DEONTIC MODALITY AND THE ENGLISH MODAL VERBS

Modality is a semantic category, morphologically expressed by the set of modal verbs in

English. Linguists distinguish 2 major kinds of modality- Epistemic and Deontic. Deontic
Modality is concerned with the modes of permission, obligation, ability, and volition, which
involve some kind of intrinsic control of humans over the events and presupposes the element
of will.
OBLIGATION AND COMPULSION
The modal meaning of obligation is expressed by the modal verbs: must, have to, should,
ought to, and need.

Must expresses the authority of the speaker and therefore is considered to be the most
categorical.
(1)Tom, you must come home immediately. (The speaker is superior to Tom and obliges
him to obey his command.)
Have to expresses general obligation and comes second in the scale.
(2) Tom, you have to be more polite with Susan. (Being polite is a generally accepted
mode of behaviour.)
Should and Ought to indicate recommendation, advice, and instruction and rank third in the
scale.
(3) Tom, you should see “Now, You See Me”. It’s a really wonderful movie.
Need denotes the smallest degree of necessity and is primarily used in negative sentences.
(4) Tom, you needn’t buy the new CAE Practice Tests. I’ll give you mine.

Past-time reference is expressed by the past forms of the respective modals. We should bear
in mind, though, that must doesn’t have a past form and is often substituted by the past form
of have to-namely, had to. Had to is usually used in narratives.
(5) As I had to get up early on the next day, I decided to stay at home.
In the case of Reported Speech we can either use the form had to or preserve must if want to
stress the authority of the speaker.
(6) The teacher said, “You must submit your course projects tomorrow.”
The teacher said that we must/had to submit our course projects the next day.
Should and ought to are preserved in reported speech.
(7) Tom said, “You should see a doctor.”
Tom said that I should see a doctor.
The forms should have done and ought to have done indicate a past obligation which was not
fulfilled. They express a strong degree of disapproval and reproach.
(8) Susan was rather tense last night. You should have been more polite with her.
The real past situation was that the person in question was not polite with Susan.
The negative forms shouldn’t have done and ought not to have done suggest the vice versa
situation- the activity was performed which turns out to be wrong and the forms also express
disapproval and rebuke.
(9) James, you shouldn’t have spoken with Ann about the meeting last night.
Actually James spoke with Ann about the meeting last night- something that he was not
supposed to do.
Needed is the past form for need mostly in narratives and Indirect Speech in positive
sentences.
(10) I thought I needed to go shopping yesterday.
 The past form needn’t have done indicates just necessity and the activity marked in this way
is experienced as something that was not compulsory for the person to do.
(11) Jane needn’t have worried about the test. She answered all the questions in it.
The fact is that there was no need for Jane to worry as she was well-prepared for the test. The
activity was fulfilled though it turns out to be unnecessary.

PERMISSION

Permission is expressed by the modal verbs may and can. May is stronger as it involves the
authority of the speaker whereas can indicates general permission.
(12) You may stay out till 10 p.m.
The speaker is the one who grants the permission.
(13) Students can use laptops at the university.
It is generally accepted that students are allowed to use laptops at university lectures.
The modals occur freely in positive, negative and interrogative sentences. We should mind
though that may is more formal in usage than can and often signals polite usage.
(14) Excuse me, may I use your pad-phone for a minute?
The past forms might and could are used mostly in Reported Speech and past-time reference
narratives.
(15) “Mary, you can take your puppy with you,” mother said.
Mother said that Mary could take her puppy with her.

ABILITY

Ability is expressed by the modal verb can. It denotes the skills and abilities of someone to do
something. Therefore, it is often substituted for the expressions be able to do and manage to
do.
(16) I can dance and I can sing.
(17) I can operate a computer. / I am able to operate a computer.
The past form could is restricted to interrogative sentences and negative ones signaling
inability.
(18) Could you answer all the questions in the test?
(19) I couldn’t file in the report yesterday.
In positive sentences could is used only when it refers to the whole period of time involved.
(20) I could hear the rain patter on the roof all night long.
When the activity is single and successful could is substituted for be able to do and manage to
do constructions.
(21) While walking by the river yesterday, I saw a man drowning and was able to save
/ managed to save him.

VOLITION

Volition is expressed by the modal verbs will and shall. There are two major uses of both
modals: of willingness and insistence. Will is freely used with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person subjects
singular or plural to denote willingness.
(22) Jim will help you –he is always willing to help a friend.
(23) I will lend you some money, if you like.
Unlike will, shall is rarely used with 2nd and 3rd person. The meaning is I am willing and the
speaker is conferring a favor on another.
(24) Good dog, you shall have a bone when we get home.
In the meaning of insistence, shall expresses the authority of the speaker. The speaker is in
charge of the situation.
(25) He shall marry that woman, whatever you say.
The speaker insists that the subject obey his or her will.
Will denotes the insistence of the subject rather than of someone else’s insistence.
(26) He will marry that woman, whatever you say.