on obligation
& prohibition
A hearty tale of modals
Rephrase these sentences
'It is prohibited to smoke in restaurants and pubs.'
'I hope Santa finally brings me a kitten!'
'Perhaps I will go swimming tomorrow.'
'All civilians are obligated to provide first aid as well as they can when needed.'
'It is forbidden to smoke in restaurants and pubs.'
'Hopefully, Santa will finally bring me a kitten!'
'I may go swimming tomorrow.'
'All civilians must/have to provide first aid as well as they can when needed.'
What are modals?
Modal auxiliaries (must, would, could, can, might, may, etc.) and modal phrases (have (got) to, be able to, be bound to, etc.) express the speaker's ideas on the message (s)he is bringing.
Instead of simply stating that something is or is not, modals express that something is possible, necessary, allowed, advisable, etc.
Modals express in various degrees: obligation, certainty, ability, and volition.
What are modals?
Modal auxiliaries are:
can, could, may, might, shall, shoud, will, would, and must.
Modal phrases are:
have (got) to and certain expressions with be, such as be able to, be bound to.
Today:
obligation
& prohibition
External obligation
EXAMPLES:
'You have to respect the law.'
'He had to return his laptop to the shop. The thing had broken down completely.'
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
| have (got) to | had to |
Internal obligation
EXAMPLES:
'You must breathe. That is a fact.'
'You must read this book, it's absolutely brilliant!'
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
| must | had to |
No obligation
EXAMPLES:
'You did not have to do the dishes, I would've.'
'At least you don't have to wear a uniform at school.'
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
| do not have to | did not have to |
Prohibition
EXAMPLES:
'You mustn't do that, it's dangerous!'
'I mustn't forget to take my pills.'
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
| must not | did not have to |
the modals
| PRESENT | PAST | |
| EXTERNAL OBLIGATION | ||
| INTERNAL OBLIGATION | ||
| NO OBLIGATION | ||
| PROHIBITION |
the modals
| PRESENT | PAST | |
| EXTERNAL OBLIGATION | have to | had to |
| INTERNAL OBLIGATION | must | had to |
| NO OBLIGATION | do not have to | did not have to |
| PROHIBITION | must not | / |
QUICKFIRE ROUND
on obligation and prohibition
By Matthias Opsomer
