ModelVerbs1.Modalauxiliaries:epistemicmeaning

Modalauxiliariesarespecialauxiliaryverbsthatexpressthedegreeofcertaintyof

theactioninthesentence,ortheattitudeoropinionofthewriterconcerningtheaction.Somecommonmodalauxiliariesaremust,can,could,may,might,willandshould.EpistemicModality(認(rèn)知情態(tài))isconcernedwiththetheoreticalpossibilityofpropositionsbeingtrueornottrue(includinglikelihoodandcertainty).Examples:Must–haveto,ortobehighlylikely.Mustcanbeusedtoexpress100%certainty,alogicaldeductionorprohibitiondependingonthecontext.Itmustbehardtowork60hoursaweek.(probability)Can–beableto,tobeallowedto,orpossible.CanisaverycommonmodalverbinEnglish.It’susedtoexpressability,permissionandpossibility.Itcanbedone.(permission/possibility)Could–beableto,tobeallowedto,orpossible.Couldisusedwhentalkingaboutanabilityinthepastorforamorepolitewaytoaskpermission.Markcouldshowuptoworktoday.(possibility)May–beallowedto,itispossibleorprobableImayhavetocancelmyplansforSaturdaynight.(possibility/probability)Might–beallowedto,possibleorprobable.Mightisusedwhendiscussingsomethingthathasaslightpossibilityofhappening,ortoaskforpermissioninamorepoliteway.Chrismightshowuptotheconcerttonight.(possibility/probability)Should–askwhatisthecorrectthingtodo,orsuggestanactionorbeprobable.Shouldusuallyimpliesadvice,alogicaldeductionoraso-soobligation.Itshouldbeaveryquickdrivetothebeachtoday.(possibility)Would–suggestanaction,adviceorshowpossibilityinsomecircumstancesThatwouldbenice.(advice/possibility/action)Practice:Identifythemeaningofthewordsinitalics.Theliesweremostoftennotwhatmostofuswould

callearth-shattering.Mightthat,too,bealie?Itwillconfoundyourenemiesandastoundyourfriends.—WhencanIcomeforthephotos?Ineedthemtomorrowafternoon.—Theycanbereadyby12:00.1)2)3)4)probabilitypossibilityprobabilitypossibility—MayIpickaflowerinthegarden?—No,youcan’t.—Helen,willyoubeatthepartytonight?—Yes,butIhavesomuchhomeworktodothatIreallyshouldn’t.Awisemanmight

sometimesmakeamistake.5)6)7)permissionpossibilitypossibilityorprobability2.Theinfinitiveandthe-ingparticipleasobject

TherearecertainwordsinEnglishthatareusuallyfollowedbyaninfinitiveorgerund.Theinfinitive

Theinfinitivemayfunctionasasubject,object,predicative,attributive,oradverbialinasentence.Althoughaninfinitiveiseasytolocatebecauseoftheto+verbform,decidingwhatfunctionithasinasentencecansometimesbeconfusing.Examples:

Towaitseemedfoolishwhendecisiveactionwas

required.(subject)

Everyonewanted

togo.(object)Hisambitionistofly.(predicative)Helackedthestrengthtoresist.(attributive)Wemuststudytolearn.(adverbial)UseExampleaftercertainexpressions(without“to”)Whynotgotothecinema?aftercertainverbs(without“to”)Icanswim.aftercertainverbs(with“to”)Hewantstoswim.aftercertainverbswithinterrogatives(infinitiveconstructions)Theydon’tknowhowtoswim.aftercertainverbswithobjects(without“to”)Hemadeherswim.aftercertainverbswithobjects(with“to”)Theywantedhimtoswim.aftercertainadjectivesandtheircomparisons(with“to”)It’seasiertoswimdownstream.afternounsderivingfromtheverbsmentionedabove(with“to”)Wemadeapromisetoswim.(derivedfromtheverb“topromise”)Certainwordsarefollowedbyaninfiniteverbwithorwithout“to”.The-ingparticiple

The-ingparticipleorthe

gerund

isaverbthatfunctionsasanounreferringtoanaction,aprocessorastate.Wecanusegerundastheobjectofthesentence.Whenthegerundisanoun,itcanbetheobjectbutitisstillaverbandcanhaveitsownobject.Ithasthisstructure:Subject+Verb+Object[Gerund]+Object…Examples:Lukelikesplayingvideogames.Ihatepackingsuitcases.Myfavouritethingtodoisreadinghorrorbooks.

Helovestelling

thestoryofhimwinningthemathcontesttohisfriends.Ienjoy

workingasavolunteerduringsummer.UseExampleaftercertainadjectivesHe’safraidofgoingbyplane.aftercertainprepositionsBeforegoingtobedheturnedoffthelights.aftercertainverbsIenjoycooking.aftercertainverbswithprepositionsIamlookingforwardtoseeingyouagain.aftercertainnounsWehadproblemsfindingourwaybackhome.Certainwordsarefollowedbyan–ingform.UseExamplesamemeaningIstartedtoread./Istartedreading.samemeaningbutdifferentuseSheforbidsustotalk./Sheforbidstalking.differentmeaningHestoppedtosmoke./Hestoppedsmoking.infinitiveorpresentparticipleIsawhimgoupthestairs./Isawhimgoingupthestairs.Wordsfollowedeitherbyinfinitiveor–ingformPractice:Completethesentenceswiththeproperformsoftheverbsgiven.Weintended________early.(leave)Ihaveapaper________beforeclass.(write)Philagreed________mearide.(give)Onlyafewpeopleadmitted_____________(lie)totheirparentsinthepreviousyear.Doyoufeel