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Would You Like to Learn About
Modal Auxiliaries? |
Imagine you are watching an action movie, such as
Mission: Impossible. You hear the following exchange:
"Would you like to watch a movie?"
"Oh. No, thank you."
"Would you consider the cinema of the Caribbean?"
You might have noticed that one of the speakers uses the
word would not once, but two times.
Have you ever wondered about the word would? Would you
like to know more about how native English speakers use
it to show different meanings?
Today on Everyday Grammar, we will explore a difficult
area in English grammar: modal auxiliaries. By the end
of this report, you will understand how modal
auxiliaries are used in American English. You will also
learn about three uses of the word would.
What are modal auxiliaries?
Language experts say English has two main groups of
words: form classes and structure classes.
Form classes are words such as nouns, adjectives, and
verbs that give basic meaning. The form classes are
open; in other words, they often change as speakers use
new or different words.
The term structure classes means a small group of words
that explain the grammatical relationships of words from
the form classes.
Structure class words are generally closed. In other
words, structure class words, such as prepositions and,
you guessed it, modal auxiliaries, usually do not
change.
This definition comes from Martha Kolln, an expert on
English grammar. She notes that native English speakers
do not often think about structure class words, despite
their importance.
Mastering structure class words - such as modal
auxiliaries – is one of the difficult parts about
learning English.
We will not test you on the differences between
structure and form classes. We just want you to know
that there are the two main classes of words, and that
knowing words from both classes is important.
Now, let's take a look at one difficult word from the
structure class: the modal auxiliary would.
What do modal auxiliaries do?
Modal auxiliaries change the meaning of the verb next to
them. They show a speaker's opinion. They can express a
possibility or necessity.
Modals such as would have different meanings depending
on their context. We have discussed modals in other
Everyday Grammar programs, which you can find on our
website, voalearningenglish.com.
#1 To express a wish about a
present condition or a future happening
One common meaning of would is to show a wish about a
present condition or a future event.
Consider the statement, "I wish it would stop snowing."
Here, the speaker expresses a wish about the weather.
The speaker means that it is currently snowing; would
expresses the speaker's wish that the weather change.
The meaning of this statement is almost the same as "I
hope it stops snowing."
#2 To express a past or
unrealized possibility
A second common meaning of would is to express a past or
unrealized possibility. This past or unrealized
possibility did not come true.
Consider the sentence, "I would have helped you, but I
could not get off from work."
In this statement, the speaker shows regret about not
being able to help. The speaker is saying that he might
have been able to help, if he was not required to work.
Here is an example from American popular culture.
Consider these lines from the 1960 film Elmer Gantry.
"Jesus would have made the best little All-American
quarterback in the history of football. Jesus was a real
fighter - the best little scrapper, pound for pound, you
ever saw. And why, gentlemen? Love, gentlemen. Jesus had
love in both fists! "
In this example, the speaker is talking about a past or
unrealized possibility. Jesus was a religious leader. He
never played American football. In fact, he lived long
before American football was invented.
Speakers do not always use would to show a past
possibility. They might use would to show an unrealized
possibility in the present tense.
Consider this example:
"I would help you if I could."
Here the speaker is showing that she is unable to help.
Whether the speaker is being truthful about her ability
to help is a different question!
#3 For polite requests:
One of the most common meanings of the word would is
this: to make a polite request.
This structure is useful in almost any situation – at
work, school, a restaurant, and so on.
Imagine you are at school and you cannot understand a
question in mathematics class. You could ask a student:
"Would you help me with this math problem?"
Using would in this way is considered polite in American
culture.
You could ask the same question, or give a direct order,
by saying "Will you help me with this?" or "Help me with
this."
Although such sentences are grammatically correct, they
are not considered polite in American culture.
What about the film?
Think back to the exchange you heard at the beginning of
this report:
"Would you like to watch a movie?"
"Oh. No, thank you."
"Would you consider the cinema of the Caribbean?"
We have examined three basic meanings of the word would
today. Can you tell which way the speaker used the word
would? Do you think would has one or two meanings in the
audio?
Write us in the Comments Section of our website.
What can you do?
The word would has many other meanings. The next time
you are watching an American film or listening to
American music, try to study how speakers use would. Are
they using it to express one of the meanings we
described today, or do they mean something else?
Understanding modal auxiliaries is a difficult, but
necessary skill if you would like to improve your
knowledge of American English.
I'm John Russell.
And I'm Dorothy Gundy.
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English.
George Grow was the editor. |
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Words in This Story |
- modal
auxiliary – n.
grammar a verb (such as can, could, shall, should,
ought to, will, or would) that is usually used with
another verb to express ideas such as possibility,
necessity, and permission
- form
class – n.
large, open classes of words that provide the
lexical content of the language
- structure
class – n.
small, closed classes of words that explain the
grammatical relationships of the form classes.
- master
- v. to learn
(something) completely; to get the knowledge and
skill that allows you to do, use, or understand
(something) very well
- context
– n. the situation in
which something happens; the group of conditions
that exist where and when something happens
-
unrealized – adj.
not effected, accomplished, or fulfilled (not
realized)
- polite
– adj. socially correct
or proper
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