SEMANTIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE USES OF MODAL AUXILIARIES AMONG 100 LEVEL STUDENT OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
The project focused on semantic analysis of the use of modal auxiliary verbs among 100 level students of Federal college of education, Abeokuta as a case study. Linguistic researchers like those of Palmer (1979), Lyons (1977) and Quirk et al (1972) have focused on various aspects of modal auxiliaries such as classifications, types and their functions.None, to the best of our knowledge has focused on the semantic implications of modal auxiliary verbs uses among Colleges of Education students. The researcher employed survey research design and test to elicit responses from fifty students in order to find out the way the students make use of modal auxiliary verbs such as: ‘Can’, ‘Could’, will, would, shall/should, may, might and must.The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage to prove the hypothesis formulated. The result of the findings was divided into two; the sectional performance and total performance. The sectional performance revealed that, the percentage of respondents who had good knowledge and use range from 50% to 100% this percentage reveals that most of the students know how to make appropriate use of modal auxiliary.The total performance of male respondents compared with their female counterparts revealed that the female respondents performed better than the male respondents.The study concluded that the students should be exposed more to the use of modal auxiliaries.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
This research sets out to shed light on the semantic implications of the uses of modal auxiliaries among Federal College of Education English Students.
Modal Auxiliaries include: Will/Would, Can/Could, Shall, should, must, may/might and ought to. The research aims purposely to pinpoint the mistakes that students make in using modal auxiliaries and to discover the proper methods that will help them to improve their performances.
1.1.1 Modal Auxiliaries
A modal is a verb that combines with another verb to indicate mood or tense. It is known as (Modal Auxiliaries). It express ability, necessity, probability, uncertainty or permission etc.Examples of Modal verbs are: can /could, may / might, shall, should, must, ought, will and would
