An Analysis On Modality In Contract Law Of P.R.C. From Interpersonal Function Perspective

Interpersonal function is an important social function of language. This thesis takes the English version Contract Law of P.R.C as the corpus. This study is carried out within the framework of Halliday's systemic-functional grammar, which analyzes the modality in Contract Law of P.R.C and explores the interpersonal function embodied in modality. It aims at investigating the close relationship between interpersonal meaning and modality system by analyzing the modal expressions in Contract Law.Firstly the author reviews the relevant studies of forensic linguistics at home and abroad. The history is not so long to study legal language from systemic-functional grammar perspective; meanwhile, the studies of Contract Law from systemic-functional grammar perspective are much less and most of the studies are carried out from the translation perspective.This thesis takes Halliday's systemic-functional grammar as theoretical framework and focuses on the analysis of modal expressions in Contract Law from the interpersonal perspective. It reveals the distribution of modality and the interpersonal meaning expressed by modality. It stresses on the linguistic realization in modality system.The results of the study show what are the main modal expressions in Contract Law of P.R.C, how to understand the modality system in Contract Law correctly and what kind of interpersonal functions expressed through modality. It plays an important role in the understanding Contract Law for the relative parties and shows the obligation and probability carried by the relative parties clearly. It can also provide reference for legal document translations in modality aspect.