Modality refers to the speaker's attitude or opinion regarding the factual status of a proposition. There are two main types of modality: epistemic and deontic. Epistemic modality concerns beliefs, knowledge and truth, expressing levels of certainty. Deontic modality involves necessity or obligation and is concerned with actions. Mood is a syntactic concept referring to sentence structure, while modality is semantic and provides information about the speaker's perspective. Modality can be expressed through modal verbs, adverbs, adjectives and other means.

1. CHAPTER 6: MODALITY
(Interpersonal meaning)

2. 1.1.Definition
 Modality is what the speaker is doing with the whole
proposition.
Bybee (1985)
 Modality is the semantic information associated with the
speaker’s attitude or opinion what as said .
Pamper (1986)
- Jespersen : 2 kind of modality
Relating to an a element of will .
=> Deontic modality
 Containing no will .
=> Epistemis modality
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3. Searle ‘s speech act theory : Modality
connected to act
• Assertives
• Directives
• Commissives
• Declaratives
• Expressives
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4.  Assertives
(word fit the world-the speaker’s belief or commitment to the truth
value of the proposition-epistemic)
o Examples
• “Socrated is blad “.
• “2+2 =4”.
• “All a men are mortal “.
• “Barack Obama is president of the United States”.
 Directives
(Words change the world –deontic)
o Examples
• “Please bless my family “.
• “Go to your room”.
• “Pass the salt”.
• “Vote for me “. Nguyễn Thị Mai

5. Commissives
(word change the world-hearer- oriented- denontic )
Examples
“ I promise to exercise everyday “.
“I solemnly swear to truth “.
“I will be there at 9 o’clock “.
 Declaratives
(Words change the world –epistemic)
o Examples
“I now pronounce you husband and wife”.
“I promise to come and see you”.
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6.  Expressives
(Words fit the world –epistemic)
Example
“Thank you for giving me the money”.
“I apologize for stepping on your face”.
“Congratulations on marrying a libertarian “.
=> Sentence meaning =Propositional content + Non-propositional content
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7. 1.2. Conclusion
* Definition
Modality is the non – propositional part of
the sentence which concerns its factual status.
Modality express necessity and possibility
Example : The bee is an insect vs The bee can
ignorant you .
neces. poss.
Dương Thanh Mai

8. In English , Modality is expessed by Modal verbs ,
Adverbs and Adjectives
* Modal verbs
Low modality shows less certainty.
• I might leave early today.
• You could try to do it again.
• She may want to check the results.
High modality shows a high degree of certainty.
• I must leave early today.
• You will do it again.
• She has to check the results.
Dương Thanh Mai

9. * Adverbs ( perhaps , possibly , possible , sometimes ,
certainly , definitely , …..)
• Example
I could possibly go , perhaps I will go .
Another example
She certainly didn’t feel any different .
* Adjectives ( possible , probable , obligatory ,
necessary , required, determined , likely , …. )
Example
It is the most likely event to occur .
Dương Thanh Mai

10. Modality : The factual status of
the proposition
Proposition
• What we say
• Invariant meaning ( constant )
devoid of modality and
without reference to context .
Modality
• What we do with what we say
thinking, promising .. . It can
be correspondingly as
locutionary and illocutionary .
• Type of meaning which
expesses the speaker and
attitude towards the
propositional content .
Dương Thanh Mai

11. Types of
Modality
Epistemic
Judgments
Evidentials
Deontic
Imperatives
Directives
Commissives
Vũ Thanh Xuân

12. Epistemic Modality
 “Epistemic” means “understanding” or “knowledge”.
 Epistemic modality refers to the degree of commitments
by the speaker to what he says – the extent to which the
truth of a proposition is possible.
 Fx: She must love him. ____ She might love him.
 Epistemic is possibility-based and concerned with truth,
belief and knowledge.
 Epistemic has the declarative as its unmarked member of
the modal system.
She may be cute.

13. Judgment
Possibility
& Necessity
Subjective
Evidential
Direct &
Indirect
Objective
Vũ Thanh Xuân
It’s about the speaker’s qualification of his or her epistemic
commitment. It concerns his beliefs, attitudes or
knowledge.
Fx: I think he will love her.
=> It’s possible that he will love her (it can be true or not)
It means the propositional content will be a
matter of fact.
Fx: He says that he loves her.
“I love her,” John says.

14. Deontic Modality
 Deontic contains an element of will, concerning with
actions rather than with belief, knowledge and truth.
 Deontic is necessity-based/ obligation- based.
 Fx: You need to leave now => You will leave. (You are
obligated to leave now)
It is necessary that you come in time. => You will
come in time (It’s necessary for you to come in time)
 Expression: Verbs & Adjectives

15. • Come in!
Imperatives
• You must do exercises everyday.
Directives
• I promise that I will help you.
Commissives (Declaratives)
speech acts are to cause the hearer to
take a particular action, e.g. requests,
commands and advices
speech acts that commit a
speaker to some future actions,
e.g. promises and swears

16. Epistemic Modality
• It’s about
“understanding” or
“knowledge”.
• Epistemic is
possibility-based.
• It is concerned with
truth, belief and
knowledge.
Deontic Modality
• It’s about will,
permission or
obligation.
• Deontic is necessity-
based/ obligation-
based.
• It’s concerned with
actions.
Vũ Thanh Xuân

17. (a) I must be getting sick.
(b) Nitric acid will dissolve zinc.
(c) He can miss the class.
(d) I should work faster.
(e) He said you may be pregnant.
(f) We should arrive on time.
(g) Harris has to retire next year.
Determine whether the following sentences with modal expressions, in
normal readings, have deontic or epistemic meaning or are ambiguous:
a. It’s possible that I am getting sick. =>
Epistemic (subjective)
b. It’s certain that N.A dissolves zinc, I
know. => Epistemic (subjective)
c. He has permission to miss class or
he’s able to miss class => Deontic
(directive)
d. It’s possible that I work faster. =>
Epistemic (subjective and objective)
e. It’s possible that you are pregnant. =>
Epistemic (objective)
f. Deontic (commissive): We are under
an obligation to arrive on time.
Epistemic (subjective): It’s likely that
we will arrive on time.
g. Harry is obliged to retire. => Deontic
(Directive)

18. mood
modality
 Mood is a syntactic concept,
referring to the way in which
Verb express the attitude of
the Addresser towards the
factual content of what is
being communicated.
 whether it is being asserted,
questioned, demanded,etc...
 Modality is a
semantic concept,
providing the
semantic
information
associated with the
speaker’s attitude or
opinion about what
is said.
Trần Thị Linh

19. mood
• Indicative: is used in sentence or clauses -> make factual
statement
E.g: The sun rises at 6:00 a.m torrow morning.
+a past tense inflection, namely -ed.
E.g: the door closed.
• Imperative: is described as the form of a verb that is normally
used in directing or commanding people to do something.
E.g: Leave your coat in the hallway, please.
• subjunctive: traditionally seen as the form of a verb that it
used to speak about hypothetical, desirable or necessary
situations.
E.g: It’s important that she be informed of the changes.
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20. modality
• Deontic:
When a modal verb is used to affect a situation, by
giving permission, etc, this is deontic modality
E.g: You can go when you've finished.
You may go at four o’clock.
• epistemic:
When a modal verb is used to express the speaker's
opinion about a statement, then this is epistemic
modality:
E.g: It might be true.
Here, the speaker is expressing their attitude about
whether it is true or not, accepting that there is a
possibility, but not being certain
Trần Thị Linh

21. • Expression of mood: opposite form of Lexical Verbs and modal
auxiliaries, Adjective.
• one mood can show different types of modality:
E.g: He must be on plane. (indicative)
+epistemic: surely he must be on the plane.
+deontic: I order him to be on the plane.
• Expression of modality: opposite forms of modal verb
(may, can,...), +Adj (necessary, imperative, obvious,...),
+Adv(possibly, surely,...),
+nouns (likelihood,probability,...),
+Lexical verbs ( i think you should, i ask you,...)
• modality is formalized in Mood.
Declaretives express epistemic modality.
Imperatives can show deonic modality.

22. Personal modality
Form-modality markers
-> That nobody expected it to happen is obvious
-> That they arrived home early is surprising
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23. Content-modality markers
-> I am serious to ask whether you love her or not.
-> It is my personal idea that I don’t like chess
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24. Modality in subordinate clauses
3 types of subordinate clause
Nominal clauses
Adverbial clause
Relative clause
Đặng Thị Ngọc

25. SUMARRY
• Definition of Modality:
- Modality is the non – propositional part of the
sentence which concerns its factual status.
- Modality express necessity and possibility.
- Modality: the factual status of proposition.
▪ Types of Modality: Epistemic and Deontic.
 Distinction b.w Mood and Modality.
 Personal modality.
 Modality in subordinates clauses.

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