Modal verb may perform three different functions: a) b) c) it may be used in its original sense, it may do the duty of a purely auxiliary in analytical verbal forms correlated with the corresponding simple ones within the limits of the given grammatical category (the Future Tense and the Subjunctive Mood), it may weaken its lexical meaning when used in modal phrases expressing supposition, certainty or uncertainty as to the action expressed by the notional verb.
Modal verbs may function as: a) "fully lexical" verbs expressing ability, possibility, permission, power, admonition, duty, obligation, need, will or readiness to do something associated with the activity of the subject, e. g. : One mustdo one's duty. Can she speak English? May. I come in? b) modal auxiliaries of weakened predication: will/would, can/could, may/might, must and ought In this latter case they weaken their original meaning and come to express supposition, logical inference, certainty or uncertainty with regard to the action expressed by the notional verb.
Compare and translate the following sentences : a) If I do the thing, I will do it thoroughly, but I musthave a free hand. (Galsworthy) b) They tell me Jolyon's bought another house. . . he musthave a lot of money — he musthave more money than he knows what to do with! (Galsworthy) a)"I can't tell", would say: "It worries me out of my life". he (Galsworthy) b) It must be a mistake. She can'tbe there alone. a) I ought to there. go b) "Land ought to very dear about there", he said. (Galsworthy) be a) May Icome in? b) I shall be guarded. He maythrow some light. (Galsworthy)
Must + Infinitive In its primary function must is used to express duty or obligation in various degrees. In this meaning it may refer to the future. n The idea of past time is known to be expressed periphrastically by had to or was to, and negation by needn't. n
Must + Infinitive As a part of compound verbal predicate modal verb must + Simple Active Infinitive is translated by "повинний" ("повинен") + Infinitive, must + Simple Passive Infinitive - "слід", "потрібно", "має" або "необхідно" + Infinitive: 1. We must still, however, face the problem of the lack of negative evidence. 2. The editor must bear responsibility for the plethora of typographic errors, incomprehensible passages, unidentified quotations and poor organization of the monograph. 3. Several points must be made now. 4. Several additional objections must be raised.
Must + Infinitive In its secondary function must is never used to express supposition with reference to an action in the future, it is not used in negative sentences either. When used to denote supposition must may be followed by both Infinitive I and Infinitive II. In patterns with the Infinitive I the given action and the supposition expressed about it coincide in time e. g. : He must be somewhere. In such cases must is rendered by the modal words "(цілком) певно/вірогідно" + the present of the main verb 1. The reason for this must be just here. 2. The pilot experiment must have been unsuccessful. 3. The difference must be quite subtle. 4. This must have been an immensely time-consuming project for a single researcher. 5. Не must have finished his experiment.
Mustfollowed by the Perfect Infinitive will denote: a) supposition at present with regard to an action performed in the past: A rough estimate of the rate of cooling and growth of the solid crust of our globe indicates that the cooling process must have be gun billion years ago. several b) supposition in the past with reference to a prior past action, e. g. : He best grasped, on that first reading, the pain his father must have hadwriting such a in letter. It is to be observed that must used in its secondary function with the Perfect Infinitive often denotes such a strong certainty with regard to the action performed in the past that seems to approach the corresponding verbal form of the Indicative Mood as its stylistic synonym denoting a real action in the past with special emphasis laid upon its realisation. b) A corresponding negative meaning is generally expressed by can't + Perfect Infinitive There must have been a hundred people in the hall. - There can't have been a hundred people in the hall.
May/might + Infinitive In its primary function may is known to express permission or possibility with reference to both present and future time. When it refers to the present, it is often replaced by can. A special idiomatic use will be found in What may that mean? This is used to ask (often sarcastically) about the intended meaning of the previous speaker and is synonymous with What do you mean by that? In its secondary function may + Infinitive I will denote supposition at present with regard to a present or future action, e. g. : He may be quite at a loss now. You should help him.
May + Infinitive I The predicate may + Infinitive I is translated a) by the word "можливо" + the main verb in the future, e. g: 1. It may be helpful to illustrate this by some simple diagram. - 1. Можливо, буде корисно проілюструвати це кількома простими діаграмами. 2. We, therefore, may have to accept that there are basic functions. b) by combination of the verb "могти" in Present + the Infinitive, e. g: 1. It may well be that this structure is not necessary. - 1. Цілком може бути, що ця структура зайва. 2. This restriction is greater than it may seem. – 3. This may prove to be a serious flaw in his argument. The predicate may + Infinitive I Passive is translated by the word "можна" + the Infinitive, e. g: 1. She does not deny that other interpretations of the same data may be made. - 1. Вона не заперечує, що можна й по-іншому інтерпретувати ці ж дані. 2. Other examples may quite easily be constructed. -
Might + Infinitive I The predicate might + Infinitive I is translated a) by combination of the verb "могти" in Present + the Infinitive, e. g: 1. Such an account might be observationally inadequate. - 1. Такий аналіз може бути неадекватним з точки зору спостереження. 2. How might we go about arguing in favor of such a view? b) by the word "можна", "вірогідно" або "мабуть" + the Infinitive, e. g: 1. One might attempt to circumvent the difficulty. - 1. Можна спробувати обійти це ускладнення. 2. It might be possible to rescue the overall argument by eliminating reference to this point. -3. І realize that my critique might be interpreted as personally aimed at O'Connor; but this is not at all my intention. –
May + Infinitive II implies supposition at present about the possibility of an action in the past, e. g. : Several very striking love poems may have been written by Dante in the early days of his exile. The predicate may + Infinitive II is translated by the word "можливо" + the main verb in the past, e. g: 1. The correlations may have been lowered in part. - 1. Ці кореляції, можливо, були почасти занижені. 2. He may have underestimated both the complexity and theoretical interest of these branches of science. -
Might + Infinitive II in its secondary function will generally denote a supposition which is contrary to a real state of things. Reference to the present will be made by patterns with Infinitive I, reference to the past — by Infinitive II. The predicate might + Infinitive II is translated by the word "можливо" + the main verb in the form of Subjunctive or by the verb "могти" in the form of Subjunctive + the Infinitive, e. g: 1. Sorensen might well have allowed more space for explanations and examples, particularly "negative" data telling us what cannot occur. - 1. Соренсен міг би відвести більше місця для пояснень та прикладів, насамперед - для "негативних" даних, які дозволяють нам визначати, чого не може бути. 2. Indeed, as Last states, an appropriate subtitle for his book might have been "The Road to Disillusionment". – 3. Wider scrutiny of previous work, as well as the adoption of an adequate framework, might well have led to a more significant contribution. 4. But today we know they did not possess methods and motivations that might have enabled them to succeed. –
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