By Modals, helping verbs

Wouldn't you say there are twelve tenses? Simple , Progressive, Perfect, Perfect Progressive - each with past, present, and future tenses - for a total of twelve? What is the difference between, for example, Future Perfect in the past and Future Perfect? Is it just the modal auxilary "would"...

See p. 2 here: HUNTER COLLEGE READING/WRITING CENTER GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS The Verb System Also: The following verbs are often called "semi-modals" because they are partly like modal helping verbs and partly like main verbs: * need * dare * used to Search this site...

Could is the past tense of can. These two words are among the many that form a class of MAV modal auxiliary verbs called the ‘pure’modals. AV’s (Auxiliary verbs) are helping verbs that help the main verbs to convey additional information. MAV’s are a type of AV. MAV’s help to convey shades of...

You call them differently because they are different. Auxiliary verbs (also called Primary auxiliary verbs - to be, to have and to do) form tenses and show Aspect. They can also be lexical verbs and they can be inflected. Modal auxiliary verbs do not change form and they add modality to the...

CalifJim wrote:CJPS. It's not necessary to quote everything in every previous post of the thread before responding! Thank goodness! I also agree with much of what Lyons has said. In fact, the sentence above (It may rain tomorrow) is from Lyons. Lyons says that the subjective-objective...

Yes, you're right. Apparently we do have different understandings of objective and subjective. But look at the bright side: We agree that the sentences do not illustrate deontic usage! On this whole topic I am in basic agreement with John Lyons, who, to say it as briefly as possible,...

CalifJim wrote: Tell me, which of the following is epistemic, IYO? Which is subjective? It may rain tomorrow. (Uttered by a weaterman) It may rain tomorrow. (Uttered by a layman) milky,Both of these are epistemic. Both are objective, and vacuously true: It is possible that it will rain...

Tell me, which of the following is epistemic, IYO? Which is subjective? It may rain tomorrow. (Uttered by a weaterman) It may rain tomorrow. (Uttered by a layman) milky, Both of these are epistemic. Both are objective, and vacuously true: It is possible that it will rain tomorrow....

Milky wrote: CalifJim wrote:The conflation of two modals. Why don't you just get rid of one of them?This is not the conflation of two modals. It is a distinction in usage based on a different parameter from the one you may be used to. That is, the distinction is made on the basis of whether...

CalifJim wrote:epistemic modality is subjective and deontic modality is objective.I disagree completely. Objectivity has more to do with an external viewpoint, subjectivity with an internal viewpoint. If there is any possible and slight correlation between the subjective/objective polarity and...