对情态和英语情态动词意义的新思考——个案研究以may为例

摘要

情态的研究由来已久,然而语言学界对这一概念的界定还未达成共识,出于为英语教学实践服务的目的,我们对情态的意义、形式分类尝试性地进行了探讨,并以＂may＂为例,进行了详细的情态意义分析,以帮助学习者提高对情态系统以及情态词语复杂意义的认识。%The research on modality has been done for far too long,but linguists haven＇t reached an agreement on the definition of it.On the purpose of serving English teaching,this paper explores the notions,forms and classification of modality.Based on the theoretical frame,the authors analyses the meanings of the modal auxiliary ＂may＂ in this paper,aiming at raising English learners＇ awareness of the whole modal system and the complex meanings of English modal auxiliaries.