A LOGICAL APPROACH TO MODAL VERBS 5.WOULD Cover Image

A LOGICAL APPROACH TO MODAL VERBS 5.WOULD
A LOGICAL APPROACH TO MODAL VERBS 5.WOULD

Author(s): Attila Imre
Subject(s): Morphology, School education, Higher Education
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: modality; future auxiliary; inevitability; remoteness; teaching modal verbs;

Summary/Abstract: The present article aims at a possible logical approach to discussing the modal auxiliary verb would, including its importance in the English verb and tense system. Being one of the central modal verbs, we argue that wouldis the remote pair of will, including temporal, psychological, tentqative and social remoteness, primarily based on the ideas developed by Michael Lewis (1986). Thus we support the idea that the core meaning of would is connected to the concept ofremoteinevitability, which comes to complete Palmer’s distribution of modal verbs, expressing epistemic, deontic and dynamic meanings.Uses of wouldinclude both an auxiliary and various modal meanings, its presentation relying on authoritative sources published for international (English), Hungarian and Romanian students. Possible issues of teaching wouldare also dealt with, supported by data from a popular TV series containing modal verbs. The conclusion discusses the importance and relativity of number of occurrences, trying to offer a possible teaching option for modals stemming from practice.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 23
  • Page Range: 41-51
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English