Means of expressing modality in the english language

The essence of modality as a category of linguistic meaning, its objective and subjective types. The concept of Sh. Ballie for modality in the West-European linguistics. Modal values having different means of expression according to the A.V. Bondarko.

Рубрика Иностранные языки и языкознание
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Язык английский
Дата добавления 24.11.2014
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Минобрнауки РФ

ФГБОУ ВПО «Челябинский государственный университет»

Факультет лингвистики и перевода

Кафедра теории и практики английского языка

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Means of expressing modality in the english language

Челябинск 2013

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.

Human thinking is 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, so it presents in itself the judgment concerning the reality or the statement related to the 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.

In other words, modality is a category of linguistic meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity. It is a grammatical-semantic category, which expresses the speaker's attitude towards the expression, his evaluation of the attitude contributed towards objective reality.

Traditionally, modality is divided into two types: objective modality and subjective modality. This approach was based on the works of 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 Russian linguistics modality was 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”. expressing modality english language

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.

Category of modality is differentiated into two types: objective and subjective. Objective modality is mandatory, because it is one of the categories that form a predicative unit - offer. It expresses the ratio of reported to reality in terms of 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.

Subjective modality expresses the ratio of the speaker to the information; it is an optional feature of the utterance. Semantic basis of subjective evaluation of the concept of modality forms in the broad sense, including not only the intellectual and rational skills imparted, but also different types of emotional reaction. By evaluating, which is characterized by values, we understand the values that combine the expression of the subjective attitude (subjective characteristics, facts, events of qualities, properties, nature of occurrence in time) or of its links and relations with other facts and events.

Different kinds of modal meaning can be distinguished. 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 ?nd convincing examples of alethic modality in natural language, and its inclusion in the list is primarily for reason of historical completeness. 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 laws or a set of moral principles, etc. Bouletic modality, sometimes boulomaic modality, concerns what is possible or necessary given 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.

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 or 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 (We leave at five. I'd like to know what you are doing here.)

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 (Sandy must/should/might/may/could be home. Sandy has to/ought to/needs to be home.)

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 (Perhaps, Sandy is home. If the light is on, Sandy is home. It is far from necessary that Sandy is home.)

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). (He is selfish. Is he that selfish? May you live a long and happy life together.)

5) Meanings of affirmation and denial, which reflect presence or 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 (The rain is never going to stop!).

According to I. V. Korunets, a Ukrainian linguist, modality is an extralingual category expressing the relation of content to reality. These include:

· phonological means;

· lexico-grammatical (via modal verbs or their equivalents plus the infinitive of notional verb);

· lexical means conveying subjective modality (via modal words);

· grammatical means conveying grammatical modality (via indicative, imperative, subjunctive mood).

Список используемой литературы

1. Бондарко А. В. К анализу категориальных ситуаций в сфере модальности: императивные ситуации / ТФГ. Темпоральность. Модальность. Л.: Наука, 1990. С. 80--89

2. Бархударов Л.С., Штелинг Д.А. Грамматика английского язика / Грамматика английского языка, М.1973

3. Блох М. Я. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка / Теоретическая грамматика английского языка: Учебник. Для студентов филол. фак. ун-тов и фак. англ. яз. педвузов. -- М.: Высш. школа, 1983.-- С. 147 - 191

4. Linguistic modality / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_modality.

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