Meanings of Modals

Meaning of Modals

Meaning of the different Modals

Modals are generally grouped together in different categories according to their meaning.

         We have 4 main categories of modals expressing:

1. Ability

2. Possibility/Probability/Certainty

3. Obligation (expressing recommendations and duties – about getting things done)

4. Permission or Requests

The modals in each category show a different “strength” of meaning.

For example:

Modals of Possibility, Probability and Certainty:

The different modals show different degrees of possibility:

• • • Individual modals can have different meanings:

    • I must phone her tonight.  I really think I should.                     (Obligation)

    • You must be right.                 I am certain you are right.            (Certainty)

    • For this reason, some modals appear in more than one category.

• • Will is used to talk about the future. It can show possibility or intention:

Possibility - I think it will rain

                Intention - I will pass this exam (I am determined!)

                                   - I’ll open the window (an offer)

• • Shall is also used to show intention, but it is very rare, and is only used with ‘I’ and ‘we’

  • Would can be used for requests. It is also used in Conditional Sentences, which will be covered in another Unit.

In the text we had these examples:

• 1. Young people nowadays could face different challenges they from those facing their parents and grandparents and they must be ready for this (1).

       (‘could’ = possibility, and ‘must’ = a strong recommendation)

• 1. What skills do we expect today’s and tomorrow’s workers might need (4)?

(might = possibility)

• 2. The workforce should also have the necessary social  and communicative skills to collaborate and cooperate in project teams, rather than working alone (7).

(should = advice/recommendation)

• 3. They may need to be well-trained in subject competencies, but also be motivated to learn further skills and languages as jobs constantly change and develop (8).

(may = possibility)

• 4. It would certainly be useful if they could call on the linguistic and intercultural skills needed in multinational industries and multicultural communities (9). 

(would = desirable state)

• 5. We need to develop young people who can take responsibility for their own work, who can collaborate with different people, and who can think for themselves (10).

 (can = ability)

Think of modals as colours. Imagine you have asked your students to prepare a Powerpoint presentation about something you have just taught them. You have asked them to create a green background for uniformity. But when they send in their presentations, the backgrounds are all different shades of green! What you didn’t tell them was what ‘shade’ of green you wanted.

Modal categories are the different colours we choose, and the way we use the different modals in each category is similar to the shades we choose – from weak to strong.

• 1. Modals & Tenses

     1. The modals themselves carry the tense, as the verb which follows it is in the infinitive. Therefore:

     2. ‘I can do this’ might refer to the Present or to the Future. Generally the context helps us decide the time.

     3. When the meaning is Possibility, ‘I could do this’ might refer to the Present or to the Future

               I could do this NOW   or    I could do this TOMORROW.

• 1. 4. When the meaning is Ability, ‘I could do this’refers to the PAST.

     5. I could do this WHEN I WAS A CHILD.

     6. The context helps clarify WHEN.

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