Epistemic Modality Essay

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Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” English Department Term Paper: “Epistemic Modality” By Anastasiya Bogoslovova Major: English Philology 3rd Year Faculty Number: 1003041070 Assistant Professor V. Koynakova Plovdiv 2013 Epistemic modality is a sub-type of linguistic modality that deals with a speaker's evaluation/judgment of, degree of confidence in, or belief of the knowledge upon which a proposition is based. In other words, epistemic modality refers to the way speakers communicate their doubts, certainties, and guesses—their "modes of knowing". More technically, epistemic modality may be defined "...as (the linguistic expression of) an evaluation of the chances that a certain hypothetical state of affairs under consideration (or some aspect of it) will occur, is occurring, or has occurred in a possible world which serves as the universe of interpretation for the evaluation process… In other words, epistemic modality concerns an estimation of the likelihood that (some aspect of) a certain state of affairs is/has been/will be true (or false) in the context of the possible world under consideration. And this estimation of likelihood is situated on a scale going from certainty that the state of affairs applies, via a neutral or agnostic stance towards its occurrence, to certainty that it does not apply, with intermediary positions on the positive and the negative sides of the scale". Modal verbs denoting logical assumption – must, have to, ought to and should. Must indicates the highest degree of likelihood whereas should, indicates the lowest. Modal verbs denoting probability/possibility – may, can, could, might. May indicates I slight degree of doubt whereas might, indicates the least degree of likelihood. might could can may C Probability/Possibility Modal verbs denoting predictability – will and would. Will indicates

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