Other modal words
Apart from modal verbs, there are a lot of words which also express modality. They are words which express degrees of certainty or obligation.
Expressing degrees of certainty
Adjectives:possible,probable,certain,sure,likely, unlikely, definite,clear,obvious
Adverbs:possibly,probably,certainly,surely,definitely,clearly,obviously
Expressing degrees of obligation
Adjectives:necessary,compulsory,obligatory,essential
Adverbs:necessarily,perhaps,maybe
[on the phone]
Is itpossibleto ring us back when my husband is home?(orCan/could you (possibly) ring us back when my husband is home?)
I’m thinking ofpossiblybuying a house now.(I might buy a house.)
[talking about a computer]
A:It’s a good machine.
B:Yeah. Itcertainlyis. (I agree completely.)
Necessarilyis often used withnot.
Erm I met Gary in Wales when I was at university there and we ideally wanted to stay in Wales.Not necessarilyin South Wales.(not obligatory – it can be South Wales or in another part of Wales)
Other modal expressions
These expressions are also very common in informal speaking:for certain, for sure, for definite:
It’s nice to get something for free, that’sfor sure.
A:When’s the wedding going to be? April?
B:April the seventeenthfor definite.
We often usefor certain for sure/for definitewithknow:
We think Graham is coming. We don’t knowfor certain.(orfor sure/for definite)
Certainly and surely
Certainlyandsurelydo not have the same meaning. We usecertainlywhen we have no doubt about something. We usesurelywhen we want agreement:
The car iscertainlymore comfortable than the bike.(I have no doubt about it.)
The car issurelymore comfortable than the bike.(I’m not certain but this seems likely.)
A:When I go to town now in Cardiff, I don’t know anybody.
B:But, Richard,surelyyou’ve still got lots of friends here. (The speaker is asking for agreement with something that seems likely.)
Modality: expressions withbe
Some expressions withbehave modal meanings:
be to | be certain to | be meant to |
be able to | be due to | be obliged to |
be about to | be forced to | be set to |
be allowed to | be going to | be supposed to |
be bound to | be likely to/that | be sure to |
See also:
Beexpressions (be able to,be due to)
Be to