Bělíková Zuzana The Modal Verb Could and its Equivalents in Translation

1.2.1
 
Modality of Could in Czech 
“Modální slovesa jako prostředek vyjadřování jistotní modality jsou v angličtině častější 
než v češtině a nadto v této funkci disponují zvláštními prostředky odkazování na minulost, 
které v češtině nemají strukturní obdobu.” (Dušková 1988, 186) 
[Modal verbs as a mean of expressing epistemic modality are used more frequently
in English than in Czech; moreover, in that function they have special means to refer
to the past that is not parallel in Czech.] 
8) You may remember it. 
 
Možná, že si na to pamatuješ. (Dušková 1988, 186) 
 
Dušková (1988, 186) explains that English modal verbs are often changed by modal 
adverbs or particles in Czech as in 8. 
The modal verb could with the past infinitive can express both deontic and epistemic 
modality. It depends on a context (Dušková 1988, 190). 
9) You’ve got nothing to reproach yourself with. You couldn’t have done more. (Dušková 
1988, 190) 
 
We speak about deontic modality in this example because we can paraphrase couldn’t have 
with you were not able to (Dušková 1988, 190). 

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Philosophical Faculty, Palacký University Olomouc 
14 
10) We looked everywhere. – You couldn’t have (done). 
 
(Dušková 1988, 190) 
 
This is an example of epistemic modality on the contrary because a speaker expresses 
his/her certainty about a situation (Dušková 1988, 190). 
1.3
 
Summary 
This chapter deals with the term modality. It is explained what modality is and what 
approaches how to study it exist. Several attitudes to modality are stated by different 
linguists there. We also learn about the kinds of modality. Deontic and epistemic modality 
are agreed with all linguists. Dynamic one is ambiguous but Huddleston and Pullum 
include it in their list of kinds of modality. Differences of all three kinds are mentioned and 
they are supported by several examples. The next part of this chapter looks into modality
in the Czech language. Dušková shows contrasts between Czech and English when 
speaking about expressing of modality. The last part pays attention to the modal verb could
in Czech. 

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Philosophical Faculty, Palacký University Olomouc 
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