Abstract:
An important aspect of training students of a non-philological specialty is the formation
of foreign language communicative competence. Successful development of the latter is impossible
without the formation of all its basic components, one of which is grammatical competency
as knowledge of grammatical elements of language and the ability to use them in communication, on the
one hand, and connections and patterns established between grammatical phenomena and concepts they
express, on the other hand.
The article highlights eight tips for teachers as for the formation and improvement of grammatical
competency of students of non-philological specialties on the grammatical topic “Modal verbs”
in classes of the subject “Foreign language (English)”. The main focus is on the step-by-step
recommendations of teaching modal verbs as speech units expressing the speaker’s subjective attitude
to what he is saying.
The following tips are outlined: analysis of the theoretical and practical content of the basic
textbook, according to which the topic “Modal Verbs” is taught; establishing feedback through
the involvement of students in clarifying the essence of modality in general; introduction
of grammatical material through the definition of dominant modal verbs, semi-modal verbs and other
verbs denoting modality; illustration of the easiest way to study modal verbs; outlining the typical
mistakes that students often make while studying this topic (here the teacher also illustrates the key
features of modal verbs); comparison of means expressing modality in Ukrainian and English with
an emphasis on different shades of expression of duty or obligation; differentiation between modal verbs
of low and high modality; focusing on the triad – modal verb, tense and time reference.
