FACULTAD DE FILOLOGÍA
GRADO EN ESTUDIO INGLESES
TRABAJO DE FIN DE GRADO
CURSO: 2024/2025
A CONTRASTIVE STUDY BETWEEN ENGLISH
AND SPANISH VERBS OF DESIRE
Alumna: YOLANDA BASTIDA SÁNCHEZ
Tu o : JOAQUÍN COMESAÑA RINCÓN
Con en s
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................... 1
1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1
2. VERBS OF DESIRE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH...............................................2
2.1 Ve bs o desi e in English......................................................................................2
2.2 Ve bs o desi e in Spanish..................................................................................... 8
3. A CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERBS OF
DESIRE.......................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Limi a ions o he English and Spanish classi ica ions....................................... 14
3.2 Gene al cha ac e is ics o e bs o desi e............................................................14
3.3 Syn ac ic di e ences............................................................................................15
3.4 Seman ic di e ences............................................................................................16
4. FROM DESIRE TO INTENTION...........................................................................18
4.1 Impac o syn ac ic s uc u es on meaning.......................................................... 19
4.2 Analysis o epis emic and deon ic modali y in ela ion o e bs o desi e..........20
5. CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................21
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................. 22
ABSTRACT
This pape p esen s a con as i e s udy o e bs o desi e in English and
Spanish, ocusing on hei g amma ical pa e ns and hei ela ion wi h modali y. These
e bs a e used o exp ess wishes, in en ions, and un ealized e en s. The aim o his
s udy is o examine how hese e bs unc ion syn ac ically and seman ically, and see
hei connec ion wi h he epis emic and deon ic modali y. The analysis o hese e bs is
based on s udies by di e en linguis s such as Le in (1993), Dixon (2005), Palme
(2001), he RAE (2009), and Bosque and Demon e (1999) among o he s. The s uc u es
used in each language o exp ess desi e a e compa ed in o de o show ha while he e
a e simila i ies, Spanish ends o use he subjunc i e mood in subo dina e clauses,
al hough English p e e s he use o in ini i e cons uc ions. These di e ences a e
impo an o unde s and how each language exp esses desi es and in en ions.
1. INTRODUCTION
Language is a undamen al ool ha shows human communica ion and he way
emo ions, hough s, and in en ions a e exp essed. Ve bs o desi e a e necessa y o
a icula e wishes, aspi a ions, and goals. Ve bs like wan , wish, o hope in English and
que e , desea , o espe a in Spanish o m an essen ial g oup o exp essing uni e sal
human a i udes. These e bs a e pa icula ly in e es ing due o hei seman ic and
syn ac ic p ope ies, as well as hei equen use in e e yday language.
Ve bs o desi e help unde s and how people o ganize hei hough s and
emo ions h ough language. They p o ide insigh in o men al p ocesses by e balizing
concep s such as in en ionali y, desi e, and expec a ion. They play an impo an pa in
unde s anding how language s uc u es concep s such as in en ion and expec a ion.
These e bs equen ly appea in in ini i e (I wan o go) o in ha -clauses (I wish ha
you we e he e), in luencing meaning and in e p e a ion in di e en con ex s. This s udy
deepens ou unde s anding o language s uc u es and i s unc ions.
These e bs ha e been analyzed h ough con as i e g amma , highligh ing bo h
simila i ies and di e ences be ween English and Spanish. In English, esea ch has
p ima ily ocused on e bal complemen a ion and seman ics (Le in, 1993), while in
Spanish, s udies ha e cen e ed on he use o he subjunc i e and i s p agma ic
1
implica ions (Bosque and Demon e, 1999). Howe e , he e is s ill limi ed esea ch om
a con as i e pe spec i e, unde sco ing he ele ance o his s udy.
The s uc u e o his wo k will be he ollowing: i s , a p oposal o a
classi ica ion o bo h English and Spanish e bs o desi e (sec ion 2); nex , he
limi a ions o he classi ica ions s ipula ed will be discussed and will be compa ed o see
hei di e ences and simila i ies (sec ion 3); ollowing his, a seman ic analysis will
explo e he connec ion be ween desi e and in en ion in bo h languages (sec ion 4); and
inally, he main conclusions will be p esen ed in he inal sec ion o his pape (sec ion
5).
2. VERBS OF DESIRE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH
This sec ion will indi idually examine bo h he syn ac ic and seman ic
cha ac e is ics o e bs o desi e in English and Spanish. Addi ionally, i will p opose a
possible classi ica ion o hese e bs in each language. By analyzing hei s uc u al and
unc ional p ope ies, his sec ion aims o highligh key simila i ies and di e ences in
o de o acili a e hei con as i e s udy.
2.1 Ve bs o desi e in English
Ve bs o desi e in English a e a ca ego y o e bs ha exp ess emo ions,
aspi a ions o a i udes owa d e en s o s a es ha a e no eal ye . These e bs
no mally a icula e an in en ion, expec a ion o wish o he e e en , and a e essen ial o
communica e goals, p e e ences o pe sonal longings. They a e closely linked o
modali y1, since hey o en indica e hypo he ical si ua ions ha can be possible o
i ealis ic and he e o e impossible o occu . In his s udy, a ange o linguis ic
pe spec i es will be conside ed o analyze hese e bs in dep h, d awing om key
esou ces om Le in (1993), Qui k e al (1985), and Palme (2001) among o he
ele an linguis s.
1 Modali y does no desc ibe an e en i sel bu a he he speake ’s pe cep ion o e alua ion o i . Ve bs
o desi e all in o his ca ego y because hey e e o hypo he ical, un ealized, o u u e e en s a he han
conc e e ones. (Dixon, 2005: 1, 13)
2
As s a ed by Le in (1993: 194-195), e bs o desi e a e ela ed in some way
wi h “psych- e bs”2 due o he ac ha hey a e ela ed o he pe sonal eelings o he
subjec - e e en and hey also ypically in ol e wo a gumen s3. The wo a gumen s
in ol ed in sen ences wi h a e b o desi e a e he expe ience and he s imulus. The
expe ience is a seman ic ole o a pa icipan ha eels a senso y, psychological o
emo ional expe ience, while he s imulus is ano he seman ic ole o an en i y ha
encou ages he pa icipan (expe ience ) wi h an emo ional, senso y, o psychological
expe ience.
On he one hand, Le in (1993: 194-195), classi ied hem in o wo di e en
seman ic g oups, one o hem as “ ansi i e e bs” ha she ca ego ized as wan e bs
(co e , c a e, desi e, ancy, need and wan ), and he o he as “in ansi i e e bs”
ca ego ized as long e bs ha needed he p eposi ion a e (dangle, hanke , lus , hi s ,
and yea n) o o (ache, c a e, all, hanke , hope hunge , i ch, long, lus , pine, p ay,
hi s , wish, and yea n). In his pape , he “ ansi i e e bs” and “in ansi i e e bs”
classi ica ion made by Le in will be s udied as “simple ansi i e e bs” and
“p eposi ional ansi i e e bs” o a mo e accu a e analysis.
On he o he hand, Dixon (2005: 188-195), classi ied e bs o wan ing in o
di e en seman ic se s, acco ding o he cha ac e is ics p esen ed by each se o e bs,
and he included e bs like wish ( o ), demand, equi e, dese e, expec , wai ( o ),
d ead, in end, plan ( o ), aim ( o ), p epa e ( o ) and p e end, ha we e no in Le in’s
wo k. Addi ionally, Qui k e al (1985: 1180-1182), when alking abou he suasi e
e bs4, men ioned he e bs ask, beg, desi e, in end, pledge, p ay, p e e , p opose,
eques and o e as p i a e e bs5 ha desc ibed s a es o o desi e.
Since he e is no a clea classi ica ion o e bs o desi e, he ollowing one is
p oposed in his s udy:
5 P i a e and public a e a subdi ision o suasi e e bs. When a suasi e e b is p i a e, hey desc ibe
s a es o oli ion o desi e. An example o ha a e he e bs desi e o beg, ha do no only indica e he
in en ion o ge someone o do some hing bu also e lec an in e nal desi e o he subjec . Tha means ha
hey a e p i a e in he sense ha he desi e is no appa en ly isible. (Qui k e al, 1985: 1181-182)
4 Suasi e e bs a e e bs used o imply an in en ional change in he u u e. Fo example, in he sen ence
“she is begging him o s ay”, he e b o beg is a suasi e e b ha has he in en ion o ge “him” o do
some hing. (Qui k e al, 1985: 1180)
3 An a gumen is an en i y ha e e s o a uni , elemen o ano he en i y o he ex e nal wo ld. Fo
ins ance, in he sen ence “I wan o ea some hing”, “some hing” is an a gumen (Comesaña, 2023).
2 Psych e bs a e e bs ha exp ess emo ional o psychological s a es, ypically in ol ing wo a gumen s:
an expe ience and a s imulus. Fo example, in he sen ence “The pa y chee ed he boy”, “ he pa y” is a
s imulus ha causes an emo ional change in he expe ience , which is “ he boy”. (Le in, 1993: 188-1993)
3
Ve bs o desi e in English
Ca ego y
Ve bs
Simple ansi i e
e bs
aim, ask, beg, co e , c a e, demand, dese e, desi e, d ead, expec ,
ancy, hope, in end, need, plan, p e e , p epa e, p e end, p opose,
eques , equi e, o e, wai , wan , wish
P eposi ional
ansi i e e bs
Wi h ‘a e ’: dangle, hanke , lus , hi s , yea n
Wi h ‘ o ’: ache, aim, ask, beg, c a e, all, hanke , hope, hunge , i ch,
long, lus , pine, plan, p ay, p epa e, hi s , o e, wai , wish, yea n
Table 1.
In his able, i can be seen how he e bs hope, long, pine, wai , plan, aim,
p epa e, c a e, demand, dese e and d ead equi e o a e he e b. Howe e , o is
used o in oduce clauses in English, and ha means ha one o mus be omi ed in he
case o e bs ha equi e i .
1. a I long o [ o Sa ah o come o my pa y]. → I long o [Sa ah o come o my
pa y]
b I in ended [ o Sa ah o come o my pa y].
When using he e bs wish, desi e, in end and p e end ollowed by NP, he
p eposi ion o is no equi ed, bu i can be used in ce ain con ex s, o en wi h a sligh
change in meaning. Acco ding o Dixon (1991: 248-249), in he sen ences whe e o is
omi ed (i.e. 2.a and 2.c), he sen ence ela es di ec ly o he e e en o ha NP (e.g.
Sa ah) and migh be used in add essing a g oup o people ha included Sa ah. In
con as , he examples whe e o is e ained (i.e. 2.b and 2.d) a e mo e likely o be used
o exp ess hypo he ical s a emen s ha he subjec would like o ake place.
2. a I wish Sa ah o come.
b I wish o Sa ah o come.
c I in ended Sa ah o like he book.
d I in ended o Sa ah o like he book.
4
In some cases, he p eposi ion can be omi ed. Ve bs like wan , need, equi e,
and expec do no include o be o e an objec NP. Howe e , he p eposi ion o can
appea when an ad e b in e enes be ween he main p edica e and he complemen
clause. I can also occu a e anapho ic omissions o he p edica e.
3. a I wan Sa ah o gi e me a gi .
b I wan e y much o Sa ah o gi e me a gi .
c Sa ah wan ed he sel o hank Michael, no o Rachel o hank he .
Rega ding common s uc u es wi h e bs o desi e, ha -clauses and in ini i e
clauses a e by a he mos ecu en ha in ol e hose e bs in English. In he case o
ha -clauses in ac i e sen ences, ha can be omi ed when in oducing an objec clause
(as in 4.a), bu in passi e cons uc ions whe e he ha -clause becomes he subjec , ha
canno be omi ed (as in 4.b) Howe e , ha becomes op ional again (as in 4. c) when
using ex aposi ion (Qui k e al, 1985: 1179).
4. a I hope ( ha ) you come o my pa y.
b Tha he would come o he pa y was wished by e e ybody.
c I was wished by e e ybody ( ha ) he would succeed.
Ne e heless, a ha complemen may no appea wi h ce ain e bs like wan ,
need, p epa e, c a e, long, dese e and aim as i can be conside ed less na u al o
old- ashioned in luen e e yday English, al hough i could be g amma ically co ec .
The e o e, a common al e na i e o ha -clauses is he o-in ini i e cons uc ion. When
he complemen clause e e en ma ches he main clause e e en , i is ypically omi ed.
5. a She wan s him o go o he pa y.
b *She wan s ha she goes o he pa y.
c She wan s o go o he pa y.
Ano he common si ua ion in which in ini i e cons uc ions may appea akes
place wi h he e b wan . Al hough i is syn ac ically he main lexical e b, some imes i
unc ions like a p agma ic pa icle6 when ollowed by o + in ini i e. In hese cases, i s
6 Acco ding o Qui k e al. (1985: 147-148), a p agma ic pa icle is a wo d o exp ession ha is no used
wi h i s usual meaning. Ins ead, i helps he speake exp ess some hing like ad ice, a wa ning. Fo
example, in he sen ence “You don’ wan o go o he pa y”, he e b wan does no eally mean “desi e.”
5
meaning is less li e al and mo e con ex -dependen . Fo ins ance, in 6.c i con eys a
wa ning o piece o ad ice, a he han a li e al desi e. I is conside ed a p agma ic
pa icle as i is impossible o ob ain an equi alen meaning when he sen ence is
changed in o he pas ense o in o he p og essi e aspec , as i happens in 6.a. (Qui k e
al, 1985: 148)
6. a *You a e wan ing o go o he pa y.
b You wan o go o he pa y.
c You don’ wan o be going o he pa y.
The e b need can unc ion bo h as a lexical e b and as a modal auxilia y,
depending on he s uc u e and con ex . As a lexical e b, i akes o + in ini i e, ca ies
ense and ag eemen (e.g. needs), and equi es he dummy do7 in nega i e and
in e oga i e cons uc ions, as in 7.a. Howe e , need can also beha e like a modal e b,
pa icula ly in nega i e o in e oga i e s uc u es, whe e i loses in lec ion, and does
no equi e he auxilia y do, as i can be seen in 7.b and 7.c. This second usage is close
o modal e bs like mus o can, and i s auxilia y alue is con i med by i s abili y o
o m ques ions and nega i es wi hou he use o dummy do.
7. a She needs o go o he pa y.
b Need she go?
c She needn’ go.
The e bs need, equi e and dese e show a pa allelism wi h necessi y and
obliga ion modals like mus o should. Ne e heless, he e a e some dis inc ions in hei
use and one. While need o en con eys emo ional u gency in a mo e pe sonal o
in o mal sense, equi e implies o mal obliga ions wi h an impe sonal one.
Addi ionally, dese e indica es ha an ac ion is jus i ied as a esul o a p e ious
beha iou . (Dixon, 2005: 194-195).
8. a You should pass he exam.
b You need o pass he exam.
7 The dummy do is he use o he e b do, ha does no ca y meaning, bu i is necessa y o o m he
g amma ical s uc u e o a sen ence in nega i e o ms, ques ions when he e is no o he auxilia y e b
p esen , as in sen ences like “do you wan o come?” o “I don’ wan o go”.
I wo ks mo e like a wa ning. This shows ha wan is no ac ing like a no mal e b, bu mo e like a
p agma ic ma ke o change how he message is ecei ed.
6
c You equi e o pass he exam.
d You dese e o pass he exam.
A less common s uc u e is he case o -ing complemen clauses. I is possible
wi h ce ain e bs such as in end, plan ( o ), aim ( o ), and p epa e. In he case o aim,
i is necessa y o add a be o e he -ing (like in 9.b). These cons uc ions a e less
common in casual English bu can appea in mo e o mal con ex s. O he e bs like
need, equi e and dese e allow he use o -ing clauses when hey unc ion as a passi e
wi h a o-in ini i e clause.
9. a She in ends going o he pa y.
b She aims a going o he pa y.
c The oom equi es cleaning
d The oom equi es o be cleaned.
A ele an and dis inc p ope y o some e bs o desi e is ha hey a e
compa ible wi h he be o cons uc ion. In con as o non-desi e e bs, which allow
bo h ac i e and passi e usages o his cons uc ion, e bs o desi e ypically appea in
agen less passi es. This happens wi h e bs such as hope, expec and desi e.
None heless, he e can be ma ginal cases such as wish and d ead, whe e he con ex
in luences he app op ia e use o his cons uc ion, as i can sound awkwa d o o e ly
o mal.
10. a I is o be hoped ha she goes o he pa y.
b I is o be wished ha she goes o he pa y.
I is impo an o no e ha some e bs o desi e allow he use o ellip ical
cons uc ions. These cons uc ions equen ly appea wi h wish, hope and p e end, and
hei comple ing s uc u es a e dele ed when he con ex is clea o o imply an
an icipa ed e en . Addi ionally, hese comple ing s uc u es can be subs i u ed o he
p o- o m so o subs i u e some hing ha has al eady been men ioned.
11. a I hope she passes he exam.
b I hope she passes ( he exam).
c I hope so.
7
a ia ions in he way hese e bs ope a e, especially in ela ion o hei e bal
complemen s and he use o modali y. This pape will highligh he key di e ences and
simila i ies be ween he wo languages.
3.1 Limi a ions o he English and Spanish classi ica ions
One o he majo challenges o he s udy o e bs o desi e lies in he absence o
a uni e sally accep ed classi ica ion o his ype o e bs. In English, au ho s such as
Le in (1993) and Dixon (2005), p oposed di e en ca ego iza ions based on he
syn ac ic al e na ion and he seman ic p ope ies o he e bs. Howe e , in Spanish, he
RAE (2009) and s udies such as he one by Bosque and Demon e (1999) ha e
app oached his opic om he pe spec i e o he subjunc i e and oli ion cons uc ions,
wi hou ocusing explici ly in he e bs o desi e. These di e ences impose limi a ions
on a con as i e analysis.
Likewise, ano he po en ial limi a ion is he ac ha some e bs a e ansi i e
p eposi ional. In English, some e bs such as long o , pine o o c a e o equi e a
p eposi ion o in oduce he complemen o desi e. In Spanish, he use o p eposi ions
also a ies depending on he e b, as in soña con, a a de o lucha po . This limi s
he c oss-linguis ic s udy o hese e bs as i can cause an impac on language
acquisi ion. Lea ne s may usually make e o s when a emp ing o ansla e hese
cons uc ions li e ally.
3.2 Gene al cha ac e is ics o e bs o desi e
A key poin o conside is ha e bs o desi e sha e ce ain p ope ies in bo h
languages. One o hem is hei connec ion o modali y, mo e speci ically he deon ic
modali y, which e e s o meanings o obliga ion o pe mission. Unlike e bs ha
desc ibe e en s in speci ic ha ha e al eady aken place, e bs like wan o que e do
no e e o ac ual ac s. Ins ead, hey exp ess he a i ude o in en ion o he
subjec - e e en owa d an ac ion ha is hypo he ical, un ealized, o expec ed o occu .
In his way, he meaning o he e b does no lie in wha has ac ually happened, bu in
wha he subjec - e e en wan s o happen. Fo example, in 1.a and 1.b, he e bs
exp ess a desi e o some hing ha has no aken place ye . These sen ences do no
desc ibe a conc e e ac ion, bu a he he wish o expec a ion o he subjec abou
some hing ha has no happened ye .
14
1. a I wan you o come ea ly.
b Quie o que engas emp ano.
In gene al, hese e bs exp ess a subjec i e emo ional s a e in he
subjec - e e en known as expe ience (see oo no e 2), who is he one who eels he
desi e o need o a ce ain ac ion o occu . Likewise, hey equi e a complemen ha
exp esses he desi ed hing, ha is associa ed in many cases wi h hypo he ical o
un ealized e en s, and ha is known as he s imulus (see oo no e 2). This ype o
cons uc ion, SUBJECT (expe ience ) + COMPLEMENT (s imulus), is he same in bo h
languages when using a e b o desi e is used in o de o a icula e a wish, necessi y o
expec a ion.
2. a [Sa ah] (expe ience ) wishes [ o pass he exam] (s imulus).
b [Sa ah] (expe ience ) desea [ap oba el examen] (s imulus).
3.3 Syn ac ic di e ences
Fi s ly, some hing o ake in o accoun is ha Spanish allows o subjec
dele ion, as i is a p o-d op language. This means ha he subjec does no need o be
explici ly s a ed in a sen ence, as i can be in e ed om he in lec ions o he e b. In
con as , English is no a p o-d op language, which means ha he subjec mus always
be explici ly s a ed, ega dless o e b in lec ion. E en when he hi d-pe son singula -s
appea s in he p esen ense, he subjec canno be omi ed. This di e ence is ele an in
sen ences whe e he subjec is clea om he con ex in Spanish bu would be
ung amma ical i omi ed in English.
3. a Él quie e i a la ies a.
b Quie e i a la ies a.
c He wan s o go o he pa y.
d *Wan s o go o he pa y.
While in English he use o in ini i al cons uc ions o exp ess desi e is
p edominan , in Spanish, hese cons uc ions a e only used when he subjec o bo h
clauses is he same. When e bs o desi e in oduce subo dina e clauses wi h a di e en
subjec om he main clause, he subo dina e clause mus be cons uc ed wi h que
ollowed by a e b in he subjunc i e. In con as , English uses an in ini i al clause
15
ega dless o whe he he subjec is he same o di e en , and he e b o he
subo dina e clause does no ma k any mood.
4. a I wan o go o he pa y.
b Quie o i a la ies a.
c I wan Sa ah o go o he pa y.
d Quie o que Sa ah aya a la ies a.
Ne e heless, he equi alen s o some English e bs in Spanish can show some
di e ences. Fo ins ance, p e e allows di e en ypes o subo dina e cons uc ions,
such as ha -clauses, o o-clauses, and -ing complemen clauses (Whi ley, 1986: 282).
5. a I p e e ha Sa ah goes o he pa y.
b I p e e o Sa ah o go o he pa y.
c I p e e Sa ah going o he pa y.
On he o he hand, wan only accep s o-clauses and canno be used wi h a
ha -clause, unlike i s synonym desi e, which does allow i . Some hing simila occu s
wi h y, ha does no accep ha -clauses ei he . In Spanish, que e , desea and in en a ,
do accep subo dina es in oduced by que (Whi ley, 1986: 282).
6. a I wan you o go o he pa y.
b *I wan ha you go o he pa y.
c I desi e ha you go o he pa y.
d Quie o que ayas a la ies a.
e Deseo que ayas a la ies a.
In he case o ha -clauses in English, ha can be omi ed. None heless, he
Spanish conjunc ion que can be omi ed in some si ua ions as is g amma ically co ec ,
bu i sounds awkwa d and i s use is no equen .
7. a I hope ( ha ) you a e okay.
b Espe o (que) es és bien.
3.4 Seman ic di e ences
The seman ic di e ences be ween Spanish and English e bs o desi e can be
analyzed om a ious pe spec i es, including he in ensi y o he desi e, he
16
expec a ions o he subjec , and he in luence i has on he add essee, as well as making
a dis inc ion be ween desi e and necessi y.
In English, he e bs o desi e can be classi ied depending on hei speci ic
seman ic p ope ies. Fo ins ance, Dixon (2005: 188) di ided hose e bs in se en
seman ic se s:
(i) Wan , wish ( o ), desi e, c a e, long ( o ) and pine ( o ): exp ess a gene al
o in ense desi e o some hing.
(ii) Hope ( o ): o ien ed o expec a ions in he u u e.
(iii) Demand: exp esses au ho i a i e desi e o some hing ha mus happen.
(i ) Need, equi e, and dese e: mo e ela ed o necessi y a he han simple
desi e.
( ) Expec , wai ( o ) and d ead: deal wi h an icipa ion, ei he posi i e o
nega i e.
( i) In end, plan ( o ), aim ( o ), one sense o mean and p epa e ( o ): exp ess
an in en ion o goal, a he han spon aneous desi e.
( ii) P e end: exp esses a alse appea ance o desi e.
In Spanish, e en hough he e is no a di ision as he one made by Dixon (2005),
he e can be seman ic dis inc ions as well. The mos no able way o change he deg ee
o in ensi y o desi e ha a e b in ends o exp ess is wi h ense. When a e b appea s in
he u u e indica i e o m, i indica es a le el o expec a ion o an icipa ion abou a
u u e e en . Also, i he condi ional is used ollowed by pe ec in ini i e and
condi ional pe ec + in ini i e (as seen in sec ion 2.2), he implica ion is ha an e en
ha is no longe possible o ca y ou bu is s ill desi ed. Tha means ha he same e b
can be conjuga ed in di e en ways in o de o exp ess a di e en kind o deg ee o
desi e.
8. a Quie o i a la ies a.
b Que é i a la ies a segu amen e.
c Que ía habe ido a la ies a.
Ve bs o desi e in English, such as wan and need, p esen cha ac e is ics ha
di e en ia e hem om he Spanish e bs. One majo dis inc ion is ha hese e bs can
some imes beha e as auxilia ies, unc ioning simila ly o modal e bs. Speci ically,
17
need can ac as a semi-modal e b in ce ain con ex s, pa icula ly in nega i e and
in e oga i e cons uc ions as seen in sec ion 2.1. In hese cases, need lacks ense
in lec ion and beha es like an auxilia y, aligning i wi h modals like mus o should.
This auxilia y beha io does no occu in Spanish, no e en wi h que e . Ra ael Cano
(1987: 202) s a ed ha he e a e many easons no o include i as an auxilia y e b o
he way i beha es. Some o hese easons a e ha i e ains he same basic meaning
ac oss di e en con ex s, and i beha es in a di e en way han o he auxilia ies in he
passi e, as i can be seen in 9.b and 9.d.
9. a Sa a puede a aca a Lucas.
b Lucas puede se a acado po Sa a.
c Sa a quie e a aca a Lucas.
d Lucas quie e se a acado po Sa a.
Addi ionally, English e bs such as need, equi e, and dese e exp ess necessi y
o obliga ion in a simila way o modal e bs like mus o should. Simila ly, dese e
con eys an e alua ion o wha should happen based on me i o ci cums ances,
implying a jus i ied obliga ion. In Spanish, howe e , necesi a , eque i , and me ece
do no exhibi his semi-modal unc ion. Ins ead, necessi y and obliga ion a e mo e
commonly exp essed h ough he subjunc i e mood.
10. a This book needs o be e u ned oday.
b Es e lib o necesi a que lo de uel an hoy.
c She dese es o be ecognized o he wo k.
d Ella se me ece que la econozcan po su abajo.
Thus, he abili y o ce ain English e bs o desi e o unc ion in modal-like
ways ep esen s seman ic dis inc ion om Spanish. While bo h languages use hese
e bs o exp ess oli ion, necessi y, and e alua ion, English e bs allow hem o adop
auxilia y oles ha do no ha e di ec equi alen s in Spanish.
4. FROM DESIRE TO INTENTION
The s udy o e bs o desi e in English and Spanish e eals ha hese e bs a e
no limi ed o exp essing a simple wish o expec a ion, hey can also exp ess in en ion.
18
In many cases, he syn ac ic s uc u e chosen can con ey in e p e a ions ha go beyond
a simple desi e, poin ing ins ead o in ended ac ions.
4.1 Impac o syn ac ic s uc u es on meaning
The way a sen ence is s uc u ed has a big impac on i s meaning. Acco ding o
Laca (2005: 24-25), when a modal o a e b o desi e is used in he pas o condi ional
o m wi h a pe ec clause, i can sugges a coun e ac ual si ua ion. Fo ins ance,
examples such as 1.a and 1.b illus a e he same syn ac ic sequence and may sugges an
un ealized possibili y and he e e en ’s in en ion. The e o e, bo h o hem a e
exp essing a desi e, which is going o he pa y, ha being he in en ion as well. This
demons a es ha he o m and he a angemen o clauses di ec ly in luence whe he a
e b is unde s ood as exp essing a simple desi e o an in en ion ha con as s wi h
eali y.
1. a Sa ah que ía habe ido a la ies a.
b Sa a wished she had gone o he pa y.
Mo eo e , acco ding o G ano (2017: 594), English e bs o desi e such as wan
can appea in anankas ic condi ionals14, which a e condi ional sen ences ha exp ess he
necessa y ac ion equi ed o ul ill a goal o in en ion. Fo example, in sen ence 2.a, he
clause wi h wan exp esses a goal, and he main clause (you mus sa e...) s a es he
necessa y condi ion o achie e ha goal. This cons uc ion also wo ks wi h o he e bs
o desi e such as in end, hope, plan, o aim, which, as discussed in sec ion 2.1, can be
conside ed seman ically ela ed o desi e.
2. a I you wan o buy a ca , you mus sa e a lo o money.
b You mus sa e a lo o money o buy a ca .
This kind o s uc u e can be applied o Spanish e bs o desi e as hey unc ion
he same way. The example 3.a p esen s he same s uc u e as 2.a, showing how he
pa e n o English anankas ic condi ionals is possible in Spanish, using a e b o desi e
o a icula e he subjec ’s in en ion as well. In 3.b, Spanish uses a di e en s uc u e:
pa a + in ini i e, which in oduces a pu pose adjunc . Acco ding o he RAE, his is
14 The wo d “anankas ic”, comes om he Ancien G eek wo d ἀνάγκη, which means “necessi y”.
(Hui ink, 2005). An anankas ic condi ional is a ype o condi ional sen ence ha shows wha someone
mus do in o de o ge wha hey wan . I usually has he o m I you wan X, you mus do X. The i s pa
shows he goal, and he second pa shows he condi ion o achie e ha goal. (G ano, 2017: 594)
19
called a Complemen o Ci cuns ancial de Finalidad, and i is used o exp ess he goal o
in en ion behind an ac ion.
3. a Si quie es comp a e un coche, ienes que aho a mucho.
b Tienes que aho a mucho dine o pa a comp a e un coche.
4.2 Analysis o epis emic and deon ic modali y in ela ion o e bs o desi e
Acco ding o he RAE (2009: 18), modali y e e s o he speake ’s a i ude
owa ds he con en o a s a emen . I is di ided in o”modalidad de la enunciación”,
which ela es o he di e en speech ac s pe o med (such as decla ing, ques ioning, o
commanding), and “modalidad del enunciado”, which a e exp essed h ough e bal
in lec ion, auxilia y e bs, and ce ain ad e bs ha con ey necessi y, possibili y, o
obliga ion. Wi hin his second ype, he RAE ecognizes sub ypes such as epis emic
modali y, which e lec s he speake ’s deg ee o ce ain y abou wha is being said, and
deon ic modali y, which con eys no ions o obliga ion, pe mission, o necessi y. This
sec ion ocuses on he analysis o hese wo sub ypes o modali y in pa icula : he
epis emic and he deon ic.
As Palme s a ed (2001: 7-8), he epis emic modali y is one o he wo main
ypes o “p oposi ional modali y”, which was p e iously men ioned as “modalidad del
enunciado” in Spanish, and i exp esses he speake ’s judgemen abou he u h alue o
a s a emen . I includes specula i e, deduc i e, and assump i e judgemen s. In o he
wo ds, his modali y is conce ned wi h he deg ee o ce ain y, possibili y, o p obabili y
ha he speake assigns o a s a emen .
The deon ic modali y, based on Palme 's wo ds (2001: 9-10) e e s o obliga ion
o pe mission imposed by an ex e nal sou ce, such as laws o au ho i y. Deon ic
modali y includes pe missi e and obliga i e exp essions. I is impo an o no e ha he
deon ic au ho i y o en comes om he speake hemsel es.
4. a I wan you o inish you homewo k.
b Quie o que e mines u a ea.
The di e ence be ween epis emic and deon ic modali y can be explained using
"possible" and "necessa y." Epis emic modali y is abou how likely some hing is, while
deon ic modali y is abou whe he some hing is allowed o equi ed. (Palme , 2001: 7)
20
5. a I hope ha is ue.
b Espe o que sea cie o.
Desi es a e connec ed o modali y because hey e e o e en s ha ha e no ye
happened o may ne e happen. Since hey exp ess some hing un ealized, hey can be
linked o bo h deon ic and epis emic modali y. Speci ic g amma ical s uc u es, like he
subjunc i e in he case o Spanish, a e used o indica e wishes. Fo ins ance, when
exp essing a desi e abou someone else's ac ions, he e b in he subo dina e clause
appea s in he subjunc i e (as in 6.c and 6.d). This pa e n shows how modali y plays a
ole in exp essing hypo he ical o desi ed si ua ions. (Palme , 2001: 13)
6. a I wish you we e he e.
b He wan s me o a i e on ime.
c Deseo que es u ie as aquí.
d Quie e que llegue a iempo.
Addi ionally, i was also men ioned by Bosque and Demon e (1999: 3261) ha
deon ic modali y, especially when ela ed o necessi y and obliga ion, is closely
connec ed o oli ion, as bo h in ol e a sense o in en o equi emen o an ac ion o
ake place. On he o he hand, epis emic modali y is linked o unce ain y, possibili y,
and p ojec ion in o he u u e. In epis emic con ex s, he indica i e is used o indica e
he e e en s’ ce ain y, while he subjunc i e highligh s doub o lack o ce ain y abou
some hing, suppo ing Palme ’s wo ds.
5. CONCLUSION
The analysis o e bs o desi e in English and Spanish has e ealed bo h
s uc u al and unc ional simila i ies, as well as impo an di e ences. In bo h
languages, hese e bs a e used o exp ess wishes, expec a ions, and in en ions ha a e
a icula ed h ough un ealized o hypo he ical si ua ions. One o he mos impo an
indings is hei connec ion o modali y, mo e speci ically he deon ic and epis emic,
which e lec how speake s con ey desi e as ei he obliga ion, pe mission, o possibili y.
Syn ac ically, he use o he subjunc i e mood in Spanish, con as s wi h he
mo e lexible use o in ini i al cons uc ions in English, which is a ele an di e ence.
Mo eo e , while English e bs such as need can unc ion as modals o semi-modals,
21
his beha iou has no equi alen in Spanish. Seman ically, bo h languages e lec
di e en in ensi ies o desi e h ough he speci ic e b choice, ense, and mood, bu
Spanish ends o ma k his g amma ically h ough he use o subjunc i e and condi ional
o ms.
Finally, his s udy con ibu es o he ield o con as i e g amma by p o iding a
compa a i e classi ica ion o e bs o desi e and by highligh ing hei ole in exp essing
in en ionali y.
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