Analysis of a Grammatical Category in English—Modal Verbs

Abstract

This article aims at introducing the modal verbs, analysing the difficulties in teaching and providing instructional implications for teaching modals from three aspects, namely, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. In particular, this article uses can to demonstrate the problems in teaching. Importantly, the instructional implications for grammar teaching are presented which orgranised around the concept of form, meaning, and function. It is suggested that teaching modals could balance students’ ability of identifying the meaning and function of modals appropriately and using them properly.