Verbal and Non-Verbal Markers of Root Modality in EU Maritime Affairs and Fisheries vs. Agriculture and Rural Development Reports and Studies: An Overview

Silvia Molina-Plaza

doi:10.15388/klbt.2015.8942

Abstract

This paper examines different options used by writers in reports and studies to control information from two departments of the European Commission: EU Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Agriculture and Rural Development, using the web as corpus. These two Directorates or Commissions have the power of initiative, are responsible for policy formulation and policy implementation. Two comparable sub-corpora of reports and studies have been selected from the two Directorates. Fifteen markers related to key areas of root modal expression are presented: modal-evaluative adjectives like essential, necessary, suitable and appropriate (Van linden 2012); the semi- modals (e.g. have to, be able to, be supposed to, need to) (Leech et al. 2009); the emerging modal want to (Verplaetse 2010) and expressions with comparative adverbs (e.g. had better, would rather) (van der Auwera et al. 2013). The study of these markers reveals that shared norms and action in these two EU areas are constantly collectively established. Root modals are one of the rhetorical strategies of legitimization and persuasion used in EU’s political discourse by the different parties involved.

Highlights

Root Modals and Expert Writer’s StanceRoot modality covers ‘both deontic and dynamic values’ (Coates 1983; Sweetser 1982, 1990)
Fifteen markers related to key areas of root modal expression are presented: modalevaluative adjectives like essential, necessary, suitable and appropriate (Van linden 2012); the semi- modals (Leech et al 2009); the emerging modal want to (Verplaetse 2010) and expressions with comparative adverbs
The aim of this article is to explore how root modality is expressed in the reports and studies of two Directorates of the European Commission, namely Fisheries & Maritime affairs and Agriculture and Rural Development from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, obtaining the quantitative results with its search engine: http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/query/index

Summary

Introduction

Root Modals and Expert Writer’s StanceRoot modality covers ‘both deontic and dynamic values’ (Coates 1983; Sweetser 1982, 1990). Hyland (2005, 2009) explains that stance involves positioning, or adopting a point of view (in this case about fishing, maritime affairs, agriculture and rural development issues) in relation to both the issues discussed in the text and to others who hold similar or different points of view. Report writers express their “judgments, feelings or viewpoint about something” (Hyland 2005, 174) and relate to the EU common value system and they are influenced by different epistemological assumptions and permissible criteria of justification common to the EU institutional contexts. Stance allows report writers to present themselves as fully committed in Fisheries and Agricultural arguments

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