Thế Giới Chủ Quan và Khách Quan, Thế Giới Cảm Nhận và Thực Tại

Trần Đình Tâm (*)

A. Ngôn ngữ phản ánh thế giới chủ quan và khách quan.

Cụ thể là 12 thì động từ phản ánh thế giới thực tại khách quan, trong khi đó hệ thống động từ tình thái diễn tả cảm nhận chủ quan như tên gọi của chúng là TÌNH THÁI – tình cảm, the feeling and emotion, và thái độ, the attitude and mood. Thực tại thì chỉ có một trong khi cảm nhận thì phong phú như trong loạt câu ví dụ dưới đây:

Thực tại có một:

Phuong Anh cares for her family. It’s very responsible of her to do so.

Cảm nhận phong phú:

Phuong Anh should care for her family. She has neglected her duty for so long.

Phuong Anh must care for her family. I’m sure of that because she really loves them.

Phuong Anh may care for her family. I’m not sure about that. But it’s a possibility.

Phuong Anh can’t care for her family. I know for sure that she never helps them.

Phuong Anh will care for her family. If we remind her to do so, she will take better care of the family.

Phuong Anh would care for her family. If she knew her family really need her assistance, she would help them.

B. Ngôn ngữ khách quan phản ánh thế giới đúng như nó là thế. Ngôn ngữ chủ quan diễn tả thái độ cảm nhận rất khác nhau về thế giới hoặc biểu lộ ý chí muốn thế giới phải như thế nào đó.

1. Nhóm thái độ cảm nhận với các mức độ chắc chắn khác nhau.

90% sure >> MUST / CAN’T / COULDN’T

70% sure >> SHOULD

50% sure >> MAY / MIGHT/COULD

>> The earth must be the only planet with human beings.

>> My parents should be home by now.

2. Nhóm nhấn mạnh ý chí sự việc cần phải như thế mới được.

MUST (required by law, very important)

MUSTN’T (not permitted / a ban )

SHOULD (advisable, a good idea)

SHOULDN’T (not advisable, should be avoided)

CAN (recommendable)

COULD (good advice)

CANNOT (not permitted)

NEED TO (necessary)

NEEDN’T (no need)

OUGHT TO (a good thing to do)

OUGHT NOT TO (should avoid it)

HAD BETTER (NOT) (a bit of a warning)

HAVE TO (a necessity)

NOT HAVE TO (no obligation)

C. Ứng với 12 dạng động từ khách quan chỉ còn 4 dạng chủ quan.

Trong phần này, ta chọn động từ tình thái MAY và động từ hành động DO.

1. Nhóm hiện tại và tương lai đơn:

SIMPLE PRESENT / FUTURE

>> MAY DO

Ex. I think she cares for you now. She may care for you now.

Ex. I guess it will rain again soon. It may rain again in no time.

2. Nhóm hiện tại và tương lai tiếp diễn:

PRESENT / FUTURE CONTINUOUS

>> MAY BE DOING

Ex. I am sure she is sleeping now. She must be sleeping now.

Ex. I am sure she will be sleeping around 10 p.m. tonight. She must be sleeping at that time.

3. Nhóm quá khứ và hoàn thành:

SIMPLE PAST >> MAY HAVE DONE

PRESENT / FUTURE / PAST PERFECT

>> MAY HAVE DONE

Ex. It’s possible that Tom arrived home late last night. He might have arrived home late last night.

Ex. It’s possible that Tom has arrived home by now. He might have arrived home by now.

Ex. It’s possible that Tom will have arrived home by this time tomorrow. He might have arrived home by then.

Ex. It’s possible that Tom had arrived home by this time yesterday. He might have arrived home by then.

4. Nhóm quá khứ tiếp diễn và hoàn thành tiếp diễn:

PAST CONTINUOUS >> MAY HAVE BEEN DOING

PRESENT / FUTUTRE / PAST PER. CONTINUOUS

>> MAY HAVE BEEN DOING

Ex. I’m certain that he was pretending to be ill. He must have been pretending to be ill at the time.

Ex. I suppose he has been working hard all day today. He may have been working hard all day long.

Ex. I suppose he had been working hard all day yesterday. He may have been working hard all day yesterday.

Ex. I suppose we will have been waiting for hours before Tom turns up. We might have been waiting for hours before Tom turns up tomorrow.

D. COMMON EXPRESSIONS WITH MODALITY.

1. To sound more tentative and so more polite and respectful.

Để tỏ ra dè dặt, thăm dò và vì thế lịch sự, biết tôn trọng không áp đặt

Can >> Could you give me a hand?

Will >> Would you please keep quiet?

Do  >> Would you mind speaking a bit more clearly?

I suggest >> I would suggest letting students use their mobile during class time.

I recommend >> I would recommend that teachers make sure students should have the right attitude.

Used to >> In those days granny would tell us fairy tales as moral lessons. She would never fail to point out how we children should behave in similar situations. (WOULD  cho cảm nhận hoài niệm tình cảm hơn so với cách nói Used to.)

2. So much modality can be found in an argumentative essay where views are shown and     opinions put forward for and against a proposal.

Rất nhiều câu trong văn nghị luận có động từ tình thái khi đề đạt hay lập luận về hệ quả khả dĩ nhưng không chắc chắn.

Việc sử dụng đúng hợp động từ tình thái tạo nên một bài nghị luận thành công đắc nhân tâm.

>> Some people say ….; I would say …; I’d argue that …

>> Young people should be encouraged to …; This would lead to …; Doing so could make a change …

>> Nature can’t go wrong; it’s humans who must be to blame for what they have done.

>> Who would claim they could change the present situation? Those who possess self-respect wouldn’t  expect others to have the same views as them.

>> In conclusion, the world would be a better place to live in, where children grow up believing that they should respect Nature as Mother and ought to treat Her as Great Grandmother and doing whatever they could to preserve it and make it more wholesome over time.