Modals -- The Simpsons

The Simpsons

FOX -- January 27, 2002

modals -- meaning / form

PROBABILITY ADVISIBILITY

MAY/MIGHT/COULD

POSSIBILITY (MAYBE ) It may contain brief rudeness.
One of you could win a lifetime supply of Duff.
She could get hurt!
Maybe we should try to calm Dad down.
Maybe a hug will cork her cry-hole.
Maybe we can go.
PERMISSION

MUST

LOGICAL CONCLUSION You must be here for the Duff Trivia Challenge. NECESSITY You must dine with us at Toad Hall.
I'll have to take off my shoes.
.. but then I'd have to get a new glass of milk.
I'm going to have to (do something.)
That's the kind of thing you 've just got to know.
We 've got to coordinate on this thing.
You 've got to do something.

SHOULD/OUGHT TO

LOGICAL EXPECTATION ADVICE/OBLIGATION Maybe we should try to calm Dad down.
Look at that freckle. I should dig that out.
I 'd better polish those jaw wires for tomorrow.

.... when who should ring the doorbell but Ned Flanders!

CAN/COULD

ABILITY I can do a somersault.
Maybe we can go.
The one place you can wear a tiara ..
I can remove those jaw wires.
You can't eat solid foods!
Duff-man can never die
the kind of night I thought we could never have ..
When I couldn't talk, I learned to listen.
.. a man who couldn't open his mouth.
He won't be able to talk for quite some time.
IMPOSSIBILITY I couldn't agree more! PERMISSION

OPTION
Marge, I could stand here and argue with you, but ..

WILL/WOULD

FUTURE Maybe a hug will cork her cry-hole.
You 'll be just the way you used to be.
I 'll have to take off my shoes.
Today we will meet a man who ..
I 'll be in the kitchen if you need me.
That 'll scratch my itch.
He won't be able to talk for quite some time.
Homer, you 're going to get in trouble.
What are they going to do?
I 'm going to make a human yo-yo.
I am not going to make you another spare-rib smoothie!
I 'm going to kill you!
I 'm going to have to (do something.)
If you take it to the max, it 's going to get ugly.
Are you coming to bed?
We weren't going to go after last year's unpleasantness. But ..

PAST (habit/state) He would eat all the time.
He 'd have a mouth full of Hershey's miniatures.
... just the way you used to be . WILLINGNESS (OFFER) I 'll put in those pec implants
I 'll be as dull as Dilbert.

REFUSAL

CAN/COULD/WILL/WOULD

OFFER
Have some money.
REQUEST
Will you appear on my show?
I 'd like to arrange for an escort, please.
Please welcome Homer and Marge Simpson.
Stop it, Homer!
If you object, clearly say no.
Wait, wait, wait . Homer's trying to make a guess.
Homer, save me! Save me!
PREFERENCE
I would like to eat its children.
I prefer to egg him on

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois

PROBABILITY	ADVISIBILITY
MAY/MIGHT/COULD
POSSIBILITY (MAYBE ) It may contain brief rudeness. One of you could win a lifetime supply of Duff. She could get hurt! Maybe we should try to calm Dad down. Maybe a hug will cork her cry-hole. Maybe we can go.	PERMISSION
MUST
LOGICAL CONCLUSION You must be here for the Duff Trivia Challenge.	NECESSITY You must dine with us at Toad Hall. I'll have to take off my shoes. .. but then I'd have to get a new glass of milk. I'm going to have to (do something.) That's the kind of thing you 've just got to know. We 've got to coordinate on this thing. You 've got to do something.
SHOULD/OUGHT TO
LOGICAL EXPECTATION	ADVICE/OBLIGATION Maybe we should try to calm Dad down. Look at that freckle. I should dig that out. I 'd better polish those jaw wires for tomorrow.
.... when who should ring the doorbell but Ned Flanders!
CAN/COULD
ABILITY I can do a somersault. Maybe we can go. The one place you can wear a tiara .. I can remove those jaw wires. You can't eat solid foods! Duff-man can never die the kind of night I thought we could never have .. When I couldn't talk, I learned to listen. .. a man who couldn't open his mouth. He won't be able to talk for quite some time. IMPOSSIBILITY I couldn't agree more!	PERMISSION OPTION Marge, I could stand here and argue with you, but ..
WILL/WOULD
FUTURE Maybe a hug will cork her cry-hole. You 'll be just the way you used to be. I 'll have to take off my shoes. Today we will meet a man who .. I 'll be in the kitchen if you need me. That 'll scratch my itch. He won't be able to talk for quite some time. Homer, you 're going to get in trouble. What are they going to do? I 'm going to make a human yo-yo. I am not going to make you another spare-rib smoothie! I 'm going to kill you! I 'm going to have to (do something.) If you take it to the max, it 's going to get ugly. Are you coming to bed? We weren't going to go after last year's unpleasantness. But .. PAST (habit/state) He would eat all the time. He 'd have a mouth full of Hershey's miniatures. ... just the way you used to be .	WILLINGNESS (OFFER) I 'll put in those pec implants I 'll be as dull as Dilbert. REFUSAL
CAN/COULD/WILL/WOULD
OFFER Have some money. REQUEST Will you appear on my show? I 'd like to arrange for an escort, please. Please welcome Homer and Marge Simpson. Stop it, Homer! If you object, clearly say no. Wait, wait, wait . Homer's trying to make a guess. Homer, save me! Save me! PREFERENCE I would like to eat its children. I prefer to egg him on