Por: Carla M.
21 de Junho de 2019

Modal verbs

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The principal English modals are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would. Certain other verbs are sometimes, but not always, classed as modals; these include ought, had better, and (in certain uses) dareand need. Verbs which share some but not all of the characteristics of the principal modals are sometimes called “semi modal verbs”

Modals in English Grammar

Can and Could

The modal verb “can” expresses possibility in either a dynamic, deontic or epistemic sense, that is, in terms of innate ability, permissibility, or possible circumstance. For example:

I can speak English means “I am able to speak English” or “I know how to speak English”.
You can smoke here means “you may (are permitted to) smoke here” (in formal English may or might is sometimes considered more correct than can or could in these senses).
There can be strong rivalry between siblings means that such rivalry is possible.
The preterite form could is used as the past tense or conditional form of can in the above meanings. It is also used to express possible circumstance: We could be in trouble here. It is preferable to use could, may or might rather than can when expressing possible circumstance in a particular situation (as opposed to the general case, as in the “rivalry” example above, where can or may is used).
Both can and could can be used to make requests:

Can/ could you pass me the cheese? means “Please pass me the cheese” (where could indicates greater politeness).
It is common to use can with verbs of perception such as see, hear, etc., as in I can see a tree. Aspectual distinctions can be made, such as I could see it (ongoing state) vs. I saw it (event).
The use of “could” with the perfect infinitive expresses past ability or possibility, either in some counterfactual circumstance (I could have told him if I had seen him), or in some real circumstance where the act in question was not in fact realized: I could have told him yesterday (but in fact I didn’t). The use of “can” with the perfect infinitive, can have…, is a rarer alternative to may have…

The negation of can is the single word cannot, only occasionally written separately as can not.

Though cannot is preferred (as can not is potentially ambiguous), its irregularity (all other uncontracted verbal negations use at least two words) sometimes causes those unfamiliar with the nuances of English spelling to use the separated form. Its contracted form is can’t (pronounced /kɑːnt/ in RP and some other dialects). The negation of could is the regular could not, contracted to couldn’t.

The negative forms reverse the meaning of the modal (to express inability, impermissibility or impossibliity). This differs from the case with may or might used to express possibility: it can’t be true has a different meaning than it may not be true. Thus can’t (or cannot) is often used to express disbelief in the possibility of something, as must expresses belief in the certainty of something. When the circumstance in question refers to the past, the form with the perfect infinitive is used:

He can’t (cannot) have done it means “I believe it impossible that he did it” (compare he must have done it).

Occasionally not is applied to the infinitive rather than to the modal (stress would then be applied to make the meaning clear):

I could not do that, but I’m going to do it anyway.

May and Might

The verb may expresses possibility in either an epistemic or deontic sense, that is, in terms of possible circumstance or permissibility. For example:

The mouse may be dead means that it is possible that the mouse is dead.
You may leave the room means that the listener is permitted to leave the room.
In expressing possible circumstance, may can have future as well as present reference (He may arrive means that it is possible that he will arrive; I may go to the mall means that I am considering going to the mall).

The preterite form might is used as a synonym for may when expressing possible circumstance. It is sometimes said that might and could express a greater degree of doubt than may.

May (or might) can also express irrelevance in spite of certain or likely truth: He may be taller than I am, but he is certainly not stronger could mean “While it is (or may be) true that he is taller than I am, that does not make a difference, as he is certainly not stronger.”

May can indicate presently given permission for present or future actions: You may go now.

Might used in this way is milder: You might go now if you feel like it. Similarly May I use your phone? is a request for permission (might would be more hesitant or polite).

A less common use of may is to express wishes, as in May you live long and happy.
When used with the perfect infinitive, may have indicates uncertainty about a past circumstance, whereas might have can have that meaning, but it can also refer to possibilities that did not occur but could have in other circumstances.

She may have eaten the cake. (The speaker does not know whether she ate cake).
She might have eaten cake. (This means either the same as the above, or else means that she did not eat cake but that it was or would have been possible for her to eat cake).

Note that the above perfect forms refer to possibility, not permission (although the second sense of might have might sometimes imply permission).

The negated form of may is may not; this does not have a common contraction (mayn’t is obsolete). The negation of might is might not; this is sometimes contracted to mightn’t, mostly in tag questions and in other questions expressing doubt (Mightn’t I come in if I took my boots off?).

The meaning of the negated form depends on the usage of the modal. When possibility is indicated, the negation effectively applies to the main verb rather than the modal: That may/might not be means “That may/might not-be”,

For example: “That may fail to be true“. But when permission is being expressed, the negation applies to the modal or entire verb phrase: You may not go now means “You are not permitted to go now” (except in rare cases where not and the main verb are both stressed to indicate that they go together: You may go or not go, whichever you wish).

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Carla M.

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Gramática em Inglês Conversação em Inglês Inglês para Todos os Níveis

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Por: Carla M.
21 de Junho de 2019

Modal verbs

Encontre um professor e combine aulas particulares Presenciais ou Online

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Por: Carla M. 21 de Junho de 2019

Modal verbs

Encontre um professor e combine aulas particulares Presenciais ou Online

Recursos Profes

O Profes é uma solução completa de aprendizagem, com diversos recursos para você aprender do jeito mais eficiente e personalizado possível.

Confira artigos similares

Business vocabulary

SMS meaning

Like or As

Confira mais artigos sobre educação

Exatas

Humanas

Idiomas

Biológicas

Informática

Programação

Música

Comportamento

Encontre um professor particular

Busque, encontre e converse gratuitamente com professores particulares de todo o Brasil

Por: Carla M.
21 de Junho de 2019

O Profes é uma solução completa de aprendizagem, com diversos recursos para
você aprender do jeito mais eficiente e personalizado possível.