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114
It is unhealthy to sleep with the windows shut.
The main syntactical function of the construction is that of an adverbial modifier of manner or attendant
circumstances.
An additional idea of time, reason, or condition may be prompted by the context, as in: I can’t walk with my
leg broken (reason).
MODAL VERBS
§ 153. Modal verbs, unlike other verbs, do not denote actions to states, but only show the attitude of the
speaker towards the action expressed by the infinitive in combination with which they form compound modal
predicates. Thus modal verbs may show that the action (or state, or process, or quality) is viewed by the speaker
as possible, obligatory, doubtful, certain, permissible, advisable, requested, prohibited, ordered, etc. Modal
verbs occur only with the infinitive. This or that meaning is to a great degree determined by the comminicative
type of the sentence and the form of the infinitive.
There are 12 modal verbs in English. They are: can, may, must, should ought, shall, will, would, need,
dare, to be, to have (to have got). The latter two are modal only in one of their meanings.
Ten of them (that is, all but to be and to have) are also called defective or anomalous verbs as they lack some
features characteristic of other verbs, that is:
1) they do not take -s in the third person singular;
2) they have no verbals, so they have no analytical forms;
3) they have (except for can and may) only one form and no past tense;
4) they are followed (except for ought) by a bare infinitive (that is by the infinitive without the particle to);
5) they need no auxiliary to build up the interrogative and negative forms.
All modal verbs have 2 negative forms, full and contracted.
full form
may not
must not
would not
should not
need not
contracted form
mayn’t
mustn’t
wouldn’t
shouldn’t
needn’t
Some of them have peculiarities both in spelling and pronunciation:
cannot
shall not
will not
Can’t [ka:nt]
Shan’t [?a:nt]
Won’t [wount]
Can
§ 154. This modal verb has two forms: can - for the present tense and could - for the past tense and for the
subjunctive mood.
I can’t dance now but I could when I was young.
I wish I could go with you.
I. Can followed by the non-perfect common aspect infinitive expresses:
1. Physical and mental ability or capacity.
The notion of ability is also expressed by “to be able to”.