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- English modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, and would) are defective in that they lack distinctive third-person singular and nonfinite forms.
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Updated on July 03, 2019. In English grammar, defective verb is a traditional term for a verb that doesn't exhibit all the typical forms of a conventional verb. English modal verbs ( can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, and would) are defective in that they lack distinctive third-person singular and nonfinite forms.
We use may to refer to weak possibility in the present and future: The economy may go up or down in the next year. (I think both are possible, the economy going up or the economy going down. I am not making either one a strong possibility.)
may. 'may' is the model of its conjugation. This defective modal helping verb exists only in the present and preterit tenses. It is followed by a main verb in the bare infinitive, or by [ have + past participle].
Aug 19, 2018 · 1 Answer. Sorted by: 4. There aren't many defective verbs in English, but it's difficult to say exactly how many there are because some words might or might not be defective, depending on how willing you are to accept weird-sounding forms.
- used to say that something is possible That may or may not be true. He may have (= perhaps he has) missed his plane. They may well win. There are numerous programs on the market that may be described as design aids.
- used when admitting that something is true before introducing another point, argument, etc. He may be a good father but he's a terrible husband.
- (formal) used to ask for or give permission May I come in? You may come in if you wish. Which Word?can / may. Can and cannot (or can’t) are the most common words used for asking for, giving, or refusing permission:Can I borrow your calculator?
- (formal) used as a polite way of making a comment, asking a question, etc. You look lovely, if I may say so. May I ask why you made that decision? If I may just add one thing…
Some verbs are becoming more defective as time goes on; for example, although might is etymologically the past tense of may, it is no longer generally used as such (for example, *he might not go to mean "he was forbidden to go").
Defective verbs in English are verbs which do not have all the usual verb forms. These verbs cannot be used in some of the ways that normal verbs can. Native English speakers do not normally learn about defective verbs. It is more common to study irregular verb forms (for example: eat, ate, eaten) and exceptions to the rules.
