This work investigates the role of semantic clause types and modality in argumentative texts. We annotate argumentative microtexts with situation entity (SE) classes and additionally label the segments that contain modal verbs with their modal senses. We analyse the correlation both of SE classes and of modal verbs and senses with components of argument structures (such as premises and conclusi...

Scope and semimodal verbs: two approaches In this paper I focus on scope phenomena connected with semimodal (and modal) verbs and mainly on the syntactic behaviour of these groups of verbs. One important question is: why can semimodal verbs (and modal verbs in epistemic use) not have perfect and future tense forms? Taking among other things Reichenbach’s tense system as a starting point I try t...

This paper sets out to answer a fundamental question: ‘How do tutors hedge their comments using modal verbs?’ A total of 126 feedback reports comprising 35,941 words were collected from two Humanities departments in a UK higher education institution. Although this is a relatively small corpus, it is a specialised corpus. The research focuses on a specific genre – written feedback –, thus the fi...

The current study attempted to investigate the effect of Systemic-Theoretical Instruction (STI) on English-language learners’ acquisition of the concepts of modal verbs through exploiting metaphors. To this end, the effect of the main treatment of the study, i.e. Concept-Based Instruction (CBI) was investigated through conceptual metaphors, in two gender (male vs. female) ...

one of the main dichotomies in syntactic analyses deals with the distinction between lexical and functional categories. functional categories gain in stature as the generative grammar moves ahead. they come into play in explaining the derivation stages of phrases and sentences. the present study critically evaluates different approaches to the role and function of one of these functional catego...

in the present paper, we are to put forth a paradigm for the systematic study of modality in persian.with this end in view, we consider modality as a linguistic phenomenon that can be expressed at the level of sentence, at the level of constituents smaller than sentence and/or at the level of discourse. in such a system where sentential modality, sub-sentential modality and discourse modality a...

is paper investigates existing proposals for the apparent correlation between modal flavour and temporal orientation, through the lens of attitude verbs. Work thus far has focussed on modal auxiliaries, but attitude verbs with modal-quantificational analyses can shed new light on understanding the temporal orientation of modals elements. Landau (2000) notes that complements of partial control a...

This two-part article critically reviews eight recent works in the field of mood and modality. Part I explores three different theoretical approaches – generative, cognitive–pragmatic, and typological – with the main focus on languages other than English. Within the framework of generative grammar, research issues include: the epistemic-root interpretations of modal verbs; transitive–intransiti...