Modalité Flashcards
Obligation
Must I go ? (Interrogation)
Yes, you must (rep. affirmative)
No you needn’t (rep. négative)
Permission
May I go ? (Interrogation)
Yes, you may (affirmative)
No, you may not (négative)
Capacité
Can I go ? (Interrogation)
Yes, you can (affirmative)
You cannot/can’t (négative)
Volonté
Will you go ? (Interrogation)
Yes, I will (affirmative)
No, I won’t (négative)
Différent de tournure verbale de substitution > état de fait objectif
Ex: «must» ≠ «have to»/ «have got to»
«Can» ≠ «be able to»
«May» ≠ «be allowed to»
Obligation
To have to, to be to, to be forced to, etc.
Permission, interdiction
To be allowed to, to be forbidden to,
Possibilité matérielle
To be able to, to manage to
Éventualité
To be likely to, to be bound to
Volonté
To be willing to, to anxious to, to be ready to
Intention
To be going to, to mean to, to intend to
Désir, le souhait
To wish to, to want to, etc
Some examples
You don’t have to sign it
Was he able to come?
Do they have to go?
Did she mean to do it?
Volonté (résolue, empathique; le refus)
Ex: I will have my way in this mater, so don’t try to oppose me! Hé won’t sign the papers, whatever we do
Volonté obstinée d’irriter le locuteur
He will burst in at all hours!
Demande polie/offre
Will you give me a hand with this crank? - I’ll be glad to help you
Un comportement généralement prévisible, une propriété inhérente
Boys will be boys. (Il faut bien que jeunesse se passe)
Snow will melt in the sun.
Volonté au passé ou conditionnel
The car just wouldn’t start
He would help you if you asked him
Politesse plus distante
Would you be so kind as to take your muddy boot off my clean desk?
Une volonté empathique, refus catégorique au passé
They just would not give in!
Comportement prévisible dans le passé (would fréquentatif)
Old Bill would often light up a pipe after dinner
Pouvoir possibilité matérielle
Possibilité physique
He can lift 100 pounds all by himself
Capacité due à la situation dans laquelle se trouve le sujet
We can go through, the road as been cleared
La capacité intellectuelle (souvent «savoir» en FR)
He can speak seven foreign languages
La perception involontaire dans le moment présent
I can hear a baby crying
L’impossibilité
You can’t come in here! It’s for remembers only!
Éventualité qui parait impossible à l’enonciateur
Mary can’t have stolen the papers; she was here with me all night
La possibilité matérielle, virtuelle au conditionnel ou au passé
Guests could see the Mont Blanc from their hotel
Une demande polie
Could you hand me the cheese dish please?
