LEE II MODALITY PROF.

STELLA

MODALITY
The simplest kind of sentence is a proposition that states a fact,
e.g.:

Im writing a sentence
John came here yesterday.
She gets up at 6am every morning.
The book is on the table.

These simple -kernel- sentences involve two main parts: a subject

(a referring expression) and a predcate (a descriptive or
attributive expression). There is no mention of attitude on the
part of the speaker or the subject (when this is the agent) with
respect to the fact that is stated.

The expression of such an attitude towards (or comment on) the

fact is called MODALITY.

A modality may be, e.g.: certainty, doubt, expectation,

obligation, ability, etc.

It is usually expressed by means of a modal auxiliary:

It will rain this afternoon. (certainty)

It may rain this afternoon (doubt)
He must do it this afternoon. (obligation)
He can do it by himself. (ability)
Etc.

In these examples, the modality is manifested in the modal

auxiliary (kind of anomalous verb). But this is not the only form
in which modality comes to the surface: it may also be manifested
by an ordinary verb, an adjective, an adverb, a noun, or a
prepositional phrase:

I want to go (verb)
I am eager to go. (adjective)
I did it willingly. ( adverb)
There is no doubt that he will come. ( noun)
Without a doubt, he will come. (prep. phrase)

Summing up, a modality may be realized as:

1. An anomalous finite: I will go.

2. A full, lexical verb or VP: I want to go.
3. An adjective: It is certain that he will come.
4. An adverb: He did it reluctantly.

1
LEE II MODALITY PROF. STELLA

5. An abstract noun: The impossibility to act on it

6. A prepositional phrase: He got it by chance.

Lyons classifies modalities as follows:

a) Wish and intention;
b) Necessity and obligation;
c) Certainty and possibility.

From Rogets Thesaurus, we can extract the following

classification:

a) Intellect: -I understand why he was angry.

- I think that he was angry.
- I am curious about why he was angry.
- I asked him why he was angry.

b) Volition:
- I decided to go.
- I hesitated to go
- I refuse to go
- I avoided doing it.

c) Affections:
- I feel like going.
- I am afraid of going.
- I want to go.
- I expect him to go.

d) Emotion:
- I feel sad about it.
- I am pleased to go.

LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION II PROF. STELLA