Modality and modal verbs in contrast

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of how English and Spanish encode the modal meanings of possibility and necessity. English modals and Spanish modal periphrases emerge as ‘cross-linguistic equivalents’ in this area. Data from two monolingual ‘comparable’ corpora — the Bank of English and CREA — reveal (i) differences in grammatical conceptualization in the English and the Spanish traditions and (ii) the relative inadequacy of classifications of modality for a translation-oriented contrast in this area. An English-Spanish contrastive map of the semantics (and expressive means) of modality will be an effective way to make relevant and accurate cross-linguistic information available. It is also the first step towards identifying potential translation pitfalls.