Реферат: Double modals as single lexical items in American English

In general, the DM combinations are strictly ordered.

e.g: may can , but not can may .

The exceptions to this are could might , can might . Typically,the first modal is may or might .

There is generally one sense (or sometimes two related senses) that is (are) preferred for each DM while other senses are generally rejected or treated indifferently. In the case of might could - “ability”. The “possibility” is ranked low, and the “permission” sense is somewhere in between.

Thus, Double Modals could be semantically described as follows:

Might could

“ability”: Noone could tell if he was dealing with them or not, but Bill

might could tell the case of his arrival.

“permission’: She is a very polite three-year-old.Yesterday she asked

If she might could write on the walls.

“possibility”: There might could be water in that old well.

Might should

“obligation”: They are just realized that they forgot to send an invitation

to John. “We might should ’ve invited John."

“obligation/suggestion”: You might should turn this to Ann.

“logical possibility”: Jim usually gets home at about 5:30, but it is 6:00

And he is not at home yet.He might should be

home by now.

Might oughta

“obligation”: We might oughta invite him to our party.

“obligation/suggestion”: You might not oughta call him.

“logical possibility”: It is four o’clock and Mary just put a pie in the

oven. The pie might oughta be done by five.

Might would

“hypothetical”: I might would havedone it if he would tell me to.

“prediction”: I asked him if he might would have it ready by one

o’clock.

“habitual”: John is recalling his childhood:”On Sundays we might

would visit our grandparents.