Keep on Learning
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 447.
Do not assume you know it all just because you have been doing it for a couple of years. Writing copy that reads well and explains complicated arguments in a simple way is a real art and you can always get better at it.
As the news desk and sub-editors change your articles, ask them why they have made the changes so you can learn from them. “You will continue to grow as a writer over the years so always be prepared to listen,” said Sam Holliday, editor of the Bath Chronicle.
www.journoworld.co.uk/Newspaper_Journalism.html
For more detailed information about the linguistic peculiarities of news items read Text 2 in the section “Supplementary reading”.
| Grammar File Modal Verbs Revision |
As you may already know, modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verbs which express the mood of another verb or, to put it differently, the subjective attitudes and opinions of the speaker including possibility, obligation, probability, necessity, etc. The table below will provide you with some information in short about the meaning of these verbs and their use in the present / future as well as in the past tenses.
When you write news stories you also express some modality using a particular modal verb. Study the following table to refresh in your memory some knowledge about different modal verbs as well as their use and the tense form.
| USE | PRESENT / FUTURE | PAST |
| Ability | He canspeak Turkish. He's able towrite news stories in Turkish. | He could / was able tospeak Turkish. (repeated action – ability in the past) He was able towrite when he was four. (single action) |
| Possibility | He canstill be at work. (90% certain) She couldbe busy. (50% certain; it is possible she is busy.) Susan maybe writing an article. (50% certain, it's possible that she is writing.) You mightneed to come tomorrow. (40% certain, perhaps you need to come tomorrow) It is likely thatSue will give up working. Sue is likely togive up working. | We could havefailed a deadline. (luckily we didn't) John may haveconducted an interview with an actress. (perhaps he did it) Jane might havelost the editor-in-chief's telephone number. (perhaps she has lost it) It was likely thatshe had made a report. She was likely tohave made a report. |
| probability | They willbe in Spain tomorrow. (100% certain, prediction) We shouldsee him there. (90% certain, future only; it's probable) She ought tobe in Canada on a special assignment by now. (90% certain, she will probably be in Canada) | ---- He should have finished the report by now. (He has probably finished) They ought to havestarted the course in writing by now. (They have probably started the course.) |
| Logical assumptions | He must be exhausted. (90% certain-positive; I'm sure he's exhausted) She can't be serious. (negative; I'm sure she's not serious) They couldn'tbe on holiday. (negative; I don't think they are on holiday.) | He must havewon the award. (positive; I'm sure he has won the award.) She can't have rejectedtheassignment. (negative I'm sure she didn't) They couldn't havebeen colleagues. (negative; I don't think they were colleagues) |
| Permission | You can / can'ttakemy camera. (giving or refusing permission; informal) CouldI be excused? (more polite; asking for permission) You maybe excused. (formal; giving permission) Might I speak to the desk editor? (more formal; asking for permission) I'm afraid you can't / mustn'thave visitors. (informal, refusing permission) Guests may notsmoke in their rooms. (formal; refusing permission-written notice) | He wasn't allowed to / couldn'tboard the plane. He was allowed tosee the patient. (not:could) --- --- --- --- --- |
| Necessity | I mustwrite a news story for tomorrow. (I say so) She has tofind a new job. (necessity coming from outside the speaker) They've got to go to the interview. (informal) The camera needsrepairing (or The camera needs to berepaired. (it is necessary) She doesn't have to/ doesn't need to/ needn'tleave when they do. (it isn't necessary-absence of necessity) We ought toreply to the invitation. (It is necessary) | I had towrite a news story. (It was obliged to) She had to find a new job after she was dismissed from the newspaper. They had to go to the interview yesterday. The camera needed repairing (or The camera needed to berepaired. (It was necessary) She didn't have to/didn't need towork as hard as me. (It wasn't necessary for her to work as hard as me and she didn't – absence of necessity) She needn't havegot a taxi. (It wasn't necessary for her to get a taxi but she did). |
| Advice | You shouldtry to make more of an effort. (general advice; I advise you) You ought tokeep to the speed limit. (I advise you, most people believe this) You had betternot keep her waiting. (It's not a good idea; advice on a specific situation) ShallI apply for the job? (asking for advice) | You should havepaid more attention. (but you didn't) She ought to haveasked about the interview in advance. (but she didn't) It would have been better if you hadn't kept her waiting. (but you did) --- |
| Criticism | She could at least wait until 5 o'clock. They should warn us. You ought tobe more polite to her. | She couldat least havewaited until 5 o'clock. They should havewarned us. (but they didn't) You ought to have been more polite to her. (It was the right thing to do, but you didn't do it). |
| Obligation | I mustpractice more writing. (I need to; I say so) I have topractice more writing. (I'm obliged to; the doctor says so) We ought to give more money to charity. (It's the right thing to do, but we don't always do it). | I had to get more exercise because I was unfit. I had topractice more writing because I was unfit. We ought to havegiven more money to charity. (It was the right thing to do but we didn't do it.) |
| Requests | Can Iuse your phone? (informal) Could Iuse your phone? (polite) May Imake a phone call, please? (formal) Might Iborrow your pen? (very formal) Will yougive me a hand? (very friendly) Would you mindhelping me? (polite) | --- --- --- --- --- --- |
| Offers | Can I / wedo anything to help? (informal) Shall I / wehelp you tidy up? (informal) Would you like meto do it for you? | --- --- --- |
| Suggestions | Shall we stop for a snack? I / we canalways leave early. We couldeat out tonight if you want. | --- --- He could haveasked for advice. |
| Prohibition | You can'twear jeans at work. (you aren't allowed to) You mustn'twalk on the grass. (It's forbidden) You may nottalk during the test. (formal) | They couldn'twear jeans at work. (they weren't allowed to) --- --- |
| Duty | All members mustfollow the rules. People ought tolive in peace. (It's the right thing to do, but people don't always do it). | All members had tofollow the rules. She ought to havetreated us more fairly. (It was the right thing to do but she didn't do it) |
http://www.detailenglish.com/index.php?page=articles&op=readArticle&id=411&title=
Summary-of-Functions-of-Modal-Verbs
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