Section C:

Mood, Emotions
and Attitude

Prepared by:
Hannah Kate Gilera
 Volition

Permission
and Obligation
VOLITION

• An act of making decision

4 types of Volition

• willingness
• wish
• intention
• insistence
 Willingness
• can be expressed by the auxiliary will (or ‘ll <informal>):

A. Will you lend me those scissors for a minute or two?

B. OK, I will, but only if you promise to return them.
The porter will help if you ask him.

For past or hypothetical willingness, use would:

• Past time: We tried to warn them about the dangers, but no one would listen.
• Hypothetical: My boss is so greedy, he would do anything for money.

Won’t and wouldn’t express the negative of willingness, i.e, refusal:

My father’s rich, but he won’t give me money.

The guards just wouldn’t take any notice.
 Formal vs. Informal

• We will meet you later. • We’ll meet you later.

• We will be on time. • We’ll be on time.
• We will see you tomorrow. • We’ll see you tomorrow.
• We will try our best. • We’ll try our best.
 Wish

For neutral volition, want is less <formal>verb than wish:

• I want (you) to read this newspaper report.
• Do you want me to sign this letter?
• The manager wishes (me) to thank you for your cooperation.

For a hypothetical circumstance, use only wish:

• I wish you would listen to me.

The exclamatory construction if only … can also be used for hypothetical

meaning:

If only I could remember his name.

 When expressing your own wishes, or inviting the wishes of others,
you can make the wish more <tentative> and <tactful> by using
would like, would prefer or would rather:

• Would you like me to open these letters?

• I would prefer to stay in less expensive hotel.

shall and should:

• Shall I make you a cup of tea?

• Should we tell him that he’s not wanted?

Let and Let’s:

• Let’s listen to some music.

• Let everyone do what they can.
 Intention
The verbs intend, mean, plan and aim express intention:

• He intends/plans/aims to arrest them as they leave the building.

• That remarks was meant/intended to hurt her.

Insistence
• He insists on doing everything himself.
• We are determined to overcome the problem.

Insistence is occasionally expressed by will/shall with strong stress:

• He will try to mend it himself.
• I won’t give in!
 Permission: can, may and etc.
• Can we sit down in here?
• May I speak to you for a minute?
• Are we allowed to use the swimming pool?
• Is it all right if we smoke in here?
• They have allowed/permitted her to take the examination late.

Nowadays may is rarely used for permission: can is used instead.

• Past: could
The detainees could leave the camp only by permission of the governor.
• Hypothetical:
If you were a student, you could travel at half price.

You can also use hypothetical could (and rarely might) in <tactful> request for
permission:
Could we ask you what your opinion is?
I wonder if I could borrow your pen?
 Obligation or compulsion:
“must, have to, etc.”
e no te!
Tak
• You must be back by 2’oclock.
• You’ll have to be back by 2 o’clock.
must and have (got) both
• You have to sign your name here. express obligation, but some
English speakers feel a
• I’ve got to finish this essay by tomorrow . difference between them.

• The university requires all students to submit

their work by a date.
 Other ways of expressing obligation:
should, ought to, etc.
Should and ought to express an obligation which may not be fulfilled.
• All students should submit their work by a given date.
• I ought to phone my parents tonight.

Need to (internal obligation) caused by the state of the person

referred to:

• He needs to practice more if he is to improve his game of

golf.
• I really need to clear the place up.
 Prohibition (and negative advice)
Prohibition is the negation of permission (“he/she is not allowed to do something”).
Can and may (“permission”) and must (“obligation”)
can all have the meaning of ‘prohibition’ with a negative:

• Can the children play here?

• No, I’m afraid they can’t.

Children may not use the swimming pool unless they are
accompanied by an adult.
You must not tell anyone about this letter.

A weakened prohibition can be expressed by shouldn’t and had

better not:
• She shouldn’t be so impatient.
• We’d better not wake the children up.
 Thank you!
and
Good luck for the next
presenter…