Category of modality in the sentence

Ch. Balie: “ In every s-ce there are 2 obvious aspects → dictum and modus. Dictum expresses the meaning of the s-ce what is said about the subj. modus expresses the speaker’s attitude to what is being said. Mod-ty is a universal category of lang-e which expresses the relation of s-ce meaning to reality as it is presented by the speaker. The most important and most universal means of expressing s-ce mod-ty is the verbal category of mood. Since every predicate in a s-ce stands in one of 3 moods the mod-ty expressed in this way is called the objective mod-ty. Objective mod-ty is subdivided into 2 groups: mod-ty of reality (indicative mood) and mod-ty of unreality (the imperative, subjunctive moods).

In case of obj. Mod-ty there are no indicators of the speaker’s personal attitude towards the meaning of the s-ce, Ex. It’s cold today. It will be cold today.

In add-n to obj. Mod-ty very often there may appear in a s-ce lang-e forms expressing the speaker’s personal attitude. This is the 2^nd kind of mod-ty → the subjective mod-ty. It is expressed by a great variety of lang-e forms.

1^st of all these are parenthesis. They may be single words: probably, certainly, luckily; phrases: in my opinion, to my mind, to tell the truth, to put it mildly, to be honest; a great number of parenthetical clauses: I think, I hope, I doubt, I’m afraid, as john told me and so on.

2. Various evaluating words; N-s. Adj-s, Adv-s;

1. Syntactic character → these are tag-questions;

2. Intonation can also be used to turn affirmation into supposition.

Modal verbs are not included either into the objective or subjective modality. They express different kind of mod-ty which shows the relations between the action and the doer.

Ex. Peter must (obligatory) do it. May – probable, can – possible due to his phis. or mental ability, should – desirable, has to – is induced, is to – planned.

Since there are many means of expressing mod-ty in the s-ce some scholars present the category in the form of the linguistic field. The most important of these means are the mood forms which presuppose the general character of the s-ce mod-ty and means of subjective mod-ty serve as additional devices which may either strengthen or weaken the objective mod-ty → the primary mod-ty of the s-ce, while the subjective is called the secondary mod-ty. Ex. he will do it (obj. mod-ty). Of course, he will do it (obj. mod-ty. Probably he will do it (obj. mod-ty).

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