Is knowing the constructions enough to understand modality patterns in English?: A response to ‘Taming English modals – how a construction grammar approach helps to understand modal verbs’ by Sergio Torres–Martínez, English Today , 138, 35(2), 50–57, 2019

Grammarians and teachers would admit that modality is one of the most difficult areas to deal with in English grammar, and it is particularly difficult for learners of English to master this area of grammar. Modality can be achieved by different means (see, for example, Huddleston & Pullum, 2002; Lyons, 1977; Quirk et al., 1985). The following examples illustrate modality by the use of words of various categories: (1) Maybe you are right. (2) You may be right. (3) I think you are right. (4) I am certain you are right.