This part presents the background, objectives, methodology, data collection and organization of the current study.
1.1 Background
The current study proposes a new term, namely, modal satellite adverbs (hereafter MSAs), to designate some adverbs which co-occur with modal verbs (hereafter MVs）in supplementing the modality expressed by the latter in discourse or text.It argues that MSAs add another layer of modality to that conveyed by MVs, and hence this linguistic phenomenon can be termed as modality supplementing.
This dissertation regards MSAs as a means of modality supplementing, and studies them for two reasons.First, they have been little studied before.Second, the co-occurrence of modal devices may function differently from the presence of single modal devices.hence, the modal synergy that results from modal co-occurrence is worth studying.
Satellite as a syntactic and functional term is proposed and studied by Dik (1978: 49-50).According to him, the nuclear arguments are necessary components of the nuclear predication.The satellites are optional extensions of the nuclear predication, specifying additional aspects of the state of affairs designated by the latter.Dik (ibid）argues that satellites have five typical semantic functions:
(i）further specification of the nuclear state of affairs: Manner, Quality, Instrument;
(ii）relations of the state of affairs to other participants: Beneficiary, Comitative;
(iii）relations of the state of affairs to the temporal dimension: Time, Duration, Frequency;
(iv）relations of the state of affairs to the spatial dimension: Location, Source, Direction, Path;
(v）relations of the state of affairs to other states of affairs: Circumstance, Cause, Reason, Purpose, Result.
Dik’s argument indicates the importance of satellites in clauses.While his research places satellites in the context of isolated clauses only, the current study associates MSAs with clauses and genres, and its focus is modality supplementing rather than a general statement of satellites in clauses.Nevertheless, there is something in common between his study and this dissertation, that is, to show the synergetic effects of the main and supplementary linguistic devices.
The term MSA that is coined in this study is related to Hoye (1997), who postulates that adverbs in the modal combination pattern of MV + adverb are the satellites of MVs.Like Hoye (ibid), this study holds that adverbs include single-word and such idiomatic phrases as in fact, on my part, of course, and between you and me (cf.Leech et al., 2001; Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004).Consider the following examples:
(1）Can this possibly be the last time we’ll meet?
(2）There’s only one thing-if you come next week, on the 26th, she will probably almost definitely be here, so I leave it to you.
(3）Obviously you cannot care enough unless the information is presented to us in a certain way.
According to Hoye (1997: 186-187), satellite adverbs may have restrictions in combining with MVs in terms of semantic compatibility.Can in Example (1）could display the modal sense of judgment, will in Example (2）the modal senses of both willingness and judgment, and cannot in Example (3）both ability and judgment.In comparison, by means of the MSA possibly, the modal sense of judgment of can in Example (1）is strengthened; co-occurring with probably almost definitely, will in Example (2）has the modal sense of judgment only rather than the modal senses of both willingness and judgment; the MSA obviously helps to retain the modal senses of both ability and judgment of cannot in Example (3）though obviously is a comment on the clausal proposition.Thus, on some occasions MSAs can help to fix or adjust the modal senses or orientations.On other occasions like Example (3), though MSAs do not shift the modal orientation, they adjust the value upward or downward to some extent.In the latter case, MSAs strengthen or weaken the tone of speech or writing.In short, MSAs can enrich the modal senses expressed by MVs by either shifting or adjustment.Therefore, MSAs can function like MVs but in a supplementary way.
This dissertation will make improvement over Hoye’s study by coining the term MSA, associating MVs with adverbs in modal synergy.Specifically, the current study targets at the improvement in the following areas:
(A）the modal areas that MSAs are involved in;
(B）the ways of realizing modal synergy through modality supplementing;
(C）the roles that the co-occurrences between MVs and MSAs can play in reducing or solving modal ambiguities;
(D）the needs for MSAs in discourse.
It is found that MSAs as a means of modality supplementing have received little attention from linguists.The existing research on modality mainly focuses on single means of modality, such as MVs and modal adverbs (MAs).