the present modals with verb 'be' in turkish signed

THE PRESENT MODALS

with VERB "Be" in

TURKISH

YÜKSEL GÖKNEL

2013

The Present Modals with the Verb "Be" in Turkish

2

THE PRESENT MODALS WITH THE VERB “BE”

must be: (ol-ma.lı) (certainty) When “ol-ma.lı” is used after nouns, adjectives, adverbials or postpositional

phrases, it means “must be”:

Koca-am yorgun ol-ma.lı.

(ko*cam / yor*gun / ol*ma*lı ↷)

My husband must be tired. (I am sure he is tired.)

Bu araba pahalı ol-ma.lı.

(bu / a*ra*ba / pa*ha*lı / ol*ma*lı ↷)

This car must be expensive. (I am sure it is expensive.)

(Sen) yorgun ol-ma.lı-sın.

(yor*gun / ol*ma*lı*sın ↷)

You must be tired. (I am sure you are tired.)

(Biz) saat sekiz-de okul-da ol-ma.lı-/y/ız.

(sa*at / se*kiz*de / o*kul*da / ol*ma*lı*yız ↷)

We must be at school at eight. (obligation)

Zaman-ı/n/-da hazır ol-ma.lı-sın.

(za*ma:*nın*da / ha*zır / ol*malı*sın ↷)

You must be ready in time. (obligation) Onlar cahil ol-ma.lı.

(on*lar / ca:*hil / ol*ma*lı ↷)

They must be ignorant. (I am sure that they are ignorant.)

Şaka yap-ı.yor ol-ma.lı-sın.

(şa*ka / ya*pı*yor / ol*ma*lı*sın ↷)

You must be joking. (certainty)

Ben deli ol-ma.lı-/y/ım!

(ben / de*li / ol*ma*lı*yım ↷)

I must be crazy. I am certain that I am crazy. Onlar-a yardım et-me.li mi-/y/iz?

(on*la*ra / yar*dım / et*me*li / mi*yiz↷)

Must we help them? (advice)

Teklif-i kabul et-me.li mi-/y/iz?

(tek*li:*fi / ka*bu:l / et*me*li / mi-yiz?

Must we accept the proposal? (advice)


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As one can see, both the concepts of obligation and certainty can be ex-

pressed by using the same modal sentence structure. This proves that the

the mind chooses the most suitable and available sentence patterns in its

store to express one of these two different concepts in a sentence.

can’t be: (ol-a.maz) (impossibility)

To change the “ol-ma.lı” sentences into the negative form, (ben) “ol-a.maz-am”

(o*la*mam), (sen) “ol-a.maz-sın” (o*la*maz*sın), (o) "ol-a.maz” (o*la*maz), (biz) “ol-

a.ma-/y/ız” (o*la*ma*yız), (siz) “ol-a.maz-sın.ız” (o*la*maz*sı*nız), (onlar) “ol-a.maz-

(lar)” (o*la*maz*lar) words are separately used. The double underlined "z" in “ol-a-

maz-am” drops, and the remaining “a-a” vowels combine, and the single underlined

consonants detach from their syllables and attach to the first vowels of the following

allomorphs:

Kocam yorgun ol-a.maz.

(ko*cam / yor*gun / o*la*maz ↷)

My husband can’t be tired. (impossibility)

Çocuk-lar bahçe-de ol-ma.lı.

(ço*cuk*lar / bah*çe*de / ol*ma*lı ↷)

The children must be in the garden. (I am sure they are.) Çocuk-lar bahçe-de ol-a.maz.

(ço*cuk*lar / bah*çe*de / o*la*maz ↷)

The children can’t be in the garden. (impossibility) Film ilğinç ol-ma.lı.

(film / il*ginç / ol*ma*lı ↷)

The film must be interesting. (certainty) O film ilginç ol-a.maz.

(o / film / il*ginç / o*la*maz ↷)

That film can’t be interesting. (impossibility)

Ben tembel ol-a.maz-am.

(ben / tem*bel / o*la*mam ↷)

I can’t be lazy. (impossibility)

Biz o saat-te okul-da ol-a.maz mı-/y/ız?

(biz / o /sa*at*te / o*kul*da / o*la*maz / mı-/y/ız ↷)

Can’t we be at school at that hour. (Is it impossible?)

Onlar haklı ol-a.maz mı?

(on*lar / hak*lı / o*la*maz*(lar) ↷)

Can’t they be right. (Is it impossible?)


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(Sen) saat dokuz-da büro-da ol-a.maz mı-sın?

(sen / sa*at / do*kuz*da / bü*ro*da / o*la*maz / mı*sın ↷)

Can't you be at the office at nine? (Isn't it possible?)

O bir geri zekâ-lı ol-a.maz.

( o / bir / ge*ri / ze*kâ:*lı / o*la*maz ↷)

She can’t be a fool.

may be: ol-a.bil-ir (o*la*bi*lir) (possibility)

When “ol-a.bil-ir” (o*la*bi*lir) is used after a noun, an adjective, or a noun-

[DE] adverbial, it means “may be”. The [ir] allomorph conveys the present

concept, which has no allomorphs as a result of the [e.bil, a.bil] allomorphs

preceding it. The [e.bil] allomorph can also be used with the verb “et”:

Çocuk-lar bahçe-de ol-a.bil-ir.

(ço*cuk*lar / bah*çe*de / o*la*bi*lir ↷)

The children may be in the garden. (possibility)

Bu çiçek demet-i siz-in için ol-a.bil-ir mi?

(bu / çi*çek / de*me*ti~ /si*zin / i*çin / o*la*bi*lir↝ / mi ↷)

Can this bunch of flowers be for you. (Is it possible?)

Konser ilginç ol-a.bil-ir.

(kon*ser / il*ginç / o*la*bi*lir ↷)

The concert may be interesting. (possibility)

Kedi, kapı-/n/ın arka-/s/ı/n/-da ol-a.bil-ir.

(ke*di / ka*pı*nın / ar*ka*sın*da / o*la*bi*lir ↷)

The cat may be behind the door. (possibility)

Uçak bulut-lar-ın üzeri/n/-de ol-a.bil-ir.

(u*çak / bu*lut*la*rın / ü*ze*rin*de / o*la*bi*lir ↷)

The plane may be above the clouds. (possibility)

(Ben) mutsuz ol-a.bil-ir-im.

(mut*suz / o*la*bi*li*rim ↷)

I may be unhappy. (possibility)

Sen inatçı ol-a.bil-ir-sin.

(sen / i*nat*çı / o*la*bi*lir*sin ↷)

You may be obstinate. (possibility)


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Biz yanıl-mış ol-a.maz mı-/y/ız?

(biz / ya*nıl*mış / o*la↝*maz / mı-yız ↷)

Can't we be mistaken? (Isn't it possible?)

Saat dokuz-da büro-da ol-a.bil-ir mi-sin?

(sa*at / do*kuz*da / bü*ro*da / o*la*bi*lir ↝ / mi*sin ↷)

Can you be at the office at 9? (Is it possible for you?)

Saat on-da bana telefon et-e.bil-ir mi-sin?

(sa*at / on*da / ba*na / te*le*fon / e*de*bi*lir ↝/ mi*sin ↷)

Can you ring me up at 10? (request)

Bu mektup-u şimdi daktilo et-e.bil-ir mi-sin-iz?

(bu / mek*tu:*bu / şim*di / dak*ti*lo / e*de*bi*lir↝ / mi*si*niz ↷)

Can you type this letter now? (request)

may not be: ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir (ol*ma*ya*bi*lir);

To put the above sentences into the negative possibility form, (ben) “ol-ma-

/y/a.bil-ir-im” (ol*ma*ya*bi*li*rim), (sen) “ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-sin” (ol*ma*ya*bi*-

lir*sin), (o) “ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir” (ol*ma*ya*bi*lir), (biz) “ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-iz” (ol*-

ma*ya*bi*li*riz), (siz) “ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-sin.iz” (ol*ma*ya*bi*lir*si*niz), (onlar)

“ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-ler ”(ol*ma*ya*bi*lir*ler), and "et-me-/y/e.bil-ir-ler" (et*me*-

ye*bi*lir*ler) words are separately used:

Sen haklı ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-sin.

(sen / hak*lı / ol*ma*ya*bi*lir*sin↷)

You may not be right. (negative possibility)

Sen haklı ol-a.maz-sın.

(sen / hak*lı / o*la*maz*sın ↷)

You can’t be right. (impossibility)

Yarın hava iyi ol-a.bil-ir mi?

(ya*rın / ha*va / i*yi / o*la*bi*lir↝ / mi ↷)

Is it likely to be fine tomorrow?

Yarın hava iyi ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir.

(ya*rın / ha*va / i*yi / ol*ma*ya*bi*lir ↷)

It may not be fine tomorrow. (negative possibility)

Biz yarın İstanbul’-da ol-ma-/y/a.bil-ir-iz.

(biz / ya*rın / is*tan*bul*da / ol*ma*ya*bi*li*riz ↷)

We may not be in İstanbul tomorrow. (negative possibility)


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Onlar biz-e yardım et-me-/y/e.bil-ir-ler.

(on*lar / bi*ze / yar*dım / et*me*ye*bi*lir*ler ↷)

They may not help us.

This document is a part of my book titled "TURKISH GRAMMAR UP-DATED ACADEMIC EDITION YUKSEL GOKNEL May 2013". If you wish to download and read this book free, you could find it in your browser. Yüksel Göknel

the present modals with verb 'be' in turkish signed

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