The use of will and would which denotes an actual fact in the past is parallel in the following cases:
when they express habitual or recurrent actions,
E.g. She will (would) sit for hours under the old oak tree looking at the beautiful country around her (…любит/любила сидеть, обычно сидит/сидела …)
In addition to indicating an habitual action, will (would) in this case implies willingness, personal interest on the part of the doer of the action. Will (would) in this meaning is found in affirmative sentences and is followed by he simple infinitive.
In present-time context will in this meaning is not common. In past-time context would is mainly characteristic of literary style.
E.g. Then there were weekends when he would ride over to the house of one farmer or another and spend a couple of nights on the hills.
when they express refusal to perform an action,
E.g. The doctor knows I won't be operated on.
He was wet through but he wouldn't change.
“Clark,” she said softly, “I wouldn't change you for the world”. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
This meaning is found in negative sentences; will (would) is followed by the simple infinitive. In Russian it is usually rendered as никак не хочу, ни за что не хотел.
when they are used with lifeless things to show hat a thing fails to perform its immediate function,
E.g. My fountain pen won't (wouldn't) write.
The door won't (wouldn't) open.
In this meaning will (would) is found in negative sentences and is followed by the simple infinitive. In Russian it is usually rendered as никак не пишет (не писала), никак не открывается (не открывалась) and the like.
when they are used with the first person to express will, intention or determination,
E.g. “Damn it!” he thought, “I'm going to get out of this hole. I will make money. I am an Englishman and I will suffer no priest to interfere in my business”.
“I said I would do anything for him. We decided that we wouldn't interfere”.
This meaning is found in affirmative and negative sentences. The present tense will, in addition to expressing its modal meaning, serves to refer an action to the future; the past tense would is generally used in reported speech and also serves to refer an action to the future but in this case it is viewed from a past moment.
The use of will and would which expresses unreality in the present or serves as a milder or more polite form of will is parallel in the following cases:
in interrogative sentences where they express willingness, consent,
E.g. Will you dine with me tomorrow, Lewis?
“Won't you sit down”? said doctor.
You'll forgive me, won't you?
in clauses of condition introduced by if where they also express willingness, consent,
E.g. “It's about forty minutes' walk from ere and if you'll come now I'll go with you” he said.
No, we are not going to quarrel at all if you'll only let me talk.
Mr. Marlowe? If you will come this way, please? (R. Chandler) (Сюда, пожалуйста!)
In both cases will (would) is followed by the simple infinitive and the action always refers to the future.
Both interrogative and conditional sentences are often actually polite requests in this case. There is hardly any difference between the use of will and would here; the role of would is to make the request still more polite.
The use of will and would is not parallel in the following cases:
Will may be used to express supposition with reference to; the present or to the future in combination with the simple infinitive, or to the past in combination with the Perfect infinitive. This meaning is found with the second and third persons.
E.g. This will be the school, I believe.(Это, по-видимому, и есть школа).
You will have heard the news, I'm sure (Я полагаю, Вы уже слышали новость).
It should be noted that the use of will in this meaning is not common.
Would may be used rather sarcastically to express that something was to be expected. It is found in affirmative and negative sentences.
E.g. “Auntie Meg has been very brave”. “Yes, she would be brave”. (That was to be expected of her under the circumstances).
“I don't understand him and I don't approve of is decision”. “No, you wouldn't”. (I did not expect you would).
The law wouldn't call it a murder if I shot a thief entering my house by force. (W. De Mille)
This meaning can be rendered in Russian as Этого и следовало ожидать.
Note the use of will in the following sentences, e.g.:
Boys will be boys. (Мальчишки остаются мальчишками).
Accidents will happen.
phrases with will and would:
Will not have (won't have) followed by an object and an infinitive without to means “I'll see to it that it does not happen”.
E.g. “I will not (won't) have you speak to me like that, her voice came sharply.
Both would rather (`d rather) and would sooner (`d sooner) followed by an infinitive without to mean `to prefer'.
E.g. “I'd rather do it myself” he said .
He'd sooner die than let me think he was a failure.
Would … mind in interrogative sentences may also express a polite request: Would you mind getting me a cup of tea?
Would also occurs in certain subordinate clauses where it is structurally dependent.
E.g. I wish the train would stop for a moment.
I wish they wouldn't insist on it.
This modal verb will - would is more often used in literature. Here are several examples on its usage.
E.g. Senor Montevalde had never faced a bull without the protection of a stout fence, and never would. (F. Harvey)
This Velma was an entertainer, a singer. You wouldn't know her? I don't suppose you went there much.(R. Chandler)
Look where we would there was no rock or tree (O. Wilde).
“I'll speak to her and tell her to lay off.” - “If you would.” (A. Christie) (Будьте любезны!)
“And what would you be doing, my dears?” she said. “What brings you to Gipsy's Acre?” (A. Christie) (Что бы это вы могли тут делать…..)
Sometimes the boys would play a trick on their teacher (M. Spark).
It would be impossible to build a bridge without knowing it.(W. Faulkner)
Need
The modal verb need may be used either as a defective or as a regular verb.
As a defective one need has only one form, which is the present tense. In reported speech it remains unchanged. It is followed by the infinitive without to.
Need expresses necessity. When reference is made to the present or future it is followed by the simple infinitive. It is used in negative and interrogative sentences. In interrogative sentences need usually implies that there is no necessity of performing the action.
E.g. You needn't be afraid of me.
You need not meet him unless you'd like to. Need I repeat it?
Occasionally it may be found in affirmative sentences but it is not typical.
In negative sentences it is not always the verb need that is in the negative form; the negation may be found elsewhere in the sentence.
E.g. I don't think we need give her any more of our attention. I need hardly say that I agree with you.
In combination with the Perfect infinitive need express an action which has been performed though it was unnecessary. It implies a waste of time or effort.
E.g. You needn't have come. The deal is off.
It was obvious. You needn't have protested. We needn't have told him a lie even if we didn't want to tell him the truth.
As a regular verb need can have all the necessary forms including the verbal. It also expresses necessity. It is followed by the infinitive with to and is mainly used in interrogative and negative sentences (like the defective need).
E.g. He didn't need to explain.
You don't need to tell me that you are sorry.
Did you need to read all those books?
It should be noted that this need is in more common use than the defective one, particularly in American English.
E.g. He needs a new coat.
Does he need my help? He does not need anything.
Dare
The modal verb dare may also be used as a regular and as a defective verb.
Dare as a defective verb has two forms which are the present and the past forms. It means `to have the courage or impertinence to do something' Its use is very restricted. In present-day English it is mainly found in questions beginning with how which are actually exclamations and in negative sentences.
E.g. How dare you say that!
How dare she come here!
How many years is it since we danced together? I dare not think.
He dared not look at her.
Dare as a regular verb has all the necessary forms including the verbal. It has he same meaning as the defective dare. Its use is also restricted. It is mainly found in negative sentences.
E.g. He does not dare to come here again.
She told me she had never dared to ask him about it.
No one dared to live in the house since.
I dare say.
E.g. I dare say I looked a little confused.
My son is not in town but I dare say he will be before long.
In Russian this phrase is usually rendered as очень возможно, пожалуй, полагаю, осмелюсь сказать.
Shouldn't + Perfect Infinitive , oughtn't to + Perfect Infinitive and needn't + Perfect Infinitive compared
Shouldn't + Perfect infinitive and oughtn't to + Perfect infinitive show that an action has been carried out though it was undesirable; needn't + Perfect infinitive indicates that an action has been carried out though it was unnecessary.
E.g. You shouldn't have come (for you are ill);
You oughtn't to have written to them (because your letter upsets );
You needn't have come (as the work is finished);
You needn't have written to them (because I sent them a telegram).
Final conclusion
I will formulate few basic grammatical rules applying to modal verbs:
All verbs are NEVER used with other auxiliary verbs such as do, does, did etc. The negative is formed simply by adding “not” after the verb; questions are formed by inversion of the verb and subject.
2. Modal verbs NEVER change form: you can never add an “-s” or
“-ed”, for example.
3. Modal verbs are NEVER followed by to, with the exception of ought
to.
4. Modal verbs are used in conversation. In the past it is possible to find
them only in reported speech. The only exceptions are the Past Tense
forms could, would, had, was and might which maybe used not only
in conversations but also in narration.
So, as you can see there are in Modern English these modal verbs: ought to, must, shall, should, will, need, dare: to have and to be can also be used as modal verbs. May express possibility/high probability (97%) and permission (3%). The modals used to express permission are can (58%), may (16%), could (13%), and might (13%), could (17%), will (17%). The three most frequent modals are would (28% of all modal occurrences), could (17%), and will (17%).
Bibliography
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“Грамматика английского языка. Пособие для студентов педагогических институтов.” Под ред. Ильиша.
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“The English verb. A new grammar for every one”. А.К. Кравченко, Л.В. Ушакова и др. Иркутск, 1997.
“Modality in Modern English”. Е.М. Гордон и др. М., 1968.
“Модальные глаголы в английском языке”. Е.А. Зверева.
“Составные глаголы в современном английском языке”. М.Д. Кузнецов и др. М., 1959.
“Пособие по морфологии английского языка”. Е.А. Корнеева. М. “Высшая школа”, 1974.
“Модальные глаголы в английской речи: учебное пособие для студентов институтов и факультетов иностранных языков”. А.П. Грызулина. М., “Высшая школа”, 1986.
“Английский глагол”. Т.А. Расторгуева, И.П. Верховская и др. М., 1987.
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“Морфология английского языка”. А.И. Смирницкий. М., 1959.
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Цитируемые произведения:
1.“The time machine”. Herbert G. Wells.
2.“The Painted Veil”. W. Somerset Maugham.
3.“His Last Bow”. Arthur Conan Doyle.
4. “The Fun They Had”. I. Asimov.
5. “The Green Door”. O. Henry..
6. “The Ice Palace”. F. Scott Fitzgerald.
7. “Donkey”. A. Marshall.
8. “Essential English”. C. Eckersley.
9. “You Should Have Seen the Mess”. M. Spark.
10. “The Witness For The Prosecution”. A. Christie.
11. “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”. O. Wilde.
12. “Ruthless”. W. De Mille.
13. “The Birthday Present”. B.J. Chute.
14. “The Bear”. W. Faulkner.
15. “Evelyne”. J. Joyce.
16. “The Cat in the Rain”. E. Hemingway.
Newspapers:
1. “Morning Star”;
2. “Moscow News”;
3. “Daily Worker”.
Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
