Modal Verbs Research Articles

Linguistic prescriptivism and the language of the laboring poor: The case of will/shall

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the effect of prescriptivism on a part of society – the labouring poor – that has not received as much attention yet. As education was socially stratified during the Late Modern English period, and elementary compulsory schooling was only introduced in 1870, the labouring poor did not receive schooling or alternative training on a regular basis, if at all. It is therefore particularly interesting to find out whether those who were able to write were aware of grammatical rules. In order to shed light on the question whether the laboring poor showed awareness of grammar rules of shall and will, this article investigates the use of these two modal verbs in a corpus of Late Modern English pauper letters. The study reveals that will was used almost categorically in the second- and third-person singular and plural, while shall is used in 65.6% of instances in the first-person singular. Thus, Late Modern English paupers tend to adhere to the grammar rules found in contemporary normative texts in a similar way to writers of the upper social layers. Additionally, certain social factors, e.g. region or addressee, seem to have had some influence on the usage of shall and will.

(Inter)subjectivity in Estonian registers

Abstract This issue focuses on a little-studied aspect of (inter)subjectivity (S/ IS) in language: the expression of S/ IS in different registers. In the introduction, we overview the background and approach, describe the central registers in connection with using S/ IS devices, and correlate the choice and frequency of S/ IS devices with the situative features of registers. The introduction also includes a brief overview of the articles in the issue. We have studied three groups of S/ IS devices: (1) pragmatic particles, (2) CTP markers based on complement-taking predicates, and (3) modal verbs. Our central data comes from the Estonian Pragmatic Corpus. We look mainly at the expression of S/ IS in seven registers, broadly divided into three groups: spoken, online, and printed texts. The papers on the issue deal with the use and development of different particles in registers of Estonian and the use of S/ IS differences between registers to develop metrics for distinguishing registers.

Multi-Level Approach for Critical Discourse Analysis

This study addresses methodological issues of critical discourse analysis and shows how an analytical multi-level approach we developed can be useful in adding theoretical resources and systematization to its methods. The analytical approach is grounded on the macrostructure of human activity (activity, actions, operations) and appropriates resources from text linguistics and sociolinguistics. We crossed this approach with historical and positioning discourses to identify ways of talking, foregrounded, and concealed meanings and ideologies in the statement of the ex-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson as delivered to the House of Commons on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Our results point out he established an agreement with the House through an explanatory statement with the predominance of the use of informing discursive procedures, which corresponded for almost half of his procedures. Most of the time Johnson spoke in the future tense through the intense use of the modal auxiliary verb “will”. These, among other linguistic choices, collaborated to conceal the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s roles in the invasion of Ukraine, framing responsibility solely on the president of Russia. In conclusion, we comment on the contributions and limitations of the analytical approach.

Boom or Bust: Unveiling the Media Portrayal of Confucius Institutes in America and Britain

Intercultural communication institutes, such as the Goethe Institut and Confucius Institute, were established to globally promote language and culture. However, the status of Confucius Institutes (CIs), particularly those in the UK and US, has shifted. In light of these evolving perspectives, this research employed Fairclough’s three-dimensional model and Halliday’s systemic functional grammar as theoretical frameworks in examining the diachronic transformations in the portrayal of CIs in American and British media discourse spanning the last decade. By analyzing intertextuality and linguistic elements, such as lexical choices and the usage of modal verbs, this study discerns different images of CI constructed by the media. Before 2020, the media highlighted the cultural elements of CI.

Manipulative Mechanisms in German Economic Discourse: A Study of Publications on Foreign Economic Relations between Germany and China in 2020-2023

This study explores the mechanisms of manipulative influence within German-language economic discourse. The empirical material consists of articles from the Köln Institute for Economic Research, detailing external trade cooperation between Germany and China during the years 2020 to 2023. It has been found that metaphors, borrowings, idiomatic expressions, expressive language, and emotives — comprising combinations of evaluative connotations — exert a covert manipulative effect on communication participants. At the grammatical level, the use of adverbs in the superlative degree and modal verbs in the preterite subjunctive form enables the construction of narratives that downplay the significance of China’s successes as an economic competitor. The analysis reveals that manipulation within economic discourse is intentionally obscured, possessing an implicit nature. It has been determined that portraying the Chinese economy in an unequivocally negative light is impractical; however, there are noticeable trends towards diminishing the significance of its successes, negatively evaluating business activity, and exaggerating the perceived threats posed by China to its business partners. The novelty and relevance of this research lie in addressing the techniques of manipulative influence in shaping the linguistic worldview within economic discourse — a perspective that has not yet been explored, as such texts are often considered objective documents grounded in scientific statistical data.

Modality in Climate Change-Related Discourse by King Charles III

The article presents a corpus-based study that aims at establishing how modality is used in climate change-related discourse by King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK). The study involved a corpus of speeches on the topic of climate change delivered by King Charles III from 2005 to 2023. The corpus was analysed in the computer software AntConc (Anthony) in order to compute the frequency of the occurrence of the central modal verbs. Thereafter, they were analysed qualitatively to establish the types of modality associated with them. The analysis revealed that climate change-related discourse by King Charles III was marked by a high frequency of the occurrence of the modal verbs will and can. Their frequency, pragmatic roles, and association with the different types of modality are further discussed in the article.

Linguistic Characteristics In The Research Background And Problem Statement In The Doctoral Thesis Of Arabic EFL Students In Malaysia

This study explores the linguistic features within the move structures of the research background and problem statement sections in Chapter One of PhD theses written by Arab students in Malaysia. The analysis focuses on four key language elements: verb tense, modality, voice (active and passive), and personal pronouns. A corpus of 30 theses was analyzed to determine common linguistic patterns, revealing significant insights into the language choices of these academic writers. The study employs concordance and hand-tagged analysis to examine verb tense and voice, with manual verification for modality and personal pronouns to ensure accuracy. Eight distinct verb tenses were identified, with the present simple tense being the most frequently used, representing 55.30% of the total instances. This indicates a preference for focusing on current knowledge and ongoing research. In contrast, the past simple and future simple tenses were used to describe past methodologies and future implications, respectively. Modal auxiliaries play a crucial role in conveying sentiments and opinions. The study identified seven modal verbs, with 'can' being the most commonly used, suggesting a focus on possibility over obligation. The analysis of voice patterns revealed a higher occurrence of active voice (79.66%), especially in moves that conveyed up-to-date knowledge. In contrast, passive voice was more common in methodological descriptions, indicating a focus on the actions or subjects rather than the actors. The study also examined the usage of personal pronouns, finding a higher frequency of third-person pronouns, suggesting a more objective narrative style. These findings offer valuable insights into the linguistic choices of Arab EFL students in academic writing, providing a deeper understanding of their communicative intentions and alignment with academic discourse conventions. The results can guide future research on linguistic patterns in academic writing and help educators support EFL students in improving their writing skills.

Heterogloss in Chinese Undergraduates’ Oral Presentations in the EAP Pedagogical Setting

Appropriately incorporating other perspectives in an academic text is a challenge for second language learners and their incorporating practices in oral academic discourse are under-researched. Drawing on the account of heterogloss by Martin and his associates (e.g. Martin & Rose, 2007; Martin & White, 2005), this study investigated the heteroglossic practices in 81 oral presentations by the undergraduates enrolled in a 16-week course on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in China. Textual analysis reveals the learners’ insufficient understanding of legitimate evidence and reporting verbs, overreliance on the high value modal verb (i.e. should) in presenting a proposal, and inappropriate sourcing for generating a concession in academic discourse. Based on the findings, a triadic model concerning heteroglossic practices in learners’ academic discourse is proposed, and pedagogical implications are discussed.

The Pragmatic Impact of Grammatical Structures in Courtroom Interpretation and Translation

Courtroom interpretation and translation require a nuanced understanding of not only vocabulary but also the pragmatic impact of grammatical structures. This paper examines the pragmatic impact of grammatical structures on interpretations in the Kisii Law Courts. Using data collected from actual proceedings, the paper analyzes how seemingly minor grammatical differences can have significant consequences for the accuracy and fairness of the legal process. By applying Mey's (2001) Pragmatic Act Theory (PAT), we analyze how modal verbs, passive voice and nominalisation function within the context of the courtroom, influencing the interpretation of witness testimonies, judge's instructions, and lawyer's arguments. Specifically, we explore the use of passive voice within the context of PAT, analyzing how these choices interact with the social context and speaker intention. We will also examine the pragmatic effects of passivisation on agency, responsibility, and the focus of witness testimony, examining how they shape the understanding of events and culpability. It is crucial for court interpreters and translators to accurately convey the intended meaning and effects of pragmatic acts in court proceedings. Keywords: Pragmatic Act Theory, court interpretation and translation, passive voice, nominalisation, modal verbs

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MODAL VERBS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

In this article, the use of modal verbs in Uzbek and English is analyzed on the basis of their presentation in school textbooks. Important aspects of modal verbs in two languages are compared and discussed with exercises and examples based on the texts given in the textbooks. Also, the influence of modal verbs on the meaning of the sentence and the specific characteristics of modal verbs are explained based on examples. Analysis, comparison, comparison, proof methods were used in the work.

The Life Cycles of Counterfactual Modal Verbs in Ancient Greek: Temporal Reference Shift, Language Ecology, and Analogy

The Life Cycles of Counterfactual Modal Verbs in Ancient Greek: Temporal Reference Shift, Language Ecology, and Analogy

Fostering Pragmatic Proficiency: The Influence of Explicit Instruction on Plurilingual EFL Learners’ Mastery of Hedging Devices in Canadian Academic Writing Context

Hedging academic claims is a crucial aspect of scholarly writing that presents challenges for many non-native English-speaking academic authors. Scholars, such as Hyland (2021), have emphasized the vital role of explicit instructional interventions in raising awareness about hedging devices among Plurilingual non-native English writers. This is particularly relevant considering the nuanced nature of certain hedging devices, characterized by polysemy and polypragmatics. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of explicit instruction in enhancing the pragmatic competence of non-native English-speaking learners, with a specific focus on the acquisition and application of English modal auxiliaries as hedging mechanisms within an academic context. In this study, a group of 37 non-native English-speaking College students, representing various academic disciplines, were purposefully selected from Sommet College located in Greater Montreal area, and divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The control group received conventional academic writing instruction, while the experimental group underwent explicit instruction on the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging in their academic writing. Both groups completed pretests and post-tests as part of the evaluation process. Analysis of the test scores and t-test results revealed a significant improvement in linguistic and pragmatic proficiency concerning the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging within the experimental group. Moreover, the findings demonstrated the superior performance of the experimental group in employing modal verbs for hedging purposes. The findings of this study have broader implications that reach beyond pedagogical practice, resonating with educational program administrators and curriculum developers. These results underscore the importance of including explicit instruction on hedging devices, particularly modal auxiliaries, to bolster the academic writing skills of non-native plurilingual English-speaking learners.

Analyzing Interaction Patterns on Dating Sites: A Generic Structure Potential Approach

Online dating has become a popular stage to find a romantic partner. In such context, interlocutors must employ language carefully to reveal their intentions, attract attention and as well sustain intimacy with their potential partners. While previous studies have explored aspects such as self-disclosure and linguistic strategies in impression formation, there remains a gap in understanding the structured interactions that occur between potential partners on dating sites. This study, therefore, investigated the linguistic elements and interactional structures characterizing online dating discourse, focusing on two popular platforms, Tinder and Tagged. Adopting Halliday and Hasan’s Generic Structure Potential framework, the study examined conversations of thirty participants (potential partners) whose relationship ranges between two weeks to three months. Findings revealed seven key stages: Discourse Initiation (DI), Introduction (INTR), Question and Response (QAR), Request (RQ), Admiration (AD), Declaration of Dating Intention (DDI), and Topic Formation for Conversation (TF). Each stage is marked by specific linguistic features and serves unique functions within the communication process. DI involves friendly greetings and endearments to initiate conversation and signal interest. INTR often includes declarative statements that provide personal information, establishing familiarity and a good first impression. QAR facilitates information exchange through questions and responses. RQ, predominantly by males, involves polite modal verb constructions to move the conversation to more personal platforms or obtain further information. AD includes compliments and positive affirmations to express appreciation and create a positive interaction tone. DDI features direct and indirect questions about relationship status to clarify the intent behind the interaction and define the nature of the potential relationship. Finally, TF sustains conversation with statements and questions about daily activities and interests. This study contributes to the broader understanding of professional discourse by analyzing the structured linguistic strategies and interactional patterns employed in online dating, demonstrating how individuals strategically use language to manage impressions, negotiate intentions, and build relationships – skills also crucial in professional communication.

Unlocking meaning: Truth-conditional semantic and syntactic analysis in the Bible

This research focused on complex conditional sentences in the Christian bible, employing truth-conditional semantics and syntactic analysis to uncover their theological messages. A qualitative study analyzed 20 verses, categorized into four types of conditional sentences according to Ferdinand de Saussure's syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations. It involved word analysis, structural classification, context correlation, synonymous exploration, and historical and theological consideration. The findings revealed several key insights. First, conditional sentences in the Christian bible predominantly featured compound-complex structures with an active voice, highlighting subjects and actions in religious verses. Second, they adhered to declarative formats, aligning with truth-telling principles in religious contexts. Third, complex structures and subordinate clauses conveyed conditional details, reasons, and situations, elaborating on the interplay between syntax and semantics. This research enriched our understanding of the relationship among verb forms, modal verbs, and diverse meanings within English conditional sentence types in the Christian bible. Fourth, this research had a significant social impact on human development from a theological perspective by enhancing spiritual growth, critical thinking, and ethical understanding. It promoted personal transformation and reflective faith, providing religious leaders with tools to interpret scripture more accurately. Additionally, the research clarified how biblical language communicated moral imperatives, supported ethical frameworks, and facilitated interfaith dialogue. Preserving theological heritage contributed to the holistic development of individuals and communities. Ultimately, this study aimed to ensure the Bible's relevance in shaping social behavior aligned with Christian teachings.

Construction of TCM Institution Image: A Corpus-Based Comparative Critical Discourse Study of Chinese and Western Mainstream Media Reports

This study conducts a corpus-assisted comparative analysis of the media images of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) institutions in Chinese and Western media contexts. Applying Fairclough’s three-dimensional critical discourse analysis (CDA) model alongside the TCM Social Image Evaluation Index System, this study explores media image construction and ideological factors shaping the perception of TCM institutions globally through an analysis of linguistic features in keywords, evaluative collocates and modal verbs. It’s found that Chinese media present TCM institutions in a positive light, depicting them as multifaceted organizations with a rich cultural legacy and robust capabilities in medical and scientific research. They showcase TCM institutions as cooperative, promising in integration with modern healthcare, efficient, rapid, flexible, innovative, and imbued with humanitarian values especially during the COVID-19 epidemic. Western media, however, adopt a more cautious stance. They tend to frame TCM institutions as providers of alternative medicine and temporary solutions, with a focus on health preservation, leisure and overall well-being. Concerns have also been raised about the potential illicit activities associated with some massage schools. These disparities in presenting TCM institutions reflect cultural, political and audience demand differences between China and the West. The results of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the media portrayal of TCM institutions, provide insights into the challenges facing the global recognition and acceptance of TCM institutions, and suggest strategies for Chinese media, TCM practitioners, and policymakers to enhance their international image.

An Evaluation of Modal Verbs Teacher-Trainees Used in Writing Long Essays and Assignments

An Evaluation of Modal Verbs Teacher-Trainees Used in Writing Long Essays and Assignments

How do constructions with modal verbs develop in second language learners of English?

Abstract The study reported on in this paper uses data from a large, pseudolongitudinal corpus of second language (L2) learner writing to investigate how L2 knowledge of verb-argument constructions (VACs) develops from low-beginner to upper-intermediate proficiency levels. The focus is on learners from two L1 backgrounds (L1 German and L1 Spanish) and on a subset of VACs that contain modal auxiliaries in combination with lexical verbs (e.g., subject-modal-verb, as in I can cook). For each VAC, L1, and proficiency level, frequency lists of verbs were created and compared across datasets. Reference data on the same constructions was extracted from a corpus of L1 writing. Results suggest that modal VACs become more frequent, less predictable, more productive, and more aligned with L1 production as learner proficiency increases. The findings of this study help to expand our understanding of the processes that underlie L2 construction acquisition.

Evolution of the Verb State Category in Germanic Languages: A Neuroscientific Perspective

Relevance of research. The article examines the process of verb formation in Germanic languages, as well as the peculiarities of the grammatical semantics of verbs at different historical stages of the development of Germanic languages. Using the comparative-historical method, the functioning of verbs in texts of Germanic languages ​​was investigated as an aspect of neurolinguistic science. Research results. The article proves that most modal verbs of Germanic languages ​​have undergone significant semantic transformations. The study of texts of different historical stages of language development shows that verbs evolved through semantic transformation. Time frames of the formation of secondary semantics were revealed. The theoretical and practical significance lies in the fact that this resarch allows a detailed study of the features of the emergence of the primary, as well as the secondary, subjective semantics of verbs in Germanic languages ​​from a neuroscientific point of view. It should be noted that the list of subjective values ​​still raises many questions and discussions. The German language has an extremely clear system of means of expressing modal values. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the neurolinguistic approach to the study of the evolution of Germanic verbs. The article aims to study the evolution of verbs in the German language in the context of neurolinguistics. To achieve the goal, the method of comparative analysis was used. This made it possible to consider the evolution of the verb through a comparative study of texts at the main stages of speech development. To solve these problems, texts reflecting the state of the language at each historical stage were studied.

A Pragmatic Analysis of the Uses of 'May' in the Anglican Communion's Rubrics for the Eucharistic Service

Language is logical and dynamic; there is meaning and connotation for every word used. The use of modal auxiliary 'may' in the rubrics of the Holy Eucharist in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (BCP 2007) has not really been recognised for its grammatical implications by the worship leaders and congregation. Therefore, there is the need to call the attention of the leadership of the Church to the direct implications of the verb used in the rubrics. The study adopted the quantitative methodology using the Speech Act theory of J.L Austin 1975 to bring out meaning in the context of the rubrics and the interpretative application it has on both the worship leaders and members, in order to note the linguistic and the conventional meanings of the verb 'may' in the rubrics. Findings revealed that this work is geared towards pointing out the confusions in the different meanings that the uses of modal auxiliary 'may' pose in the rubrics, like: 'A hymn may be sung', 'Gloria in Excelsis may be said or sung', 'Silence may be kept', 'The President may say this or an alternative BLESSING', as instructions, and considering the linguistic features that denote 'possibility', 'probability' or 'politeness'; it is responsible to making the worshippers not to follow the implied meanings of the verb but make it a conventional rite. The study confirmed that despite the linguistic features of the verb 'may', the worshippers have already formed an understanding that the Church has a long-standing order that is binding.

A computational analysis of transcribed speech of people living with dementia: The Anchise 2022 Corpus

IntroductionAutomatic linguistic analysis can provide cost-effective, valuable clues to the diagnosis of cognitive difficulties and to therapeutic practice, and hence impact positively on wellbeing. In this work, we analyzed transcribed conversations between elderly individuals living with dementia and healthcare professionals. The material came from the Anchise 2022 Corpus, a large collection of transcripts of conversations in Italian recorded in naturalistic conditions. The aim of the work was to test the effectiveness of a number of automatic analyzes in finding correlations with the progression of dementia in individuals with cognitive decline as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, which is the only psychometric-clinical information available on the participants in the conversations. Healthy controls (HC) were not considered in this study, nor does the corpus itself include HCs. The main innovation and strength of the work consists in the high ecological validity of the language analyzed (most of the literature to date concerns controlled language experiments); in the use of Italian (there is little corpora for Italian); in the size of the analyzed data (more than 200 conversations were considered); in the adoption of a wide range of NLP methods, that span from traditional morphosyntactic investigation to deep linguistic models for conducting analyzes such as through perplexity, sentiment (polarity) and emotions. MethodsAnalyzing real-world interactions not designed with computational analysis in mind, such as is the case of the Anchise Corpus, is particularly challenging. To achieve the research goals, a wide variety of tools were employed. These included traditional morphosyntactic analysis based on digital linguistic biomarkers (DLBs), transformer-based language models, sentiment and emotion analysis, and perplexity metrics. Analyzes were conducted both on the continuous range of MMSE values and on the severe/moderate/mild categorization suggested by AIFA (Italian Medicines Agency) guidelines, based on MMSE threshold values. Results and discussionCorrelations between MMSE and individual DLBs were weak, up to 0.19 for positive, and -0.21 for negative correlation values. Nevertheless, some correlations were statistically significant and consistent with the literature, suggesting that people with a greater degree of impairment tend to show a reduced vocabulary, to have anomia, to adopt a more informal linguist register, and to display a simplified use of verbs, with a decrease in the use of participles, gerunds, subjunctive moods, modal verbs, as well as a flattening in the use of the tenses towards the present to the detriment of the past. The -0.26 inverse correlation between perplexity and MMSE suggests that perplexity captures slightly more specific linguistic information, which can complement the MMSE scores. In the categorization tasks, the classifier based on DLBs achieved an F1 score of 0.79 for binary classification between SEVERE and MILD, and 0.61 for multi-label categorization. Sentiment and emotion analyzes showed inverse trends for joy while MMSE scores suggested that less impaired individuals were less joyful, or more “negative”, than others. Considering the real-world context, this is consistent with the hypothesis of a gradual reduction in awareness in individuals affected by dementia. Finally, integrating various profiles of analysis has been proved to be effective in offering a wider picture of linguistic and communication deficits, as well as more precise data regarding the progression of dementia.