U.F.R.

SCIENTIFIQUES Notions de Base n 9

UNIVERSITE DE METZ LES MODAUX
ANGLAIS

I. CONSTRUCTION
Les modaux sont des AUXILIAIRES: pour la construction des formes interrogative et ngative voir NB 1. Lorsquil y a plusieurs auxiliaires LE
MODAL EST TOUJOURS LE PREMIER.
Les modaux NEXISTENT PAS A TOUTES LES FORMES ET A TOUS LES TEMPS. Ils nont :
- PAS DINFINITIF
- PAS DE FORME EN ING
- PAS DE S A LA 3 PERSONNE DU SINGULIER DU PRESENT
- PAS DE PARTICIPE PASSE
Ils sont SUIVIS DUNE BASE VERBALE (= infinitif sans to).
Ils sont INCOMPATIBLES ENTRE EUX. Cest--dire quun modal ne peut pas tre suivi dun autre modal.

II. SENS
La plupart des modaux ont PLUSIEURS SENS que lon peut regrouper sous DEUX GRANDES CATEGORIES. Dune part la CONTRAINTE ou
la LATITUDE (on impose, on permet, on a la capacit physique ou matrielle) et dautre part la PROBABILITE (on donne son avis sur les chances
de ralisation dune action).

II.1. CONTRAINTE / LATITUDE

OBLIGATION il faut, on doit MUST You must stop at red traffic lights.
INTERDICTION en gnral MUSTNT You mustnt park on a double yellow line.
il ne faut pas, on ne doit pas
particulire une situation CANT
You cant park here! Look at the double yellow line!
on ne peut pas car cest interdit
ABSENCE on nest pas oblig, ce nest pas la NEEDNT The sun is shining. You neednt take your umbrella.
peine
DOBLIGATION
AU PASSE : NEEDNT HAVE + The sun was shining. You neednt have taken your
PARTICIPE PASSE umbrella.
PERMISSION on a ou on demande lautorisation MAY You may vote now that you are over eighteen.
permission formelle, langue officielle

demande de permission :
3 degrs de politesse
du plus poli
au MAY May I help you?
moins poli COULD Could I have your address, please?
CAN Can I have a drink?
CAPACITE on peut, on est capable, CAN Tom can run very fast.
on sait He can play the piano.
AU PASSE : on pouvait COULD Jim could swim when he was six.
on pouvait mais on ne la pas fait COULD HAVE + You could have won the race if youd wanted to.
PARTICIPE PASSE

avec les verbes de perception (ne se CAN

From my window, I can see the river.
traduit pas en franais)
CONSEIL on devrait SHOULD ou Youre coughing a lot! You should give up smoking.
OUGHT TO
REGRET ou on aurait d SHOULD HAVE + It was your fault! You should have been more
PARTICIPE PASSE ou careful.
CRITIQUE
OUGHT TO HAVE +
PARTICIPE PASSE
 II.2. PROBABILITE

QUASI CERTITUDE on en est sr MUST Look at all this snow! It must be cold outside.
AU PASSE : MUST HAVE + They worked all day and all night. They must have
PARTICIPE PASSE been tired.
NEGATION CANT I dont believe it. Its impossible! It cant be that
on est sr que non expensive.

AU PASSE : CANT HAVE + I dont believe it. Its impossible! They cant have left
on est sr que cela ne stait pas PARTICIPE PASSE yesterday.
pass
DEDUCTION normalement, en principe cela SHOULD ou OUGHT Its 8.20. The news should be on TV.
devrait TO
LOGIQUE
ASPECT FINI par rapport au SHOULD HAVE + The train should have arrived by now.
prsent ou au pass. PARTICIPE PASSE ou
Normalement, en principe, cela OUGHT TO HAVE +
devrait tre fini maintenant, ou PARTICIPE PASSE
avant une date
future
AU PASSE : normalement, en SHOULD HAVE + It was 8.20. The news should have been on TV.
principe, cela aurait d, mais PARTICIPE PASSE ou
ce ntait pas le cas OUGHT TO HAVE +
PARTICIPE PASSE
INCERTITUDE on ne sait pas, peut-tre MAY It may rain tomorrow.
AU PASSE : MAY HAVE + We dont know what happened. The driver may have
PARTICIPE PASSE fallen asleep.
FAIBLE il y a peu de chances, on ny MIGHT ou COULD We might win the jackpot, you never know.
croit pas trop
PROBABILITE
AU PASSE : MIGHT HAVE+ I suppose everything is possible. He might have been
PARTICIPE PASSE ou asleep at the time.
COULD HAVE +
PARTICIPE PASSE
CARACTERISTIQUE susceptible de CAN Smoking can cause cancer.
Lions can be dangerous.
POTENTIELLE

II.3. WILL, WOULD ET SHALL : PRESENTATION SIMPLIFIEE

WILL Auxiliaire du futur (cf NB 5) We will have the results tomorrow.

Vrit permanente ou scientifique Oil will float on water. (ne se traduit pas en franais)
Bon vouloir, acceptation Will you take Mary as your lawful wedded wife? Yes, I will.
Invitation (forme interrogative) Will you have lunch with us?
Ordre attnu (forme interrogative) Will you open that window?
WOULD Auxiliaire du conditionnel (cf NB 5) If I were you, I would buy a new car.
Forme frquentative (actions passes habituelles) She would wait for him every evening.
Invitation polie, ordre attnu (forme interrogative) Would you open that window?
Volont attnue, politesse accrue I would like to meet her.
SHALL Obligation (langue lgale ou biblique) You shall obey!
Forme interrogative la 1ere personne du singulier ou du Shall we go out tonight?
pluriel. On propose de faire quelque chose Lets go out tonight, shall we?

II.4. EXPRESSIONS EQUIVALENTES

Pour exprimer une modalit un temps ou une forme que ne possde pas lauxiliaire modal correspondant, on a recours une expression
quivalente dont le verbe peut se conjuguer tous les temps. Ces expressions ne sont pas des auxiliaires modaux!

OBLIGATION HAVE TO I had to do as he said.

INTERDICTION BE FORBIDDEN (TO) It was forbidden for visitors to feed the animals.
ABSENCE DOBLIGATION NOT / HAVE TO Dont worry! You wouldnt have to pay for it.
PERMISSION BE ALLOWED (TO) The students were allowed to use a dictionary.
CAPACITE BE ABLE TO Fortunately, they were able to fix my microscope.