Communicative functions: Interacting with others

Adjusting our interaction with others

Expressing obligation and inclination

When we interact with others, we ask people to do things and we offer to do things for other people. We can do this directly, or we can soften our language: 

We can do this in the following ways:

	We can show the level of obligation, ie how much someone should or should not do something:
		MegaMonster should not steal. He should give us our water back. You must give us our water back MegaMonster!
	We can show the level of inclination, ie how much someone wants or does not want to do something:
		I must have some clean water! I may steal it from the swimming pools.

We can grade modal words which express obligation and inclination along a scale between yes and no in the following way:

Here is an example from a children's conversation:

That's the sort of photo you should have, isn't it?

For more information about responding to requests, see: 

Text types: Particular Descriptions: Expressing feelings and opinions
Text types: Recounts: Expressing feelings and opinions
Text types: Stories: Building atmosphere and suspense
Grammar: Groups & phrases: Verb group: Adjusting interactions: modality: Overview

Teaching activities

For PrimeTeach teaching activities which provide KS2 students with practice in expressing obligation and inclination, see: Let's stay friends Playground games Save the trees