Semantic Features And Text Function Of The Modal Adverbs

Modal Adverbs are relatively special in the Word Class System. Modal adverbs often appear in the dynamic sentence, but they can’t appear in static phrases. Modal adverbs express the speakers’subjective attitude towards propositions. On the other hand, from the syntactic distribution, modal adverbs work for the whole sentence and it can be arranged flexibly, such as in the middle of the sentence, at the beginning of the sentence and even set them apart from the rest of the sentences by paring them down to one independent sentence. In the discourse, modal adverbs not only highlight the focus, point out the presupposition and form a closer tie between paragraphs. What’s more, it helps to strengthen the cohesion of the chapters.Based on the previous research and the comprehensive consideration about semantic and pragmatic factors of modal adverbs, chooses105modal adverbs to make a systematic investigation. Depended on the classification, it combines with description and explanation, but also puts common analysis and character together. Moreover, it uses the functional grammar and the theory of cognitive linguistics for reference to make description and summary about semantic feature of modal adverbs. And then put the modal adverbs into the article and make a detailed investigation from the textual connection, presupposition trigger and the cohesion of the chapters view. Finally, it turns out that there is close link between textual functions and the semantic structure and the former is the foundation of the latter, and the latter is the embodiment of the former.This dissertation is divided into four chapters’total.Chapter1:Introduction. This chapter involves the present situation of modal adverbs, the significance of topic, research status, research scope, objects and method.Chapter2:this chapter comes up with a different category system from previous research, and describes its semantic features and pragmatic functions. This paper is based on the classification of the understanding of the modal adverbs. Modal adverbs express the speakers’subjective attitude towards propositions. It has not only express the function of the tone, but also be able to express people’s subjective opinion to proposition. Modal adverbs are generalized evaluation of semantic foundation, including the comment on the logic of propositional content (rationality) and the reflection of various feelings (irrationality). This paper focuses on using commentary as point, and puts forward a different category system from previous research, and sum up all kinds of semantic characteristics of modal adverbs. According to the investigation, the classification has been proved to be reasonable; this is one of the paper’s innovative points.Chapter3:Based on the second chapter, it makes a deep investigation in the textual function. This chapter studies that different kinds of modal adverbs have different effects and point out the connection between different modal adverbs and semantic features. And that’s another innovation of this paper.Chapter4:In conclusion. I will summarize the shortage and innovations, and come up with some new idea about how to improve future research.