2. MODALS 2.1 The Definition of Modals
Gaudart says that modals are small words which come before the verb. They carry different meanings in different situation. The modals are can, could,
must, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and ought to. Modals function differently from other verbs.
Azar says that modal auxiliaries are helping verbs that expresses a wide range of meanings ability, permission, possibility, necessity,etc.. Most of the
modals have more than one meaning. Suryadi and Junaida says that modals are one of Auxiliary Verb used to
give a definition related about ability, possibility, permission, etc.
2.2 The position of Modals
The Position of Modal Verbs in Verb Phrases like other auxiliary verbs, modal verbs appear before the head of the main verb functioning as the predicate.
However, unlike other auxiliary verbs, the modal verb always appears at the beginning of the verb phrase in the initial position. For example:
1. Simple active
→ modal + base – will study
She wiil study for the examination tomorrow.
2. Perfect active
→ modal + have + past participle – will have studied
They will have studied for a week.
3. Progressive active
→ modal + be + present participle – will be studying
The students will be studying tomorrow morning.
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4. Perfect-progressive active
→ modal + have + been + present participle – will have been studying
They will have been studying for the last exam.
5. Simple passive
→ modal + be + past particle – will be written
The paper will be written by myself.
6. Perfect passive
→ modal + have + been – past participle – will have been written
The paper will have been written until the end of June.
7. Progressive passive
→ modal + be + being + past participle – will be being written
The book will be being written by her tomorrow.
8. Perfect-progressive passive
→ modal + have + been + being + past participle – will have been being written
The books will have been being written by novelist at the end of this
month.
2.3 The Usage of Modals 1 Modals “Can and Could”
Can means be able to. Can refers to the present or future. Modal verbs of can is followed bare infinitife without to. Could is the past tense of can. Can and
could also expresses ability, possibility, permission, request permission, etc.
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a. Expressing ability
She can sing and play the violin.
The son could read when he was four years old.
b. Expressing possibility
It can snow in May.
I could be very busy at the time.
c. Expressing permission
He can borrow my car.
We could dance all night.
d. Expressing request permission
Can you come to my house this Saturday?
Could you help me now?
e. To describe Theorotical or General
You can get the best mark if you want to study hard.
She could borrow some money from her friend.
f. For requests, order and suggestion
Can you accompany me to go to his house?
When you have finished your work, you could wash the dishes.
g. Criticsm Situation
You could polite if you talk to your parents.
We could have given some medicines for earthquake victims.
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2 Modals “May and Might”
Modal verb of “may and might” are used for permission and possibility. Might is the past tense of May.
a. Expressing possibility
I may arrive in the morning, but the weather is not good.
The children might believe with the story I told.
b. Expressing ask for permission
May I see you in the hospital tomorrow?
Might I know your phone number?
c. Expressing give for permission
You may use my money if you need it.
You might cook anything whereever you like.
d. To express request, wishes, and hopes
I hope that my sister may enter this room.
May God bless you
e. To describe Chances
My father may be tired after playing football.
I cannot find my book. I might have left it in the class. 3 Modals “Shall and Should”
Shall expresses a request for agreement or an offer to do something for someone. Should expresses the idea of avoidable obligation. Shall is used with the
first person pronouns, I and we, to express future action.
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a. Shall express a threat
If you don’t do your homework, you shall be punished.
If she doesn’t want to go to the market, she shall be punished.
b. Shall expresses a request for agreement or an offer to do something for
someone.
Shall I visit my grandmother in the village?
Shall I go to the school?
c. Shall express a promise
I shall finished my study in August.
They shall go to the beach next week.
d. Should expresses the idea of avoidable obligation
She should eat the medicine.
You should take a rest.
e. Should is used to a possible event or situation
If I should charge the phone, I can phone you.
If she should go out from this home, her mother is angry.
f. Should is used to say something that was expected has not happened.
They should come to my house because they are my beloved friends.
We should attend the party because she is our family.
g. Should is also used to express the idea of avoidable obligation in reported
speech.
Fika says I should pick up my mother.
Her mother says I should study hard.
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4 Modals “Will and Would”
Will is used in the simple future construction. This is its most common use. Formerly, shall was used with I and we, and will with he, she, you, and they.
In certain situations, this order was reversed. This distinction has disappeared. Consider the shall usage strictly formal; it is always safe and correct to use will.
Would expresses the result of a condition in a contrary-to-fact situation. a.
Will is used to express futurnity
Her mother will go abroad next month.
My mother will visit our grandmother next week.
b. Will is used when we decide to do something while working
Oh, my god I will open the door.
Oh I will turn on the lamp.
c. Will is used for polite request
Will you go with me for dinner tommorow night?
Will you have a dinner with me?
d. Will is used to make someone do something
Will you clean the bathroom?
Will you make a leeter?
e. Will is used to promise
They will invite me at their wedding party.
We will do this work.
f. Will is used to express strong determination
The student will pass the test.
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They would stay in the hospital.
g. Would is used as the past form of will in reported speech
Jane said she would moved to the village.
Mark said he would cut the tree.
h. Would expresses a habitual or customary action in the past.
When he was a child, her mother would ask for his grandmother to sleep
with him.
When I was a child, my father would ask to me not to eat candy very much.
i. Would is used for polite request
Would you mind make me a letter for my teacher?
Would like to make me a cup of coffee?
j. Would expresses the result of a condition in a contrary to fact situation. It
followed by an if clause.
If I had a lot of money, I would go abroad.
If I have much money, I would give my money to my family.
k. Would is used to preference
Bill would rather stay at home than go shopping.
Jim would rather play badminton than play tennis.
l. Would is used to someone’s willingness to do something
Would you be polite to speak with me?
Would you be polite to ask the questions with me?
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5 Modals “Must and Ought to”
Must expresses the idea of necessity or unavoidable obligation, or a condition which can not be changed. Ought to has the same meaning as should.
The modal should is not the past tense of shall. It has own meaning. Ought to and should are often interchangeably.
a. Must is used in obligation
My father must finish that report.
You must wear the uniform.
b. Must is used to advice
You must see a doctor tonight.
You must take a medicine.
c. Must is used for prohibition
You must not make a noise in the class.
You must not play the badminton.
d. Must is used to express a logical deduction
Bill looks tired. He’s been coughing. He must not be feel well.
He looks get tired. He must sleep all night.
e. Must = have to
Her sister must stay at the hospital now.
They must read the novel.
f. Ought to is used to advice
We ought to wear Batik in that ocassion.
We ought to study hard.
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g. Ought to expresses desirability, avoidable obligation, or duty.
You ought to do sport. if you want to be healthy
You ought to go swimming with me.
h. Ought to is used to regret
We ought to have rented the car earlier.
You ought to pay this money next Wednesday.
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3.
THE ANALYSIS 3.1 The Data
The data which the writer collects from Jakarta Post daily newspaper. The data were taken from the newspaper of March 10, 2011, March 20, 2011, and
March 30, 2011. There are three articles are taken in each newspaper. The list of the data can be seen in the table below.
Table 1: The Data Day, Date
Title Modals
C A
N C
O U
L D
M A
Y M
I G
H T
S H
A L
L S
H O
U L
D W
I L
L W
O U
L D
M U
S T
O U
G H
T T
O Thursday,
March 10, 2011
Oil prices test resilience of
U.S. economy 3
1 2
- -
- 6
1 -
-
Thursday, March 10,
2011 BP chief
industry to learn from gulf oil
spoil 1
- -
- -
- 2
6 -
-
Thursday, March 10,
2011 RI, Japan to co-
host disaster relief exercise
- 1
- -
- -
8 4
- -
Sunday, March 20,
2011 Nuclear woes
trigger policy review in
Germany 2
2 -
- -
2 -
4 -
-
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Sunday, March 20,
2011 US nuke plant
safety questioned in
wake of Japanese
disaster 2
1 -
- -
1 -
3 -
-
Sunday, March 20,
2011 Survivor
Qaddafi plays for time
1 -
1 -
- 2
5 7
1 -
Wednesday, March 30,
2011 Power shortage
expected to linger in Japan
1 3
- 1
- 1
1 5
3 -
-
Wednesday, March 30,
2011 On U.S. farms,
cotton pushes food crops aside
2 2
- 1
- -
6 4
- -
Wednesday, March 30,
2011 Japan finds
plutonium in soil at stricken
nuclear plant -
1 2
- -
- -
- 2
-
Total
12 11 5
2 -
6 42
32 3
- The total number of modals is 113.
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3.2 The Analysis