Modality: other modal words and expressions

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 it possible to ring us back when my husband is home? (or Can/could you (possibly) ring us back when my husband is home?)

I’m thinking of possibly buying a house now. (I might buy a house.)

[talking about a computer]

A:
It’s a good machine.

B:
Yeah. Itcertainlyis. (I agree completely.)

Necessarily is often used with not.

Erm I met Gary in Wales when I was at university there and we ideally wanted to stay in Wales. Not necessarily in South Wales. (not obligatory – it can be South Wales or in another part of Wales)

Other modal expressions

Spoken English:

These expressions are also very common in informal speaking: for certain, for sure, for definite:

It’s nice to get something for free, that’s for sure.

A:
When’s the wedding going to be? April?

B:
April the seventeenthfor definite.

We often use for certain for sure/for definite with know:

We think Graham is coming. We don’t know for certain. (or for sure/for definite)

Certainly and surely

Warning:

Certainly and surely do not have the same meaning. We use certainly when we have no doubt about something. We use surely when we want agreement:

The car is certainly more comfortable than the bike. (I have no doubt about it.)

The car is surely more 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 with be

Some expressions with be have 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