Meanwhile, Azar stated
that “modal auxiliaries generally express a speaker’s attitudes or “moods”. For example, modal can express that a
speaker feels something necessary, advisable, permissible, possible, or probable; and in addition, they can convey the strength of these attitudes”.
30
In addition, according to Janet Ross and Gladys Doty explained that
“auxiliary verbs called modals are used with the simple form of the verb to express hypothetical conditions and conjectures as well as attitudes”.
31
Based on the opinions above the writer concluded that modal auxiliaries are functional words that help verbs to express specific meaning
such as ability, probability, possibility, obligatory, etc. Such modal auxiliaries are
can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, and ought to.
2. Kinds of Modal Auxiliaries
According to Azar
“the types of modal auxiliaries can be divided into two types. First, modal auxiliaries
can, could, had better, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would. Second, similar expressions: be able
to, be going to, be supposed to, be to, have to, have got to, used to.
32
“Modal auxiliaries express concepts or attitudes relating to recommendation,
obligation, necessity, and prohibition; permission and refusal; possibility, expectation, probability and certainty; promise and intention; ability and
willingness”.
33
Swan stated that modal verbs have several points in common which
make them quite different from other verbs:
30
Betty Schramfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, Second Edition,
New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1989. p. 68
31
Janet Ross, Gladys Doty, Writing English: A Composition Text in English as a Foreign
Language, Second Edition,New York: Harper Row Publishers, 1975. p. 91
32
Azar 1989, op cit., p. 68
33
B. D. Graver, Advanced English Practice, Second Edition, Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1971. p. 3
a. Modal verbs are not used except sometimes in the negative to talk
about things which are definitely happening, or have definitely happened. They are used when we say that we expect things to happen, or that
events are possible, or necessary, or improbable, or impossible, or when we say that things did not happen, or that we are not sure whether they
happened. e.g.: I
can’t swim. She could be in London or Paris or Tokyo-
nobody knows.
I may come tomorrow if I have time. You might have told me Frances was ill.
What would you do if you had a free year? I think they should have consulted a doctor earlier.
b. Modal verbs have no –s on the third person singular; questions and
negatives are made without do; they are followed by the infinitive
without to of other verbs except for ought. e.g.: You
needn’t look at me like that. He must be
here by nine o’clock.
Can your mother drive?
That ought to be enough.
c. Modal verbs have no infinitives, and other expressions are used instead,
when necessary.
e.g.: I’d like to be able to skate. You are going to have to work earlier.
d. Modal verbs have no past forms. Could and would are used with past
meanings in some cases but never to say that particular events actually happened on define occasion.
e. Modal verbs can be used with perfect infinitives to talk about things
which did not happen, or which we are not sure about, in the past.
e.g.: You should have told me at once.
