2017-11-01 Grammar: inferences and predictions

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Homework: p. 75 exercise 4 - Identify the purpose (social or logical) of each modal
1 request
2 future event
3 inability
4 lack of permission / prohibition
5 advice
6 advice
7 prediction (“He ought to be able to see you now,” would be a logical inference.)
8 logical inference
9 obligation
10 prediction / future possibility
11 request
12 lack of permission
13 inference / general possibility
14 request
15 ability
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impossibility: He can’t be home already. He just left here 5 minutes ago.
prohibition (no permission): He can’t park here. It’s in front of a fire hydrant.
inability (no ability): He can’t drive a car. He’s blind.
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Modals of Prediction and Inference
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A prediction is basically an inference about the future. The main difference in modal grammar is that we use “will” for predictions where we use “must” for inferences.
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may/might/could - same meaning in affirmative sentences (about inferences and predictions)
may not / might not - same meaning in negative sentences
could not - This means something is impossible (different from “may not” and “might not”).
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p. 260 exercise 3 - Tell your partner one sentence for each prompt.
1 I will travel to Germany next summer.
2 I will probably visit my old friends.
   (“I should visit my old friends.” = It’s a good idea to visit them.)
   (“The weather should be nice in the summer.” - This is a prediction because I can’t control it.)
3 I might rent a boat for sailing.
4 I might not sleep early.
5 I probably won’t drink a lot.
6 I won’t go on Friday because my vacation starts on Saturday.
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To make inferences about the present, use “must” instead of “will”.
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Mouiha will travel to Germany next summer. - prediction/plan
Mouiha must travel to Germany next summer. - obligation (“must” about the future is obligation)
Mouiha must travel to Germany a lot. - inference
	= I think he travels to Germany a lot.
Mouiha must be traveling in Germany right now. - inference (about something in progress now)
	= I think he is traveling in Germany right now.
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There are similarities with these same modals for obligations and advice:
He must travel to Germany next summer. = This is the only option he has.
He must travel to Germany a lot. = This is the only conclusion that makes sense.
You could buy your tickets online. = This is one of your many options.
You could have the flu. = This is one of many possible conclusions.
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To make inferences about the past, we use the perfect form: modal + have + past participle
You could have the flu. = I think it’s possible that you have the flu now.
You could have had the flu. = I think it’s possible that you had the flu in the past.
He must travel to Germany a lot. = I think he travels a lot now.
He must have traveled to Germany a lot. = I think he traveled a lot in the past.
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Homework: p. 262-263 exercise 5