Analysis Of Modality In Texts

This thesis, in the framework of Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics, is concerned with text analysis regarding modality. Although there has been no consensus of theory about modality up to now, the messy, complex and vigorous nature of modality does have been demonstrated in the continuous studies and discussions from different perspectives. In Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics, the system of modality is one of the main resources realizing interpersonal meaning which, in text analysis, should be accorded the same attention as textual and ideational meaning since they are three united metafunctions built in to languages. According to this, this thesis is an attempt to analyze modality in a text.The study in the thesis is a qualitative analysis. Put it more specifically, modality analysis in a text has been undertaken on the basis of Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics, and two principles have been complied with in the process of study. Firstly, the study of meaning should always be concentrated on in text analysis. Secondly, the meaning encoded by the various wordings in texts should be correlated to the context in which language is used. Then, through this qualitative analysis, the thesis would be drawn an end with the conclusion that the system of modality in the text plays a key part in construing interpersonal meaning of the text and could never be divorced from the context projected by the text involved.This thesis consists in six chapters. The first chapter will be devoted to an introduction of the thesis as a whole. In chapter two, literature reviews relating to the study of modality, in particular the theoretical framework of modality in Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics, would be accounted for in some detail, which could lay the foundations for the following chapters. Then, keeping it in our mind that the analysis of modality should be extended to the textual level through its prominence in quantity or quality, chapter three is to explore how the diverse lexico-grammatical forms of modality play a key role in realizing interpersonal meaning of the text 'How Boys Become Men'. Afterwards, the interrelationship between modality and context...