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3. Modal words and expressions: general characteristics

The class of words called "modal words" or "modals"
includes the unchangeable words which reveal the attitude of the
speaker towards the idea he/she is expressing. These words usually
perform the function of parenthetic part of the sentence (вставний
член речення). According to their meaning they express
assumption, suggestion or subjective evaluation of the utterance
content as desirable or non-desirable, e.g.: certainly, of course —
звичайно; no doubt — безперечно; surely — безсумнівно;
perhaps, maybe — можливо; probably — напевно; happily — на
щастя; unhappily — на нещастя and others.
As a part of speech English and Ukrainian modals are
characterized by the following features:
1) their lexico-grammatical meaning of "modality";
2) their negative combinability;
3) their syntactic functions of parenthetical elements and
sentence-words.
"Modality" as a linguistic term denotes the relation of the
contents of speech to reality as viewed by the speaker. When
describing the meaning of "modality" in reference to the small
group of modal verbs we are in fact dealing with "lexical
modality". Modality of the indicative, conditional and imperative
moods is "grammatical modality". Now we are dealing with the
meaning of "modality" uniting a part of speech. This is "lexico-
grammatical modality".
Modal words indicate whether the speaker is sure that the
contents of his\her utterance corresponds to reality, or he\she
doubts it, or he\ she regards it as something possible, probable,
desirable, etc. Accordingly, modal words can be divided into
several groups. Thus, English modal words include words
denoting:
1) various shades of certainty: certainly, surely, of course,
no doubt, undoubtedly, indeed, etc.;

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