A Corpus-based Study On Modal Operators In International Maritime Conventions

Aristotle argues that modal operators can be used to express the meaning of necessity, possibility, permission and suggestion; they are the most active logical expressions. According to Halliday, modality can express personal wishes and obligations. Modal operators are the backbone of modal expression, and study on modal operators has become a hot research topic in linguistics. One remarkable feature of legal English is the extensive use of modal operators. As an important kind of legal English, International Maritime Conventions (IMC) are embodied with the basic features of legal English: accuracy, solemnity and logicality.Mainly based on Halliday’s modality system, this thesis discusses and analyzes the features of modal operators in IMC, taking modal operators’use in general English (LOB) for reference. Through discussion and analysis under the help of AntConc and SPSS, this study aims to find out the unique features of modal operators used in IMC.It is found that the overall frequency of modal operators in IMC is higher than that in LOB, and the frequency of each modal operator is also different in the two corpora. In terms of modality type, IMC seldom uses modal operators to express meaning of usuality and inclination; IMC tends to use modal operators like shall and may to express obligation while in LOB, must and should are employed more frequently. In terms of modality value, median value is the most widely applied modality value both in IMC and in LOB; however, in IMC the modal operator shall and may are treated as high value because they are used to indicate obligation and prohibition. As for modality orientation, IMC tends to use modal operators to express objective orientation. As for modality polarity, IMC tends to use modal operators to express direct polarity. This study is useful for maritime English teaching and learning, and can provide some basis for the translation of Chinese maritime laws and regulations.