INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 365
MODAL PREDICATIVE STRUCTURES IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK:
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
Aziza Normatova
JDPU, Theory of English and teacher of the Practice Department
Abstract
.This article analyzes the lexical and grammatical means of expressing modal
predicative structures in English and Uzbek, their syntactic features, and the similarities and
differences in their semantic approach. The forms in which modal meanings (obligation,
possibility, permission, desire) are expressed in both languages are illustrated with examples.
It is also shown that structures expressed through predicative units in Uzbek are often
expressed through modal verbs in English. The results of this study have practical
significance for teachers of English who teach in Uzbek, as well as for translators.
Keywords:
modal predicative structure, modal verb, predicative unit, obligation, possibility,
syntax, English language, Uzbek language
Introduction
.This article is aimed at a linguistic comparison of modal predicative
constructions in English and Uzbek. Modal predicatives express the subject’s attitude toward
an action — whether the action is necessary, permitted, probable, or desired — which is
referred to as modality in linguistics. While both languages include modal meanings, the
grammatical methods used to express them have distinctive features.In English, modal
predicativity is mostly conveyed through modal verbs (e.g., must, can, may, might), which
form the predicative part of the sentence. In contrast, Uzbek expresses modality mainly
through predicative words (kerak, mumkin, lozim, ehtimol) or verb constructions. For
example, the English sentence “She must go” is translated into Uzbek as “U borishi kerak”,
where kerak functions as a modal predicative unit.This study focuses on how modal
meanings such as possibility, necessity, and probability are expressed in both language
systems. The comparative analysis reveals the morphosyntactic and semantic characteristics
of both languages, providing a theoretical and practical foundation useful for translation,
language teaching methodology, and bilingual linguistic analysis. Modal predicative
structures represent the grammatical and semantic mechanisms by which modality—such as
obligation, permission, possibility, and desire—is expressed within the predicative part of a
sentence. These structures indicate the speaker’s attitude toward the action or event described.
Modality refers to a linguistic category used to express the speaker’s judgment about the
factual status, necessity, or desirability of the proposition. It is typically classified into:
Deontic modality
(concerned with obligation and permission),
Epistemic modality
(related to knowledge and belief),
Dynamic modality
(involving ability or volition).
English primarily employs a
synthetic strategy
through modal auxiliary verbs to encode
modality. These verbs do not inflect for tense or subject and are immediately followed by the
base form of the main verb. The modal verbs serve as central components in the predicate
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 366
and convey nuances of modality without relying on additional lexical elements. Uzbek, in
contrast, relies on an
analytic strategy
, utilizing predicative modal words and nominalized
verb forms. These predicative elements function independently within the predicate and carry
modal meaning through a combination of morphological suffixes and lexical items. Uzbek
modality often depends on sentence structure and the position of modal predicates relative to
the nominalized verb form. While English uses modal auxiliaries in a fixed syntactic position,
Uzbek integrates modality through a two-part construction involving a nominalized verb and
a modal predicate. Additionally, negation, tense, and aspect are handled differently in each
language, which affects the interpretation of modality.Despite the grammatical differences,
English and Uzbek share a core set of modal meanings. The semantic functions—necessity,
possibility, permission, and desire—are present in both languages. However, the means of
expressing them differ significantly due to typological contrasts: English being more
syntactic and auxiliary-based, while Uzbek is morphologically rich and utilizes lexical-
predicative elements. Understanding these differences is essential in fields such as contrastive
grammar, language teaching, and translation. Failure to account for structural differences can
lead to misinterpretation or mistranslation of modality, especially in nuanced contexts like
legal, academic, or literary discourse. For language learners, recognizing how modal concepts
are encoded differently across languages enhances grammatical accuracy and communicative
competence. For translators and language instructors, awareness of these structures supports
more effective teaching strategies and faithful translation practices.
Concept of Modal Predicativity
Modal predicativity is a grammatical-syntactic unit expressing the subject’s attitude toward
an action or state. It includes the following modal meanings:
Obligation (must, have to / kerak, shart)
Permission (may, can / mumkin)
Possibility (might, may / bo‘lishi mumkin)
Desire (want to / xohlamoq)
Modal Predicative Structures in English
In English, modality is mainly expressed through modal verbs, such as:
Must – strong obligation: You must study.
Can / May – ability or permission: You can go now.
Might / Could – possibility: It might rain.
Have to / Be supposed to – obligation: They have to leave.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 367
These modal verbs are always followed by the infinitive form of the verb and are not
conjugated for tense or subject.
Modal Predicative Structures in Uzbek
In Uzbek, modality is mostly expressed through predicative word combinations, such as:
Kerak / Shart / Lozim – obligation: U borishi kerak (She must go).
Mumkin – possibility or permission: Siz kirishingiz mumkin (You may enter).
Xohladi / Istadi – desire: U ketishni xohladi (He wanted to leave).
These structures use the -ish (nominalized) form of the verb (e.g., borish, kelish).
Similarities Between the Two Languages
Both languages use specific means to express modality.
Modal meanings (obligation, permission, possibility, desire) are common in both.
Modal elements occur in the predicative part of the sentence.
Differences Between the Two Languages
Aspect
English
Uzbek
Modal Means Modal verbs (must, can) Predicative units (kerak, mumkin)
Verb Form
Infinitive after modal verb Verb in -ish form
Negation
mustn’t, can’t
kerak emas, mumkin emas
Syntax
Modal verb + infinitive
Verb + predicative unit
Conclusion
.Although modal predicative structures in English and Uzbek differ significantly
in grammatical form, they are semantically similar. For language learners, a clear
understanding of these structures is essential for accurate comprehension and translation.
English teachers and translators can make the teaching and translation process more effective
by taking these differences into account.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 368
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