VALEUR
du modal (la modalité) |
MODAUX
(et équivalents) |
Contexte
présent |
Contexte
passé |
|
CAPACITE
/ APTITUDE |
Can – Could
(be able to)
|
She can play tennis.
(Elle sait jouer au Tennis.)
|
He could play for hours.
(Il pouvait jouer pendant des heures.) |
PERMISSION |
Can
(poli)
May (très
poli)
|
You can sit down.
(Tu peux t'asseoir.)
You may go.
(Vous pouvez partitr.) |
She said I could sit down.
She said I might go.
|
INTERDICTION |
Mustn't
Can't
Shan’t
|
You mustn't do that.
(Tu ne dois pas faire cela.)
You can't smoke in the bus.
(Vous ne pouvez pas fumer dans le car.)
|
I was told I mustn't do that.
We were told we couldn't smoke in the bus..
|
REQUÊTES |
Can –
Will
(poli) |
Can / will you open the windows?
(Peux-tu ouvrir les fenêtres?)
|
She asked me if I could / would open the windows. |
Could –
Would
(plus poli) |
Could I have your pen?
(Pourrais-je avoir votre stylo?) |
She asked me if she could have my pen. |
May
(très poli) |
May I have your pen?
(Puis-je avoir votre stylo?) |
She asked me if she might have my pen. |
OFFRES
ET INVITATIONS |
Can –
Shall – Will
(poli) |
Will you marry me?
(Veux-tu m’épouser?)
|
He asked me if I would marry him.
|
Would –
Could
(très poli) |
Could you correct my exercise? (Pourriez-vous
corriger mon exercice?) |
I asked him if he could correct my exercise. |
OBLIGATION
/ ABSENCE D’OBLIGATION
|
Must - Mustn’t
(Venant du locuteur) |
You must be back early.
(Tu dois rentrer tôt.)
|
I was told I must be back early. |
Must
(A la première personne: obligation librement consentie) |
I must go to the Wilson’s.
(Je dois aller chez les Wilson)
|
I told them I had to go to the Wilson’s.
|
Have to
(Imposé
au locuteur) |
I have to go to the dentist.
(Je dois aller / il faut que j’aille chez le dentiste.)
|
Yesterday, I had to go to the dentist.
|
CONSEIL |
Should –
Shouldn’t
Ought to – Had better
|
You should look for a job.
(Tu devrais chercher un boulot.)
|
I was told I should look for a job.
|
CONDITION |
Could |
She could do it if someone helped her.
(Elle l'aurait fait si quelqu'un l'avait aidée.) |
She could have done it if someone had helped
her. |
|
VOLONTE
|
Will
|
She won't do it.
(Elle ne veut pas le faire.) |
I would help you if I had time.
(Je t'aiderais si j'avais le
temps.) |
|
SOUHAITS
|
May – Would
like |
I would like him to behave
normally.
(J'aimerais qu'il se comporte normalement) |
I would have liked him to behave
normally. |
SUGGESTIONS |
Could - May
- Might - Shall |
You could tell her not to be anxious.
(Tu pourrais lui dire de ne pas s’inquiéter.)
|
(Au
passé, ces modaux expriment le reproche) |
NÉCESSITÉ
/ ABSENCE DE NÉCESSITÉ |
Need –
Needn’t
(not have to)
|
You needn't go there.
(Il n’est pas nécessaire que tu y ailles.)
|
REPROCHE
/
REGRET
|
Could –
Should – Might – Needn't
+ infinitif passé |
Regret: I could have had a better mark.
(J’aurais pu avoir une meilleure note.)
Reproche: You shouldn’t have eaten
so fast!
(Tu n’aurais pas dû manger si vite !)
|
|
