erunds do, does, did,
V)ed used (to),
&,-erative Mood for, (arti.i-les SHALL, WILL, SHOULD,
V)* (resent (arti.i-le WOULD, CAN, COULD,
(ast (arti.i-le MAY, MIGHT, MUST,
ought (to), need, dare
1
(1) Verbs -ro-er havin/ tense and referrin/ to nu,ber and -erson.
(0) $ finite verb for, is .a-able of for,in/ the ne/ative by addin/ 1nt and of ex-ressin/ 2uestions by
inversion. (3hal4er and 5einer 1667:08)
0
9different what is nor,al, re/ular or ex-e.ted: (;$L<7)
The -arts of s-ee.h in the senten.e:
He might have "een "eing #uestioned "$ the %o&i'e.
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He might have "een "eing #uestione
d
"$ the %o&i'e(
(0) They .an only be o-erators fro, a synta.ti. -oint of view. (The first auxiliary
of the verb -hrase.)
Table % *entence structure analysed in the traditional -ay !iber .et al/0 1""" and 1uir2 .et al/0 1"#3&
#=T=3
#U">3T (!<&3$T
$U%&L&$!'?$U%&L&$!&# (!<&3$T&;=
$U% 1 $U% 0 $U% @ $U% A
;(!$T;!
He might have been being questioned b the !o"i#e.
(@) They have neither to)infinitive nor bare infinitive nor 1ing for,s.
(A) They have no 1s for,s.
(B) They are always followed by a bare infinitive.
(8) They hel- to .onstru.t inversion (2uestions?interro/ation and s-e.ial synta.ti.
.onstru.tions) and ne/ation.
(C) They turn u- in short 2uestions, 2uestion ta/s and answers.
(7) They have .ontra.ted for,s ()nt), ex.e-t for ma$.
(6) Meanin/: Modal verbs -ertain to our ex-erien.e of a.tuality, -ossibility, and
ne.essity. (+ibbs 166A:1B6)
*ources:
!iber .et al/0 1"""
"iber, <ou/las Det al.E. Longman grammar o) s%o*en and written +ng&ish. Farlow : Lon/,an, 1666. xxviii, 10GA
-. H 0A .,
&#"= G)B70)0@C0B)A
!udai 1"#$
"udai LIsJlK. +ng&ish s$nta, - theor$ and %ra'ti'e. 0. 4iad. "uda-est : Tan4Lnyv4iadK, 1678. 8AG -. : ill. H 0G
., (TanulMun4 nyelve4etN, &##= G1@@)1G6A) &#"= 68@)1C)6BB7)8
Chal2er and 4einer 1""#
3hal4er, #ylvia and 5einer, d,und. The O,)ord di'tionar$ o) +ng&ish grammar. !eissued with .orre.tions.
;xford : ;xford University (ress, 1667, O 166A. x, AA7 -. H P ., (;xford -a-erba.4 referen.e, &##= ))))
&#"= G)16)07GG7C)8
5ibbs 1""6
+ibbs, !ay,ond 5. The %oeti's o) mind - )igurative thought, &anguage, and understanding. 3a,brid/e :
3a,brid/e University (ress, 166A. ix, B0C -. H 00.8 .,
&#"= G)B01)A0660)C --b
7A89#
Fornby, $DlbertE #DidneyE. O,)ord advan'ed &earners di'tionar$ o) 'urrent +ng&ish. 7
th
edition. Mana/in/ editor
>oanna Turnbull. ;xford: ;xford University (ress, 0G1G. xii, 1C68, @0, 8A, A8 -. : ill. H P .,
&#"= 6C7)G)16)AC66G0)C
1uir2 .et al/0 1"#3
Quir4, !andol-h Det al.E. A grammar o) 'ontem%orar$ +ng&ish. 11
th
i,-ression. Farlow : Lon/,an, 167B. xii,
110G -. H 0@.B .,
&#"= G)B70)B0AAA)x