8THE MODALS IN ENGLISH: A FLOATING SEMANTIC FEATURE ANALYSIS

might be either inherent or optionally assigned. Such a notion is further borne out by a study of the modals in English. Thus, for instance, W. Freeman Twaddell (1960:11) sees the difference between can and may as the differences between absolute, unrestricted modality (can--here [-contingency]) and contin-gent, inconclusive modality (may―here [+contingency]). Obviously, however, this distinction is neutralized if in fact the use of can and may are interchange-able in sentences requesting permission. 1 If this is true, then in Can I leave the room now? can is marked [+contingency] since it is equivalent in meaning to may in the similar sentence May I leave the room now? Joos (1968:179) calls attention to this phenomenon involving can and may in the following terms: The parent or teacher who meets ’Can I? ’ with ’No, you may not! ’ I seemingly has no theory about it at all: the child’s can was simply incorrect and may is the correct word and that’s that. The child knows better of course--he is by profession a learner of the com-munity language and simply can’t be fooled about such matters