Subjective and objective modality: interpersonal and ideational functions in the English modal auxiliary system

Abstract

This study deals with the distinction between subjective and objective modality on the basis of the English modal auxiliaries. I show that this distinction is still very poorly understood, both in terms of the criteria that have been proposed to support it, and in terms of the actual delineation of subjectivity and objectivity in the modal domain. After identifying the empirical and theoretical problems in the literature, I propose an alternative, semiotic account, which tries to explain the divergent grammatical behavior of subjective and objective modality in terms of the function they fulfill. The central factor in this semiotic explanation is the performative versus non-performative status of the modals, which can explain their divergent behavior with respect to tense, interrogation, and conditionality. On the basis of this alternative analysis, I also propose a more accurate delineation of subjective and objective functions in the English modal auxiliary system. 0

Lexical Marking of Epistemic Modality in Legal Texts: Focuses on ECHR Summeries of Judgments

“…Consequently, Palmer points out to the restrictions with respect to the past time marking, since, as the author suggests, "an epistemic modal makes a (performative) judgment at the time of speaking" (Palmer 1990: 44). Still, it is possible to use past time forms in a context of indirect speech, where the source of the judgment is some sort of reported speaker or thinker (Depraetere and Reed 2008: 285;Palmer 2001: 33;Verstraete 2001Verstraete : 1524. In characterizing epistemic modals as essentially subjective and performative, Palmer takes into account Lyons' theory of modality.…”

“…Of importance for the present context are Mazzi's conclusions regarding the lexical items that reveal argumentativity of judicial texts. The verbs, such as consider, think, observe, conclude, etc., which the author analyses in terms of the various kinds of argumentative voice they introduce, will be analysed through the prism of modality, as it is believed that they encode subjectivity by "bringing into existence a particular position of commitment with respect to the propositional content of the utterance" (Verstraete 2001(Verstraete : 1518.…”

Cognición y estilo comunicativo: el sujeto posverbal y el objeto sintáctico

“…Según Verstraete (2001Verstraete ( : 1523 este significado establece una posición sobre el contenido proposicional y este puede producirse tanto en las estructuras declarativas como en las interrogativas; el hablante puede tomar la responsabilidad de ese contenido en su turno de palabra y cederlo al oyente en la suya en las cláusulas interrogativas. En estas, el origen de la evaluación del contenido no está en el oyente, sino en el interlocutor que va a responder la pregunta.…”

Moving Ourselves, Moving Others: Motion and Emotion in Intersubjectivity, Consciousness, and Language

“…The distinction between objective and subjective construal is also relevant for other linguistic phenomena like descriptive versus performative use of speech act verbs, indirect versus direct speech, and modal auxiliaries (see Verstraete 2001). In performative utterances, direct speech, and utterances with subjective modal auxiliaries, the speaker is personally involved or committed, like in emotion-based expressive ways of speaking.…”