Means of expressing modality in Modern English

 

THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE, YOUTH AND SPORTS OF UKRAINE

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF UKRAINE  
“KYIV POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE”

The chair of theory, practice and translation of English

Term Paper

In Theoretical Grammar

“Means of expressing modality in Modern English”

Performed by

Julia Eremenko

Gr. Ла-92

Supervised by

Associate professor

Taranenko L.I.

Kyiv-2012 
CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..……………3

CHAPTER 1. REVIEW OF THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL STYDING OF MADALITY IN MODER ENGLISH…………….……………………….5

1. Definitions of notion modality………………………………………….5
2. Category of modality …………………………………………………...8
3. Classifications of means realizing the category of modality…………...8

CHAPTER 2. THE ANALYSES OF USAGE MODALITY IN MODERN ENGLISH……………………………………………………………………..11

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………..15

LITERATURE USED…………………………………………………………16

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Topicality: Modality – is a multifold phenomenon, and therefore in the linguistic literature we can find different thoughts concerning the essence of this phenomenon. Modality is a category of linguistic meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity. There are different types of modality and the topicality of our term paper is caused by the necessity to improve knowledge about the term modality and its expression. The problem of modality as an object of interdisciplinary knowledge that is relevant to the modern science, has long been interested in the humanities scholars working in different fields research - logicians, linguists, psychologists, semioticians. A case of studying modality is complicated by multi-pronged approach to it, which leads to different interpretations. Linguistics borrowed the concept of modality from logic and philosophy which define it as the information related to the attitude of the statement to the reality, or its evaluative, temporal and other characteristics. Among the scholars who investigate modality we can mention Sh. Ballie  –he was the first to define the category of modality in West-European linguistics. And in Russian linguistics the prominent role in researching the category of modality belongs to academician V.V. Vinogradov. He wrote a lot of books connected with this notion and means of its expression. A lot of works are based on his understanding of modality. Among the other scholars who also tried to describe the modality phenomenon are V.Z. Panfilov, G.A. Zolotova, L.S.Yermolaeva, G.V. Kolshanskiy and others. Numerous linguistic scholars have created various modality classifications, for example N. Petrov, F.R.Palmer, G.J. Lyons, A.B.Bondarenko. Category of modality is one of the most complex and contradictory interpreted in grammatical theory. Despite the presence of fairly long tradition of research modality and a huge amount of literature devoted to it, it is still in a sense blind spot of modern linguistics.

Therefore the aim of studying modality is systemize our means of analysis at different levels:

1. Lexical
2. Grammatical

The goal determines the following tasks:

1. detection concept of modality
2. usage of different forms of modality
3. characteristics of transformation problems of various forms of modality in translation

The object: realization of modern verb, usage, functioning of modality in modern English.

The subject: means realizing of modality.

 

CHAPTER 1.

REVIEW OF THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL STYDING OF MADALITY IN MODER ENGLISH

The problem of modality as an object of interdisciplinary knowledge is relevant to modern science, since ancient times scholars have been working in different fields of research - logicians, linguists, psychologists, semioticians. Study of the problem of modality complicated multi-pronged approach to it, which leads to different interpretations. By its long history, it was developed in the different traditions, which, in our view, not exclusive, but complementary. Thus, in the French tradition category of modality is studied on the basis of logical research, and domestic - her interpretation due distributive orientation, that is, a description of the modal language. Special attention to this study deserves the approach developed in French linguistics, continues the tradition of the ancient vision. Ancient understanding of modality in some degree imitated French linguistics. G. Parre called Aristotelian modality "alethic", extensional motivated, pointing to the truth. The classic definition of the grammar of modality is based on the basis of the establishment of links between its logical and philosophical understanding and linguistic actualization, that is identifying and describing the logical and linguistic structures of how certain logical and philosophical speculations of modality options are implemented in the language become the units of speech.[11;2]

1.1. Definitions of notion modality

Human thinking appears as a result of the world perception and it is closely connected with language – the primary means of its expression. The category of modality is the category of language and presents in itself the judgment concerning the reality or the statement related to the ties and phenomena of the reality. In general, modality can be defined as the speaker’s attitude to the content of his statement and the relation of the content of the statement to the reality.[ 12;1]

Modality – is a multifold phenomenon, and therefore in the linguistic literature we can find different thoughts concerning the essence of this phenomenon. Modality (from Latin modus – measure, method, shape) in different object domains is a category which characterizes modus operandi or an attitude toward the action.[ 10;1]

Modality is a category of linguistic meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity. This phenomenon is a grammatical-semantic category, which expresses the speaker’s attitude towards the expression, his evaluation of the attitude input towards objective reality. As it is well known, it becomes traditional to divide modality into two types: objective modality and subjective modality. This approach was based on the principles of work Russian scholar V. Z. Panfilov. In this case, objective modality is an attitude of the expression towards reality (reality or unreality, possibility or impossibility, necessity or probability etc.) and subjective modality is the expression of speaker’s attitude towards the utterance. In West-European linguistics Sh.Ballie’s conception of modality was widely spread. In his opinion, in any utterance/expression we can single out basic content (dictum) and modal part (modus), in which is expressed intellectual, emotional and volitional consideration of the speaker concerning dictum. He distinguishes explicite and implicit modus. The main form of expression of the explicite modus is the main clause consisting of compound sentence with object clause. Thus, in Sh.Ballie’s interpretation modality is presented as syntactic category, in the expression of which the modal verbs play the main role.

In Russian linguistics modality was also a subject of interest for many scholars. For example, academician V.V Vinogradov, who was one of the first who gave very broad interpretation of the category of modality. His works, dedicated to the problem of modality, are very important for modern linguists. V. V. Vinogradov first of all refers modality to “the fundamental structural characteristic of any sentence” and characterizes it as “the speaker’s evaluation of the relation of utterance content to the reality”. His definition of modality is widely used in English studies, possibly because, as I.R. Galperin mentions, “… modern English grammars avoid giving the definition of this category, and when they deal with it, they limit themselves to the indication of the forms, in which the modality is realized”.[ 2;145]

F.R. Petrov borrowed the concept of modality from logic and philosophy and defined it as the information related to the attitude of the statement to the reality, or its evaluative, temporal and other characteristics. Numerous linguistic scholars have created various modality classifications, for example N. Petrov, F.R.[4;15]

Some scholars have other approaches to studying of modality. For example G.A. Zolotova distinguishes 3 meanings of modality: 1/ an attitude of the person to the reality from the speaker’s point of view; 2/ speaker’s attitude to the content of the expression; 3/ agent’s attitude to the action.[ 4;7]

In spite of differences in determination of the notion modality there are clashes of opinions on the categorical belonging of this notion. For example scholar R.A. Budagov speaks about modality as grammatical category; L.S. Yermolaeva considers modality as syntactic category, mentioning that lexical means remain beyond the bounds of syntactic modality. Modality as semantic category is distinguished by V.V. Vinogradov, G.V. Kolshanskiy, I.B. Khlebnikova.[ Демина, Елена Борисовна- Способы выражения модальности в газетно-публицистических текстах современного английского языка] 
1.2.Category of modality

We call categories of modality the concepts of possibility or necessity, impossibility or unnecessity, contingency or incontingency, probability or improbability and their degrees — as well as presence or absence.

Category of modality is differentiated into two types: objective and subjective. Objective modality is mandatory feature of any statement, one of the categories that form a predicative unit - offer. This type of modality expresses the ratio of reported to reality in terms of reality (implementation or feasibility). Objective modality is organically linked to the category of time and differentiated on the basis of temporary certainty - uncertainty. The value of time and reality - unreality merged, the complex of these values is called objective-modal values.[7;5]

Subjective modality - the ratio of the speaker to the information. In contrast to the objective modality and optional feature of the utterance. Semantic volume subjective modality is much broader objective of semantic modality. Semantic basis of subjective evaluation of the concept of modality forms in the broad sense, including not only the logical (intellectual, rational) skills imparted, but also different types of emotional (irrational) reaction. By evaluating - characterized by values are values that combine the expression of the subjective attitude to be reported with the characteristic of it, which may be viewed as subjective, arising from the very fact, the events of his qualities, properties, the nature of its occurrence in time or of its links and relations with other facts and events.[11;3]

1.3. Classifications of means realizing the category of modality

There are different kinds of modal meanings, therefore we can distinguish different classification of means realizing the category of modality. First of all, we must identify and consider different types of modal meaning.

Kinds of Modal Meaning

One can distinguish different kinds of modal meaning. Alethic modality (Greek: aletheia, meaning ‘truth’), sometimes logical or metaphysical modality, concerns what is possible or necessary in the widest sense. It is in fact hard to find convincing examples of alethic modality in natural language, and its inclusion in this list is primarily for reason of historical completeness. The following categories, however, are of primary importance in the study of natural language. Epistemic modality (Greek episteme, meaning ‘knowledge’) concerns what is possible or necessary given what is known and what the available evidence is. Deontic modality (Greek: deon, meaning ‘duty’) concerns what is possible, necessary, permissible, or obligatory, given a body of law or a set of moral principles or the like. Bouletic modality, sometimes boulomaic modality, concerns what is possible or necessary, given a person’s desires. Circumstantial modality, sometimes dynamic modality, concerns what is possible or necessary, given a particular set of circumstances. Teleological modality (Greek telos, meaning ‘goal’) concerns what means are possible or necessary for achieving a particular goal. In the descriptive literature on modality, there is taxonomic exuberance far beyond these basic distinctions. In accordance with this classification consider the following typology.[9;72]

According to A.V. Bondarko there are 6 types of meaning, which have different (grammatical, lexical, intonation) means of expressing.

1)Speaker’s evaluation of the content of the utterance from the point of view of reality/unreality, which is expressed with the help of forms of Mood and Tense of the verb, and also some conjunctions, particles and other elements of the sentence structure.

2)Expressing with the help of modal verbs and other modal words the evaluation of the situation in the utterance from the point of view of its possibility, necessity and desirability.

3)Speaker’s evaluation of his certainty in the reliability of what is informed, which may be expressed with the help of modal adverbs, parenthetic words, and also with the help of compound sentences.

4)The aim of the speaker or communicative function of the utterance. On this basis all sentences are subdivided into statements (which express information), interrogative sentences (which express a question), and optative sentences (which express desire). Means of expressing these meanings are different: morphological (Mood of the verb), syntactic (structure of the sentence), prosodic (intonation).

5)Meanings of affirmation/denial, which reflect presence/absence of objective connection between the objects, features, events, about which the sentence informs. First member of the opposition (affirmation) isn’t marked, the second – is marked with the help of grammatical, word-forming and lexical means.

6)Emotional and qualitative evaluation of the content of the utterance, which is expressed lexically, prosodically (with the help of exclamatory sentences), and also with the help of interjections [2; 67].

Modality is a category of linguistic meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity. There are numerous kinds of expression that have modal meanings. Many authors such as V.V. Vinogradov, G.V. Kolshanskiy, I.B. Khlebnikova point out that modal content may be expressed with the help of different means of language, here belong: grammatical (Mood); lexical (modal words); lexico-grammatical (modal verbs) and intonation.

According to Ilko V. Korunets’ Modality as an extralingual category expressing the relation of content to reality has in English and Ukrainian common means of realization. These include: ( chart 1)

• phonological means
• lexico-grammatical
• lexical means conveying subjective modality
• grammatical means conveying grammatical modality

Chart 1

CHAPTER 2.

THE ANALYSES OF USAGE MODALITY IN MODERN ENGLISH

There are numerous kinds of expression that have modal meanings, the following is just a subset of the variety one finds in Modern English:

- Modal auxiliaries

Sandy must/should/might/may/could be home.

- Semimodal Verbs

Sandy has to/ought to/needs to be home.

- Adverbs

Perhaps, Sandy is home.

- Nouns

There is a slight possibility that Sandy is home.

- Adjectives

It is far from necessary that Sandy is home.

- Conditionals

If the light is on, Sandy is home.

According to the Ilko V. Korunets’ classification of means of expressing modality in English we can evaluate the usage of different phenomenon in Modern English. With the help scholars, who gave broad description of the use of various means of expressing modality both in English and in Ukrainian, we can track the frequency of use these elements in the modern English language and give examples of values that they convey.[8;308]

The expression of modal meanings by phonological means has often an identical realization in English and Ukrainian. Different modal meanings (suggestion, admonition, supposition, doubt, assuredness, etc.) are expressed with the help of intonation means. Practice of speech communication testifies to the infallible perception of different shades of modality at the perceptual level. But, in the special literature there is no sufficient determination, at the expense of which intonation means such differences are created. The question about the interaction of different verbal and non-verbal means of modal meanings expression is not learnt enough.[8; 310]

The lexico-grammatical expression of modality is realized via modals verbs/their equivalents plus the infinitive of the notional verb. The modal verb is a distinct verb form unique to Germanic languages and to Modern English especially that differs from prototypical verbs in form and function. The nine full modal verbs in English are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would. The four quasi-modal verbs in English—which are a subset of modal verbs that "possess some but not all properties of prototypical modals" are ought to, used to, would rather, and had better (had best).

These construction perform the function of the compound modal verbal predicate and express different meanings predetermined by the modal verb in the main. Thus, the modal verb can/could expresses physical or mental ability( мати змогу, можливість); doubt, distrust, uncertainty(невже, хіба, навряд); reproach, surprise, permission (можна); irrefutability, assuredness of statement.

The modal verb may/might with its equivalents to be permitted/to be allowed has also some peculiarities of use and expression of meaning. It can express the meaning of permission(дозволяти, не заперечувати); possibility, probability, assumption, uncertainty, advice( могти).

The modal verb must has also some peculiar features of its own. Borrowed by Ukrainian from German through Polish, this verb has strong obligation, duty, necessity. In these meaning must has for its direct lexical equivalents the strongest Ukrainian modal verb of this same meaning мусити.

The modal verb ought to like the modal verb should expresses moral obligation, presupposition, desirability, advisability and some other meaning.[8;315]

Apart from the aforementioned there are four more modal verbs in English, which practically lack direct lexical equivalents in Ukrainian. These modal verbs are: shall, will, would and should, which, like the modal verb will and would, may sometimes have implicit meanings but lacking explicit equivalents in Ukrainian. The modal verb shall expresses compulsion and obligation and at the same time verb will together with the infinitive may express different meaning, the main of which are volition, insistence, determination, intention.

Should conveys variety of meanings some of which may be close to the meanings of modal verbs ought to, have to, to be to, must. These equivalents are mostly employed in order to express obligation, necessity, regret, grief, sorrow, advice, suggestion, doubt, pleasure.

Another mean of realization modality in English called lexical. It is realized with the help of modal words. Modal words are morphologically unchangeable words that function as parenthesis and express the correlation between the content of an utterance with the real-world situation as seen by the speaker. Therefore, modal words are treated as a lexico-grammatical means of the category of modality. A separate large group constitute modal words/expressions and parenthetical words/phrases or sentences expressing general assessment of a statement. These lexical units clearly point to the subjective evaluation of the action or event by the speaker. The modals of this group include the following: actually, apparently, assuredly, certainly, clearly, of course, de­cidedly, definitely, evidently, indeed, maybe, naturally, obviously, perhaps, positively, possibly, presumably, probably, really, seemingly, supposedly, surely, truly, undoubtedly. Some scholars refer to modal words such word combinations as for certain, for sure, in truth, in fact, etc. on the grounds that these are able to express a number of modal meanings.[5;47]

Another means of expressing modality is grammatical mood. Grammatical mood is loosely defined as a set of inflected verb forms that express modality of an action or state. Mood is a grammatical category, which R. L. Trask defines as "any one of the various categories which may be present in particular languages and which, when present, oblige all the words in a relevant class always to appear in one of two or more distinct grammatical forms, depending on the grammatical environment." It expresses action viewed upon as real, unreal, optative, hypothetic, conditional, incentive, interrogative, etc. The principal means of expressing such actions are mood forms of the verb. Three grammatical moods exist in the verb system of Modern English: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive. These mood forms are realized respectively in declarative, interrogative and negative sentences of wishful, hypothetical or conditional modality. The indicative mood expresses assertions, denials, and questions of actuality or strong probability; the imperative mood direct commands, requests, and granting or denial of permission; and the subjunctive mood commands, requests, suggestions, wishes, hypotheses, purposes, doubts, and suppositions that are contrary to fact at the time of the utterance.[3;443]