A Study On English Medical Package Insert Discourse Based On Functional Dimension Of Modality

Modality is a main way to realize the interpersonal function.Li Zhanzi and Yang Xinzhang have combined modality with discourses such as academical discourse and literary discourse,etc.In this thesis,EMPIs(short for English medical package inserts)are separated into 6 parts.According to the research,it had been testified that every part has its own traits in language use.These characteristics lurked in it has made every part utilize different modal resources.And the distribution of modality indeterminacy has been predetermined by their modality features.Unlike other kind of discourses,EMPI discourse belongs to the category of special-purpose English which is employed to convey medicine information and use language skill to show its objectivity and scientificity which can make the modality variables have their own traits in this kind of discourse.From these two perspectives,the author analyzes EMPI discourse in a microcosmic view and providing new sources of inspiration for this research.It has been demonstrated that it is reliable and authentic to study modality by dint of data corpus.Data corpus can reveal the relationship between modality and discourse better.200 EMPI discourses have been involved in this thesis,and 120 pieces are effective for this research.A set of variables including modality types,modality values and modality orientations have been analyzed.As a whole,it is a kind of empirical study,but it must be supported by theories.Halliday's modality system has been used in this thesis and it is composed of some sub-systems including modality types,modality expressions,modality values and modality orientations.In conclusion,the research about indeterminacy of discourse and modality has proceeded through two dimensions: deontic-epistemic dimension and subjective-objective dimension,in addition,the specialty of this discourse has been discussed from these three variables of modality.The study adopts the combination of qualitative and quantitative researches.Data corpus downloaded from FDA about the aspect of EMPI on Yaozhi Website.Each EMPI has about10,000 words,and consists of 11 parts commonly.In this thesis,6 typical parts will be intercepted as research objects.And quantitative research will be applied in recognition and partition of modality.The tentative research has testified that it is available to use modality in EMPI to realizeinterpersonal function.And this research not only has expanded the domain of interpersonal function analysis,but also provided important guidance for EMPI compilation.