Rationale of the study
In English interpersonal communication, the auxiliaries Could, Would, May, and Might convey distinct modal meanings, reflecting the attitudes of the speakers As an English teacher, I have observed that learners often make mistakes when using these auxiliaries as politeness markers.
For this reason, I have made up my mind to choose this as the topic for my research.
Aim of the research
This thesis is an attempt to gain an insightful look into the linguistic features of
Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers in interpersonal communication
And, on this basis, possible pedagogical implications might be obtained.
Objectives of the research
The following have been set forth as specific objectives of the thesis:
(i) Identification of the linguistic features of Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers in English
(ii) Categorization of the mistakes commonly made by learners of English in using
Could, Would, May, Might as politeness makers
(iii) Possible pedagogical implications in the teaching of Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers in interpersonal interaction.
Scope of the research
English modal auxiliaries serve as important politeness markers in interpersonal communication, with Could, Would, May, and Might being the most frequently used This study focuses specifically on the linguistic features of these modals as politeness markers in social interactions, exploring their role in enhancing politeness and maintaining social harmony.
Learners of English at Ninh Giang High School often struggle with the proper use of modal verbs such as Could, Would, May, and Might, leading to two common types of mistakes The first mistake involves confusion between these modals in expressing ability, permission, or possibility, which can hinder effective communication The second mistake is related to the incorrect use of these verbs in conditional sentences, resulting in unclear or inaccurate meanings To address these issues, targeted practice sessions focusing on the distinctions between these modals, along with contextual exercises, can significantly enhance learners' understanding and application of these crucial elements of English grammar.
Significance of the research
The practical value of the thesis lies in the fact that, with the research results obtained, an insight can be gained into the linguistic features of Could, Would, May,
Might This type of knowledge, to the possible extent, helps facilitate teaching, translating, and communicating in English.
Structural organization of the thesis
The study is composed of three main parts
Part A is the introduction which presents the rationale, aim, and scope of the study as well as the significance of the research
Part B is “Development” which consists of three chapters
Chapter one is about the theoretical background for the research This chapter is aimed at establishing the framework of investigation
Chapter two is entitled “Methodology” This chapter gives a general description of the research method, the subjects chosen for the study, the data collection instruments and the research procedures
Chapter three, titled “Findings and Discussions,” outlines the linguistic features derived from a comprehensive survey, observations, and interviews conducted with both students and teachers It highlights the comparison of progress between students and teachers, while also addressing pertinent pedagogical implications for English learners.
The final part is the “Conclusion” which presents a recapitulation, and provides conclusions on each of the thesis objectives Recommendations and suggestions for future studies are also herein provided
At the end of the thesis are References and Appendices
LITERATURE REVIEW
Review of previous studies related to the research area of the thesis
Following are the previous research works directly related to the theme of the thesis:
(i) Politeness markers used in offering assistance in English and Vietnamese, Hồ
Thị Kiều Oanh, No 5(40).2010 Science and Technology magazine,
This article explores and contrasts the politeness markers utilized in the speech act of offering assistance in both Australian English and Vietnamese It examines various strategies and social deixes, including Addressing Terms, Formal Semantic Items, and Pragmatic Particles, across different situational contexts Additionally, the article delves into the reasons behind the similarities and differences in these politeness markers, focusing on the concepts of face and politeness within Australian and Vietnamese cultures.
This study explores the strategies involved in offering assistance, focusing on the linguistic forms and means used in this speech act It examines politeness markers that reflect social deixes, as well as formal semantic items that convey deference Additionally, the research highlights the role of pragmatic particles, which, despite lacking lexical meaning, serve to clarify grammatical relationships between semantic words in sentences.
(ii) A contrastive analysis of the meanings expressed via the modal verbs can, may, must in English and the equivalent expressions in Vietnamese, Nguyễn Minh Huệ,
Preliminaries and features of modal auxiliaries in English and in Vietnamese, making a comparison between modal meanings expressed by can, may, must in
English and their Vietnamese equivalent expressions and offering some suggestions for the application of the study to the teaching of English modals
The thesis accurately interprets the modal verb "may," emphasizing the importance of both the speaker and hearer in meaning construction while considering social and psychological factors In contrast, the Vietnamese modal verb is inherently ambiguous This presents challenges in teaching English modal verbs to Vietnamese learners To address this, it is suggested that learners focus on understanding the meaning of each modal verb within specific contexts, highlighting the need for context-aware teaching strategies.
Further research is needed to conduct a contrastive analysis of the modal systems in English and Vietnamese, specifically focusing on how they express the concepts of possibility, permission, and obligation Additionally, an investigation into the linguistic tools used to convey permission and obligation in English is warranted.
(iii) A study on politeness strategies manifested in advising in English and Vietnamese, Lê Thu Thảo, 2008 ULIS
This study explores the significance of positive and negative politeness strategies in social communication, particularly within cross-cultural contexts It examines how these strategies are expressed in advising scenarios in both English and Vietnamese Additionally, the research offers recommendations for effectively teaching advising situations to enhance understanding and application of politeness in communication.
This study serves as a preliminary exploration of politeness strategies in advising between English and Vietnamese speakers, leaving several key questions, such as "Addressing forms in advising," unanswered Future research should concentrate on the application of positive and negative politeness strategies among English and Vietnamese individuals, which would significantly benefit English language teaching and learning.
5 in daily communication” or “the use of politeness strategies in making suggestions in English and Vietnamese” in the near future.
Theoretical preliminaries
Auxiliary verbs are essential in English as they "assist" main verbs by providing grammatical information They are categorized into primary auxiliaries (DO, HAVE, BE), which primarily serve grammatical functions, and modal auxiliaries, which convey both grammatical and modal meanings, reflecting the speaker's attitudes toward the content and the listener.
English features three main auxiliary verbs: do, be, and have, which play a crucial role in creating various grammatical structures while holding minimal intrinsic meaning For instance, the auxiliary verb "be" is essential for forming the progressive tense, exemplified by the sentence, "Tim is dancing."
In this context, the significance of "BE" lies not in its definition but in its function as a primary auxiliary verb It helps create a verb phrase that conveys the ongoing action of Tim's dancing This principle applies to all primary auxiliaries, which serve as essential "helpers" in expressing verbal meaning effectively.
The verb to be forms the passive voice (The ball was hit by John)
The verb to have forms the perfect tenses (I have decided to retire)
The verb to do enables us to negate or to ask questions (He did not write the book,
Notice that each of these verbs can act as a main verb as well, as in I am happy, He has a lot of money, and He does his own thing
(Source: http://awelu.srv.lu.se/grammar-and-words/selective-mini grammar/verb- phrases/primary-auxiliary-verbs/)
To put it in a nutshell, we can say that primary auxiliaries mainly perform grammatical function rather than convey other types of meaning
Language was initially governed by truth conditional laws of logic, but the advent of intensional logic introduced the concept of truth relativity in language, leading to the idea of "possible worlds" to elucidate modal and temporal operators Bally (1932) built upon medieval proposition analysis, breaking propositions into modus and dictum, where dictum represents propositional content and modus reflects the speaker's subjective attitude towards it Modality can be both explicit and implicit, with a scale illustrating the relationship between modus and dictum, ranging from explicit to implicit forms Modal verbs serve as implicit morphological expressions of modality (Boicu, 2007: 2).
In English, there are ten essential modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, and would Additionally, other verbs such as need, had better, and the invariant be can also act as modals or semi-modals.
Palmer (2001: 7) proposes a binary distinction the former separates „non-modal‟ from „modal‟ and is associated with the notional contrast between „factual‟ and
Recent terminology has shifted from using terms like "non-factual," "real," and "unreal" to "realis" and "irrealis." Modality is categorized within the "irrealis" domain, which also includes certain tenses and moods.
The second distinction Palmer makes divides modal verbs in keeping with the two main semantic categories: epistemic and deontic
In his systemic functional grammar, Halliday (1970) identifies two key systems: modality and modulation Modality relates to how a speaker subjectively expresses their commitment to the truth of a statement, encompassing semantic categories like "probable," "possible," "virtually certain," and "certain." This system is rooted in Halliday's concept of the interpersonal metafunction of language.
Modulation concerns the ideational metafunction of the content and of the conditions that influence it Its types are defined in terms of „permission‟,
„obligation‟, „ability‟, „desire‟, etc The cause of ambiguity would be the fact that the two systems are semantically similar, since they both underlie the same group of modal verbs
Hoffman (1993) states that there are four main modalities contained by logical, epistemic, deontic and capacity modals He puts forward the assumption that
“Natural languages have three basic logical modal concepts: [Nec] necessary, [Psb] possible and [Imp] impossible; the first two are defined and given symbols in logic”
The primary distinction in English linguistic modality lies between epistemic modalities, which connect propositions to one another, and other modalities that typically focus on subject orientation.
The author explores the similarities between epistemic modals (MoE) and social deontic modals (MoD), drawing parallels with quantifiers (Qnt) and adverbs of frequency (AvF) This analysis is presented in a comprehensive table that outlines seven distinct degrees of comparison, highlighting the nuanced relationships between these linguistic elements.
„strength‟ concerning all the four classes of elements
The seven degrees of strength, ranging from necessary (Nec) to impossible (Imp), are prevalent across various languages, although some specific terms, particularly for intermediate capacities, may be absent Quantifiers typically provide the most comprehensive scale in many languages.
The correlation among the above-mentioned categories is shown in the following Table (Hoffman 1993: 112):
{Nec} must must always all, every
{Apx-Nec} should should usually most
- may/could often many/much
{Psb} can may sometimes some
{Apx-Imp} should not should not seldom, rarely few
{Imp} must not must not, can‟t never none, no
Politeness is the practical application of good manners and etiquette, shaped by cultural definitions What is deemed polite in one culture may be perceived as rude or eccentric in another, highlighting the importance of cultural context in understanding politeness.
“Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts.” Madame de Stael (Abel Stevens, 1880)
Have you ever experienced an unfriendly response from a waiter while ordering in a foreign country or faced a refusal when asking someone for a favor? These situations may arise from a lack of politeness in your English communication.
The English language is full of these little formalities which can definitely determine whether you‟re going to make a good first impression on someone or not
When seeking information or providing assistance, it's essential to adhere to unspoken etiquette by considering how we present our requests or offers Utilizing polite phrases like "please" and "thank you" is crucial in fostering respectful communication in various situations.
9 situations, people expect a sort of indirect way of speaking to each other, which can be interpreted as for the sake of showing politeness
(Source: http://reallifeglobal.com/how-to-be-polite-in-english)
* “Face” and “Face Threatening Act” (FTA)
Brown and Levinson (1978) offer a unique viewpoint on politeness phenomena, examining them across various languages and cultures They propose that the foundation of politeness is universally rooted, as all individuals must recognize and respect the "face" of others to establish social relationships.
Central to their theory is the concept of "face," rooted in Goffman's (1955) idea of "face-work," which involves the presentation and protection of one's own and others' faces This concept is also connected to the English folk term associated with feelings of embarrassment or humiliation, often referred to as "losing face."
Brown and Levinson assume that all adult competent members of a society have:
“Face, the public self-image that every member (of a society) wants to claim for himself consisting of two related aspects:
* Negative face: the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, rights to non- distraction, i.e to freedom of action and freedom from imposition
* Positive face: the positive consistent self-image or personality „crucially including the desire that this self-image be appreciated‟.”
Summary
In short, this chapter provides a review of some major theoretical points related to investigations into English auxiliaries in general and English modal auxiliaries
Could, Would, May, and Might serve as politeness markers in language, reflecting the speaker's attitude towards the proposition These modal verbs are frequently used to maintain the negative face of the interlocutor during interactions, effectively facilitating face-saving acts (FSAs) in interpersonal communication.
Would you pass me the salt
Will you (please) pass me the salt?
The phrases "would you" and "will you" both serve as polite requests, with "would you" being more commonly used and generally perceived as more courteous Nonetheless, the level of politeness can significantly depend on the speaker's tone of voice.
Could you pass me the salt
Basically, could you and would you have the same meaning The difference is slight
Would you = Do you want to do this please?
Could you = Do you want to do this please, and Is it possible for you to do this?
Could you and would you are equally polite
? Can you (please) pass the salt?
Can you is often used informally It usually sounds less polite than could you or would you
Yes, I'd ( I would ) be happy to Yes, I'd ( I would ) be glad to
A person usually responds in the affirmative to a polite request If a negative response is necessary, a person might begin by saying "I'd like to, but " (e.g I'd like to pass the salt, but
METHODOLOGY
Research orientations
The thesis seeks answers for the following research questions:
(i) What are the linguistic features of Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers in English?
(ii) What are the types of mistakes commonly committed by learners of English in using Could, Would, May, Might as politeness makers?
(iii) What are the pedagogical implications for the teaching of Could, Would, May,
A study conducted at Ninh Giang High School in Hai Duong utilized questionnaires, observations, and interviews to collect data The researcher distributed questionnaires to 90 elementary-level students to gather insights.
This research primarily utilizes qualitative methods while incorporating quantitative elements to enhance the reliability of findings It involves document analysis, along with data gathered from questionnaires and interviews, to support qualitative insights through inferencing.
Research methods
This thesis primarily serves as descriptive research focused on the linguistic features of the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might, as well as the errors made by students at Ninh Giang High School A variety of data collection instruments were utilized to gather relevant information for this study.
In order to collect information about the teacher‟s and students‟ teaching, learning
The research explores students' proficiency in using the politeness markers Could, Would, May, and Might To gather data, the researcher employed various methods, including document analysis, questionnaires, observations, and interviews.
One of the focuses set out for the thesis is the establishment of linguistic features of
The auxiliaries Could, Would, May, and Might can be effectively analyzed through careful observation of data, positioning document analysis as a vital data collection tool By examining data from various sources, valuable insights into these auxiliaries can be uncovered This approach is based on the premise that a more multi-dimensional analysis yields more informative results.
Document analysis serves as both a technique and an effective tool for identifying the linguistic features of modal verbs such as Could, Would, May, and Might This process encompasses the examination of structural organization, semantico-pragmatic traits, and phonological characteristics, providing valuable insights into language use.
Questionnaires are widely regarded as effective tools for data collection in survey research This study aims to gather various types of mistakes made by students when using politeness markers such as Could, Would, May, and Might The questionnaires are organized based on the categories of mistakes, including structural, semantico-pragmatic, and phonological errors To facilitate this research, the questionnaires are structured with multiple choice questions, cloze tests (gap filling), Discourse Completion Tasks (DCT), and sentence-building exercises based on provided words.
Analyzing various questionnaire formats allows for a comprehensive understanding of the common mistakes made by students By identifying these specific errors, effective solutions can be developed to address the underlying issues.
Interviews serve as a valuable data collection tool in survey research, similar to questionnaires The primary aim of the interviews in this study is to pinpoint the pronunciation errors made by students with the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might, focusing on both their strong and weak forms.
The interviews utilize both structured and unstructured response formats to gather insights Structured response formats, such as gap-filling exercises, multiple-choice questions, and checklists, are designed for quick identification of common mistakes In contrast, unstructured response interviews aim to assess students' understanding of modal verbs like Could, Would, May, and Might, as well as the challenges they face in mastering their usage.
Observing two classes at different times has provided crucial evidence for my research thesis, highlighting the significance of this activity in my study process.
On March 4, 2014, I attended Mrs Thuy's class at Ninh Giang High School, where the focus was on teaching modal verbs, specifically "would" for making offers Initially, the students listened attentively to the teacher's explanations During the second part of the lesson, students engaged with handouts that required them to complete exercises and speak out loud Most students actively participated and successfully answered the questions, demonstrating their understanding of the material.
• Mr Thanh‟s class (at Ninh Giang high school, date of observing: March 24,
In 2014, he introduced an effective exercise for his students after they grasped the concept of Modals of Polite Request The activity involved selecting the best answers and providing explanations, enhancing their understanding of the topic.
To fulfill the purpose of finding out teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes toward Could,
The survey questionnaire was clearly presented in tables and figures for each task, allowing for a thorough analysis and interpretation of the data This approach facilitated more effective discussions of the findings and provided reliable assessments and suggestions for future studies.
In general, the research has undergone 3 phases as follows:
- Phase 1: I spent the first 2 weeks to prepare for my research, from choosing the sources to determining the goals that I would like to achieve
During Phase 2, all survey questionnaires and interviews were meticulously crafted and administered to students and teachers at Ninh Giang High School The collected data was subsequently analyzed over a period of approximately three weeks.
- Phase 3: the rest of the time I concentrate on writing the first draft, review it and then complete the whole version of the paper.
Summary
Chapter 2 has provided some information on the employed research method, the data collection instruments which consists of data analysis, questionnaires, interviews, observation; procedure of the study and data analysis techniques as well The results obtainable via the methods will be presented in the next chapter
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings & Discussion on linguistic features of Could, Would May, Might
3.1.1 Structural features of Could , Would , May , Might
The structure of a modal verb is simple: there is never a conjugation or a non-finite form and they can take the negation directly
Modal verbs play a crucial role in English grammar, as they always precede the main verb in a verb phrase Unlike regular verbs, modal verbs do not indicate number There are six essential combinations of verb phrases in English that involve modal verbs: modal verb + simple form, modal verb + have + past participle, modal verb + be + present participle, modal verb + have + been + past participle, modal verb + be + past participle, and modal verb + have + been + present participle.
(Source: http://sdhanel.com/grammar/modalverbtesl.html)
* You might try the cheesecake
* You might have tried the cheese cake
From the 2 above examples, we have seen the position of modal verbs in a sentence:
Subject + Could/ Would/ May/ Might + infinitive
* You might try the cheesecake
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that enhance the meaning of main verbs, and they are followed by the infinitive form without "to." For example, we say, "You might take photographs," rather than "You might to take photographs."
(ii) Modals do not change in the third person singular form (he/she/it) in the present simple, or no “-ing” and “-ed” forms
E.g Mary may leave now (not: Mary mays …)
(iii) Modals are not used with the auxiliary verb “do” to form the negative, we add
“not” after the modal To ask questions, we put the modals in front of the subject E.g Hey, you couldn’t pass me that plate, could you?
Modals primarily express stance, such as possibility or obligation, beyond their temporal meanings Notably, past-time modals can be employed hypothetically to indicate present or future scenarios, serving as a potent linguistic tool for conveying politeness.
* Could you pass me the cheese?
* Would you (be so kind as to) do this?
The two sentences above show the politeness Could and Would are the two modal verbs, employed to convey In other words, they are auxiliaries as politeness markers
* Could you pass me the cheese? means "Please pass me the cheese”
* Would you (be so kind as to) do this? means "Please do this”
English modal auxiliaries include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would Each of these modals can be negated in two ways: grammatically, such as "will not," or morphologically, using contractions like "won't," "wouldn't," "mustn't," "can't," "couldn't," "mayn't" (rare), "mightn't," "shan't" (marked), and "shouldn't."
3.1.2 Semantico-pragmatic features of Could , Would , May , Might
3.1.2.1 Common features shared by Could , Would , May , Might
(i) These auxiliaries express modality, both epistemic and deontic
Eg: He might be there
Auxiliary verbs serve as politeness markers and are effective linguistic tools for performing face-saving acts They function as mitigating devices, helping to soften statements and maintain social harmony in communication.
Eg: Would you send me your document?
(iii) Pragmatically, they all can act the tag component in tag questions
Eg: Never mind, would you?
3.1.2.2 Specific features of Could , Would , May , Might
Listed below are the modal meanings contained in these four auxiliaries:
The modal verb "could" shares meanings with "can," but conveys a more polite tone and serves as the past tense of "can." It is often used to indicate past abilities, such as in the sentence, "When he was five, he could already read."
The phrase "to be allowed to" conveys permission, while "could" serves as a more polite form of requesting permission compared to "can," as seen in the example, "Could I please say something?" Additionally, "could" indicates possibility, similar to "can," as illustrated by the statement, "Heavy drinking could cause liver cancer."
The term "would" is primarily used to discuss past events, future scenarios in the past, and to express conditional situations It also serves various other purposes, such as conveying desire, making polite requests, and expressing opinions, hopes, wishes, or regrets When asking someone to do something, "would" is considered more polite than "could." For instance, phrases like "Would you do me a favor?" and "Would you get me some bread, please?" exemplify its courteous nature compared to the less formal "Could you do me a favor?"
22 polite)= could you get me some bread, please? =(polite) would you open the window? = could you open the windows? “Would” in polite requests and questions
* Would you open the door, please? (more polite than: Open the door, please.)
* Would you go with me? (more polite than: Will you go with me?)
* Would you know the answer? (more polite than: Do you know the answer?)
* What would the capital of Nigeria be? (more polite than: What is the capital of Nigeria?)
The modal verb "may" conveys two primary meanings: permission and possibility When used to express permission, as in "May I please have seconds?" it is considered more polite and grammatically correct than "can." Additionally, "may" indicates possibility or probability, similar to "can" and "could," as in "Heavy drinking may cause liver cancer." This usage signifies that while something is possible, it is not guaranteed.
The terms "might" and "may" are similar in meaning, with "might" serving as a more polite form of expression For instance, one might ask, "Might I have seconds?" to request permission Additionally, "might" indicates a weaker possibility, as seen in the statement, "Heavy drinking might cause liver cancer, but we really are not sure."
3.1.3.1 General phonological features of Could , Would , May , Might
+ All words (Could, Would, May and Might) have weak forms and strong forms By
“strong form” we mean the fact that the words are strong uttered By “weak form” we mean that the words are uttered with little force
+ They are not inflected for tense and number
23 e.g Simon might swim not Simon mights swim
3.1.3.1 Specific phonological features of Could , Would , May , Might
* Strong and Weak forms of “Would”
Example: I would like some fish and chips
+ Strong forms /aɪ wʊd laɪk sʌm fɪʃ ổnd tʃɪps/ This version sounds unnatural and more difficult to understand for a native speaker
The auxiliary verb "would" has two weak forms, pronounced as /wəd/ and /d/ In spoken English, we can use these weaker forms, such as in the phrase "I would like some fish and chips," which can also be articulated as "I'd like some fish and chips." Understanding these variations enhances comprehension and fluency in everyday conversation.
* Strong and Weak forms of “Could”
The auxiliary verb “Could”, as the verb can, is used in its strong form when it occurs at the end of the sentence
Strong form /kʊd/ – (Example: Everybody could Or so he could)
Weak form /kəd/ – (Example: He could wait Or Could you spell your name for me, please?)
* Strong and Weak forms of “May”
“May”: /mei/ - uttered with strong force → strong form
- uttered with little force as compared to the strong form → weak form + Future Expectation (Possible) (Weak form): He may play
+ Probability of Present event (Weak form): He may be playing (now)
+ It's a possibility (Strong form): It may not be true
* Strong and Weak forms of “Might”
“Might”: /mait/ - uttered with strong force → strong form
- uttered with little force as compared to the strong form → weak form + Future Expectation: Weak form: (Possible) He might play
+ Probability of Present event: Weak form: He might be playing (now)
+ When talking about either future or current states (Strong form):
- Present: Ask John, he might know the answer
- Future: Ask him tomorrow, he might know then
+ It's a possibility (Strong form): I said she might consider a new haircut.
Findings & Discussion on types of mistakes commonly committed by
3.2.1 Types of mistakes related to structural organization of the sentence
Many students grasped their tasks involving the modals Could, Would, May, and Might; however, they struggled with the correct formation of modal auxiliary verbs Some students may have forgotten the rules, while others recalled them inaccurately Additionally, they faced challenges in deciding whether to use a modal auxiliary verb or a main verb, constructing modal sentences, and completing transformations correctly.
→ He may driving a car Or He may to drive a car
- She (would not) do that
→ She not would do that
- Could you _ me the way to the post office, please? →
Could you telling me the way to the post office, please?
3.2.2 Types of mistakes related to semantico-pragmatic usage
Understanding the appropriate use of modal verbs can be challenging, especially when the context of sentences or paragraphs is unclear For instance, confusion often arises when determining which modal verb fits best in a given sentence.
- Students do not master the rules and context of Could, Would, May, Might so it can lead to wrong translations
Eg: - Would you please send me the document by email? → Bạn cần phải gửi tài liệu cho mình qua email?
3.2.3 Types of mistakes related to phonological features
Many students tend to use strong forms of modal verbs such as Could, Would, May, and Might However, a common issue arises with their pronunciation; for instance, when asked to pronounce "could," many incorrectly say "/kut/" or "/ku…s/" instead of the correct forms "/kʊd/" or "/kəd/."
Based on the students‟ and teachers‟ feedback in the interview questions and class observation, I have got some results hereafter presented:
Teachers prepare and select all textbooks and lesson plans from online sources and printed newspapers, while students are now tasked with independently researching and preparing presentations on technical topics Respondents unanimously express that they have not been given the opportunity to attend workshops or meetings with technical teachers for practical consultation and experience This feedback prompts concerns for both the department and school management regarding the current teaching methods in place.
Understanding the modal verbs "could," "would," "may," and "might" is essential for effective communication in English Teachers often focus on lesson content, student proficiency, and specific grammatical concepts, yet they frequently struggle to find effective methods to optimize learning outcomes Implementing engaging exercises can enhance students' grasp of these modals, leading to improved language skills.
Findings & Discussion on the possible pedagogical implications for
* Solutions to the types of mistakes committed by elementary level students at Ninh Giang High School
3.3.1 Solutions to mistakes related to structural organization of the sentence
English language learners frequently find the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might perplexing, particularly as politeness markers, due to their distinct usage compared to other verbs and the diverse contexts in which they appear To effectively teach these concepts, educators can employ various methods tailored to clarify their meanings and applications for students.
To effectively teach vocabulary, introduce a limited number of words at a time and ensure students complete several practice activities before adding more terms Additionally, consider structuring lessons around the practical uses of these words, such as modal verbs like "Could," "Would," and "May."
Incorporate politeness markers on the board throughout the chapter, but selectively utilize those relevant to giving advice in one lesson and those suited for expressing politeness in another This approach ensures clarity and effectiveness in communication while maintaining an appropriate tone for each context.
In this article, we explore the politeness markers Could, Would, May, and Might, which are essential for effective communication Depending on your class level, you can focus on the most relevant terms As visual aids may not be available, pronunciation practice can be conducted by pointing to the words on the board Additionally, it's important to introduce some general rules that apply to all these modal verbs to enhance understanding.
Could, Would, May, and Might serve as politeness markers in English and do not require an -s for the third person singular, making sentences like "He could ~" correct, while "He work" is not To form negative structures, simply add "not." These verbs always need another verb to complete their meaning, as they cannot function as main verbs and only exist in the present tense Unlike regular verbs such as "swim," there are no past tense forms for Could, Would, May, and Might After practicing pronunciation, it's helpful to write the rules for these verbs on the board for easy reference.
In teaching students about modal verbs, focus initially on "Would," as it is the simplest to grasp Encourage them to practice using "Would" in various contexts Following this, introduce "Might," using examples like "Might I take these tests?" It's essential to gradually introduce these structures and incorporate numerous practice activities to reinforce understanding.
3.3.2 Solutions to mistakes related to semantico-pragmatic usage
The following techniques can be employed as solutions to the problems encountered by students in using Could, Would, May, Might
Employment of DCT (Discourse Completion Task)
Completion exercises involve students filling in parts of sentences or paragraphs, enhancing their understanding and engagement with the text These activities can also include gap-filling tasks similar to close reading exercises, encouraging critical thinking and comprehension skills.
E.g Exercise 1: Complete the following sentences using suitable word
2 …… you please email that document to me? I need it
3 ……… you mind buying two loaves of bread on your way home?
Teaching the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might requires students to understand their appropriate usage in various contexts To achieve this, it's essential to incorporate situational practice that ranges from simple to complex scenarios Additionally, these practice situations should closely mirror real-life experiences to enhance learning effectiveness.
E.g Ask polite questions in the following situations Use any appropriate word
1 You’re in office You’re cold The window is opened
2 You’re at a bar You want some more wine
Students can enhance their understanding of polite requests by practicing modal verbs such as Could, Would, May, and Might A popular activity involves inviting friends, where students circulate the classroom with pen and paper to gather information from peers After sufficient practice time, they share their findings with the entire class, reinforcing their learning experience.
However, there is no single method or technique used to teach a particular language point because the background of learners, situations, teaching and learning
Teachers must recognize that students have diverse learning conditions, which is essential for selecting the most effective methods, techniques, and exercises to enhance student learning.
3.3.3 Solutions to mistakes related to phonological features
Students often pronounce modal auxiliaries in their strong forms instead of the appropriate weak forms, leading to what is known as "overuse of strong forms." To address this issue, several effective solutions can be implemented.
To enhance students' understanding of strong and weak forms in English, it is essential to clarify the rules governing their usage Strong forms of the auxiliaries Could, Would, May, and Might are utilized at the beginning of Yes-No questions as structural operators and when immediately followed by the contracted negative "n’t" (e.g., wouldn’t, couldn’t) or the full negative forms (e.g., may not, might not) Conversely, the weak forms of these auxiliaries are employed in statements preceding the main verb during normal speech, where the modal meanings are not emphasized.
(ii) Giving plenty of practice to sample sentences that contain the strong forms and the weak forms in accordance with the rules mentioned above.
Summary
This chapter explores the key linguistic features of the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might as politeness markers, focusing on their structural, semantico-pragmatic, and phonological aspects It identifies common mistakes made by students at Ninh Giang High School in Hai Duong related to these features Additionally, the chapter provides potential solutions to the challenges faced by both teachers and students at the school.
Recapitulation
This thesis focuses on descriptive research to explore the major linguistic features of the modal verbs Could, Would, May, and Might as politeness markers It analyzes these features through key theoretical concepts, including politeness, Face Threatening Acts (FTA), Face-Focused Acts (FFA), Face-Saving Acts (FSA), and the role of politeness markers in communication.
The article discusses the pedagogical implications of various types of mistakes identified at Ninh Giang High School, highlighting potential solutions to address the challenges faced by both teachers and students.
Conclusions
2.1 Conclusions on objective (i) (“What are the linguistic features of Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers in English?”)
The four modal verbs are used with the bare infinitive and always occupy the first position in the verb phrase They do not take “-s” or “-es” in the third person singular and are considered invariable auxiliaries These modals do not require additional auxiliaries for forming short answers, negatives, or interrogatives Furthermore, they lack infinitive or “-ing” forms and do not inflect for tense or number.
The key semantico-pragmatic characteristic of verbs lies in their ability to convey specific modal meanings Phonologically, the four modal verbs exhibit both weak forms, which are pronounced with minimal emphasis, and strong forms, characterized by a more forceful pronunciation.
2.2 Conclusions on objective (ii) (“What are the types of mistakes commonly committed by learners of English in using Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers?”)
After analyzing questionnaires from 90 students at Ninh Giang High School, several key findings emerged, highlighting common types of mistakes frequently made by the students.
- Some students do not know how to use Could, Would, May, and Might in the verb phrase and in different sentence types (questions, statements,…)
- Some students do not grasp the meanings of Could, Would, May, and Might So they produce ill-formed sentences semantically They do not master the use of
Could, Would, May, and Might in situation, context So this can lead to wrong translations
Students often overuse strong forms of modal verbs such as "could," "would," "may," and "might," leading to common pronunciation errors This tendency to rely heavily on strong forms can hinder their language proficiency.
2.3 Conclusions on objective (iii) (“What are the possible pedagogical implications for the teaching of Could, Would, May, Might as politeness markers?”)
From the result of survey, the researcher can offer some solutions to the type of mistakes committed by students
(i) Solutions to mistakes related to structural organization of the sentence
* Forms and structures of “Could”, “Would”, “May”, “Might” through introduction, practice stage
(ii) Solutions to mistakes related to semantico-pragmatic usage
* Emloyment of DCT (Discourse Completion Task) exercise
(iii) Solutions to mistakes related to phonological features
* Increasing students‟ awareness of the rules for using strong forms and weak forms:
* Giving plenty of practice to sample sentences that contain the strong forms and the weak forms of Could, Would, May, Might in accordance with the rules mentioned above
- Remember by heart all the modal meanings of each of the auxiliaries (“Could”,
- Do the exercises exclusively designed for these auxiliaries Try to elicit the meanings that each of these auxiliaries conveys in these exercises
- Work out the differences in conotational meaning that the uses of these auxiliaries may entail in actual interpersonal communication
- Do translation exercises related to the uses of these auxiliaries as politeness markers
Eg: He may be right
→ what is the difference in expressing the speaker‟s attitude?
- Provide students with an overall picture of the meanings of these auxiliaries
- Administer exercises exclusively designed for the practice of these modal verbs.
Limitations of the current research
There have been some limitations that need to be taken into consideration
The researcher employed a questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of students at Ninh Giang High School in using politeness markers such as Could, Would, May, and Might The study focused on the participation of students in this evaluation.
32 questionnaires is only from two classes (60 students), which may not be sufficient for the researcher to have precise judgments
The researcher conducted the survey and questionnaires within a limited timeframe of 8 weeks, which may affect the accuracy of the results Additionally, the varying levels of students in the observed classes, despite efforts to select suitable groups, may have impacted the reliability of the data collected.
This study focused on Ninh Giang High School, indicating that the teaching methods discussed may not be applicable to other high schools due to variations in students' language proficiency and differing social factors.
Suggestions for future research
This thesis explores the linguistic features and pedagogical implications of the modals Could, Would, May, and Might It suggests that future research could focus on the modal meanings conveyed by these terms as politeness markers, highlighting their significance in communication.
This article presents a contrastive analysis of the modal systems in English and Vietnamese, focusing on how both languages express similar modal meanings such as possibility, politeness, permission, and obligation It examines the usage of modals like "could," "would," "may," and "might" as markers of politeness, highlighting the similarities and differences in their application within each language's context By exploring these modal expressions, the study aims to enhance understanding of cross-linguistic modal functions and their implications for effective communication.
* A study on linguistic means other than Could, Would, May, Might capable of expressing deontic modality in English
1 Abel Stevens, 1880, Madame de Stael, a study of her life and times: the first revolution and the first emprie American Edition
2 Bally, Charles, 1932, Linguistique gộnộrale et linguistique franỗaise, Paris,
3 Brown, P and Levison, S.C (1987), Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4 Dacia Dressen-Hammouda, 2013, Politeness strategies in the job application letter: Implications of Intercultural Rhetoric for designing writing feedback,
Université Blaise Pascal, published in ASp 64 (2013) pp139-159
5 Goffman ,1955, “On Facework”, Guilford Press
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7 Hoffman, Th R., 1993, Realms of Meaning, New York, Longman, pp 111-113
8 Kerbrat-Orecchioni, C 2011, Politesse, impolitesse, 'non-politesse, G Held and
U Helfrich (eds), 93-116 Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang
9 Lakoff, R 1990, Talking Power: The Politics of Language, New York: Basic
10 Madame de Stael Quotes, Madame de Stặl, a study of her life and times: the first revolution and the first empire (1880) by Abel Stevens; p 79
11 Muh Shohibussirri, An Analysis of Politeness Strategy in Putra Nababan’s Interview with Barack Obama Thesis Jakata English Letters Department,
Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, February 2011; pp 14-15
12 Palmer, F R., 2001, Mood and Modality, Cambridge, Cambridge
13 Ruxandra Boicu, 2007, Modal verbs and politeness strategies in political discourse, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies; p 2
14 Thomas, J.1995.Meaning in Interaction: an Introduction to Pragmatics, London and New York: Longman
Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_verb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_auxiliaries_and_contractions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_modal_verbs http://reallifeglobal.com/how-to-be-polite-in-english http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/facesavr.htm http://awelu.srv.lu.se/grammar-and-words/selective-mini-grammar/verb- phrases/primary-auxiliary-verbs/ http://sdhanel.com/grammar/modalverbtesl.html
1 Alemi, Minoo and Razzaghi, Sajedeh, 2012, Politeness markers in
English for business purposes textbook, International Journal of
Research Studies in Language Learning: 2013 October, Volume 2
2 Groefsema, M., C.J Fox and N Obeid, 1991 “Can, May, Must and
Should: A division of Labour”, in LAGB, Somerville College, Oxford
3 Halliday, M.A.K., 1994, An Introduction to Functional Grammar (Second
4 Leech, Geoffrey, N., 1983, Principles of Pragmatics, London and New York, Longman
5 Perkins, Michael, R., 1983, Modal Expressions in English, London,
6 Quang, Võ Đại (2005) Một số vấn đề cú pháp, ngữ nghĩa, ngữ dụng và âm vị học Nxb Văn hóa- Thông tin
7 Quang, Võ Đại (2009) Một số phương tiện biểu đạt nghĩa tình thái trong tiếng Anh và tiếng Việt Nxb Đại học Quốc Gia Hà Nội
UNPUBLISHED MA THESES RELATED TO THE
1 Nguyễn Minh Huệ, 2010 ULIS, A contrastive analysis of the the meanings expressed via the modal verbs can, may, must in English and equivalent expressions in Vietnamese, ULIS Doc
2 Lê Thu Thảo, 2008 ULIS, A study on politeness strategies manifested in advising in English and Vietnamese, ULIS Doc
3 Walton, A., 1988, The Pragmatics of English Modal Verbs, unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of London
Student‟s name (Tên): ……… Class (Lớp): ……
Sex (Giới tính): female (Nam) male (Nữ)
Period of studying English (Thời gian học tiếng Anh) : ………years (năm)
My name is Hai, an MA student in English Linguistics at Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies I am researching the role of common English auxiliaries as politeness markers, focusing on their linguistic features and potential pedagogical implications Your insights would be invaluable to my study, and I would greatly appreciate your thoughtful responses to the questions below Thank you for your cooperation.
(Các em học sinh thân mến,
Tôi là Hải, học viên Cao học chuyên ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh tại Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ Hiện tại, tôi đang thực hiện luận văn nghiên cứu về "Những trợ động từ thông dụng trong tiếng Anh như những chỉ tố lịch sự", tập trung vào các đặc điểm ngôn ngữ học nổi bật và ứng dụng sư phạm khả thi Rất mong bạn dành thời gian để trả lời các câu hỏi dưới đây Cảm ơn bạn rất nhiều!
(Designed for collecting mistakes related to structural organization of the sentence)
* Arrange the following words into the correct order (Sắp xếp những từ sau thành câu hoàn chỉnh)
1 you/ way/ the/ tell/ could/ please/ post office/ the/ to/ me?
4 botanical/ you/ might/ gardens/ during/ visit/ the
6 would / I/ inside/ you / if/ mind / smoke?
8 Barbara/ black/ us/ coffees/ could/ please/ you/ fix/ two?
9 for/ we/ just/ might/ moment/ interrupt/ a?
10 I/ had/ that / buy/ money/ now/ I/ enough/motorbike/ would/ if
11 feel/ yesterday/ very/ I/ well/ couldn‟t/ eat/ I/ anything/ didn‟t
12 I/ not/ might/ able/ to/ I‟m/ help/ be/ you/ but/ yet/ sure
13 you/ I/ take/ may/ a/ of/ photograph?
14 his/ be/ don‟t/ true/ but /I/ may/ believe/ excuse
15 I/ want/ could/ you/ I/ help/ don‟t/ but/ to
17 He/ window/ the/ couldn‟t/ broken/ classroom/ have
18 speak/ please/ softly/ would/ you/ more?
19 rather/ stay/ home/would/ you/ wouldn‟t/at/you?
20 when/ finished/ could/ me/ pick/ up/ you / I/ have/?
* Choose the best answer and write a, b, c, or d to the left of the sentence (Chọn câu trả lời đúng và viết chữ a, b, c, hoặc d về phía bên trái của câu)
Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh có những đặc điểm quan trọng Thứ nhất, chúng không có "TO" ở nguyên mẫu và cũng không có "TO" khi theo sau bởi động từ khác Thứ hai, một số động từ khuyết thiếu có "TO" ở nguyên mẫu nhưng không có "TO" khi có động từ theo sau Cuối cùng, cũng có động từ khuyết thiếu không có "TO" ở nguyên mẫu nhưng lại có "TO" khi theo sau bởi động từ khác.
Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh có những đặc điểm quan trọng: a Chúng có "s" ở ngôi thứ ba số ít trong thì hiện tại b Chúng không có "s" ở ngôi thứ ba số ít trong thì hiện tại c Chúng có "es" ở ngôi thứ ba số ít trong thì hiện tại.
Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh chỉ có một thì hiện tại, một thì quá khứ đơn, hoặc cả hai thì là hiện tại và quá khứ đơn.
( ) 24 Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh chỉ làm trợ động từ a Đúng b Sai
( ) 25 Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh đều có hình thức ……… với tất cả các ngôi a khác nhau b giống nhau c “ing”
( ) 26 Động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh trong câu hỏi dạng Yes/No question thường ……… a đứng ở cuối câu b đứng ở giữa câu c đứng ở đầu câu
( ) 27 Hình thành câu trả lời trong câu hỏi dạng Yes/No question bằng cách dùng lại chính động từ ấy a Đúng b Sai c Chưa xác định rõ
( ) 28 Hình thành thể phủ định của động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh bằng cách thêm a NOT sau động từ b NOT trước động từ c DON‟T sau động từ
Câu hỏi đuôi của động từ khuyết thiếu trong tiếng Anh có thể được hình thành bằng cách sử dụng chính động từ khuyết thiếu đó, trợ động từ khác hoặc trợ động từ TO BE.
Khi sử dụng cụm từ "would you mind", động từ theo sau cần phải ở dạng "V-ing" và không được ở dạng nguyên thể có "to".
( ) 31 Could là thì quá khứ đơn của Can a Đúng b Sai c Chưa xác định rõ
( ) 32 Trong từ sau đây, dạng viết tắt của would not dạng đúng là: a wouldn‟t b would‟t c would‟nt
( ) 33 Trong câu sau đây, theo em câu nào đúng? a It not might be you b It might not be you
VII c It might be not you
In the following sentence, which one do you think is correct? a Could you tell me the right time, please? b Could you tell to me the right time, please? c Could please tell me the right time, please?
In the following sentences, which one do you think is correct? a Would you please to call me at seven o'clock? b Would you ask him please to call me at seven o'clock? c Would you please ask him to call me at seven o'clock?
In the following sentence, which one do you think is correct? a Would you mind buying two loaves of bread on your way home? b Would you mind to buy two loaves of bread on your way home? c Would you mind buy two loaves of bread on your way home?
In the following sentences, identify which one is in the passive voice of a modal verb: a The problem could have been solved by her b The problem could been solved by her c The problem could been have solved by her.
( ) 38 “Would …… please bring me a glass of beer?” Em chọn từ nào? a you b I
( ) 39 “He …………been very happy if he had known about it.” Em chọn từ nào? a will b would c would have
( ) 40 “Would you be so kind as ……… ?” Em chọn từ nào? a doing this b to do this c have done this
(Designed for collecting mistakes related to semantico-pragmatic usage)
* Choose the suitable modal verb Identify your answer by circling the corresponding letter A, B, or C (Hãy chọn động từ tình thái thích hợp Khoanh tròn đáp án A, B, hoặc C)
1 I wish I ……… buy a new mobile phone but I don‟t have enough money
3 Judy is not at home She ………… have gone to Madrid, I don‟t know
4 ………… we go out tonight, please?
5 Jack ………… come to our wedding, but we aren‟t sure
7 Jane ………… not play the violin when she was five
8 ……… you water my plants while I am away?
9 I haven‟t decided yet where I will go in my next holidays I think I ……… go to Paris
10 Marco, …………you please erase the blackboard for me?
11 He ……… come if you asked him
12 You ……… be right but I'm going back to check anyway
13 You ……… leave now if you wish
14 Don‟t climb the wall without a rope because you ………… fall
15 Perhaps, he ………… not have heard He did not hang up the phone!
16 You ……… not do the job if you didn‟t speak Arabic fluently
17 It ………… have been Sam who called and didn‟t leave a message on the answering machine
18 Take an umbrella It ………….rain later
19 ………… I ask a question? Yes, of course
20 He asked if he ……… borrow the car
21 A: Where is James? He should already be here, shouldn't he?
B: Yes, he should but I don't know why he isn't here – he……….have missed the bus
22 A: I'm not sure if I passed the exam I don't feel very sure that I passed
B: I ………… not have passed the exam
23 A: They're coming this week but I don't know which day
24 I advised her not to go out late at night on her own, but she ……… not listen
25 I ……… be grateful if you could send me further information
* Choose the best answer and write a, b, c, or d to the left of the sentence (Chọn câu trả lời đúng và viết chữ a, b, c, hoặc d về phía bên trái của câu)
Chúng ta sử dụng động từ tình thái để diễn đạt khả năng, xin phép, cũng như đưa ra những gợi ý và yêu cầu.