Курсовая с практикой на тему The usage of modal verbs in «Three men in a boat» by Jerome K. Jerome.

Содержание:

INTRODUCTION 3
1 THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF MODAL VERBS IN ENGLISH 5
1.1 Modality category in English 5
1.2 Characteristic of modal verbs in English 13
Conclusions of the first chapter 23
2 ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIFIC USE OF MODAL VERBS IN «THREE MEN IN A BOAT» BY JEROME K. JEROME 24
Conclusions of the second chapter 28
CONCLUSIONS 30
REFERENCES 31

Введение:

Relevance of the topic. Modal words and phrases in linguistics are one of the controversial lexicographic categories of words that have attracted particular attention of linguists since the second half of the 20th century. However, modal words have not yet been fully considered because of their multiplicity, the specifics of expression in language, and functions in speech. Therefore, the selection of the research topic is due to the insufficient scientific understanding of the category of modality in modern English and the ways of its expression.
The anthropocentric orientation of modern linguistics causes an increased interest in the category of modality in their multifunctional manifestations. Modal attitudes and linguistic means of their implementation constantly attract the attention of linguists and become the object of study on the formal-synthetic, semantic-syntactic, communicative-functional, textual and discursive levels.
The theoretical basis of the research was the work of leading domestic and foreign experts in philosophy (Gasteva Yu. O., Epshteina MN, Vitgeshteina N., Vrygta G.Kh.); Linguistics (Sh. Bali, D.O. Paramonov, V.G.Admoni, A.Wezhbitskaya, R.Bart, I.P.Galperin); literary studies (VM Meshcheryakova, NS Valgina, M. Mariel).
Антропоцентрична спрямованість сучасного мовознавства обумовлює підвищений інте-
рес до категорії модальності у її багатофункціональних проявах. Модальні відношення і мовні
засоби їх реалізації постійно привертають увагу лінгвістів і стають об’єктом вивчення на фор-
мально-синтаксичному, семантико-синтаксичному, комунікативно-функціональному, тексто-
вому та дискурсивному рівнях.
Антропоцентрична спрямованість сучасного мовознавства обумовлює підвищений інте-
рес до категорії модальності у її багатофункціональних проявах. Модальні відношення і мовні
засоби їх реалізації постійно привертають увагу лінгвістів і стають об’єктом вивчення на фор-
мально-синтаксичному, семантико-синтаксичному, комунікативно-функціональному, тексто-
вому та дискурсивному рівнях.
Антропоцентрична спрямованість сучасного мовознавства обумовлює підвищений інте-
рес до категорії модальності у її багатофункціональних проявах. Модальні відношення і мовні
засоби їх реалізації постійно привертають увагу лінгвістів і стають об’єктом вивчення на фор-
мально-синтаксичному, семантико-синтаксичному, комунікативно-функціональному, тексто-
вому та дискурсивному рівнях.
The phenomenon of modality is still the subject of the study of many linguists, since the significance at the present stage of the development of linguistics has a problem of the evolution of modality in different languages, because it is the central language category and is universal. Thus, insufficient scientific systematization of the category of modality and means of its expression in English determines the relevance of this study. The importance of the problem lies also in the fact that modality as a lexical-grammatical category causes a lot of difficulties in the translation process and in the study of its functionality. This, above all, is due to the divergence of means of expressing modality in the English and Russian languages, which leads to incomplete or inaccurate disclosure during translation.
The widespread use of modal verbs as exponential modalities in modern English, the changes taking place in modern English grammar, the importance of refining knowledge about the means of expressing modality, their significance and the order of application require a comprehensive study of this multidimensional phenomenon.
The relevance of the research topic is also determined by the need for a multidimensional theoretical study of the category of modality, means of expressing modality, systematization of the modal verbs of modern English, determining the status of modal verbs in the language. The current tendency of linguistic research aimed at studying fiction is the study of the peculiarities of the functioning of certain linguistic units that are quite frequent, as well as of the structures in which they can be used. Such structures can be subjected to formal analysis and use in applied linguistic programs, which also raises the relevance of the proposed study.
The object of the study is the importance of English modal verbs.
The subject of the study is the functional-semantic peculiarities of the expression of various aspects of modality with the help of modal verbs.
The purpose of the article is to study the functioning of English modal verbs in artistic discourse on an example of «Three men in a boat» by Jerome K. Jerome.
Objectives of the study:
1. To characterize the category of modality in the English language.
2. To characterize the modal verbs in English.
3. To analyze the specifics of the use of modal verbs in «Three men in a boat» by Jerome K. Jerome.
Research methods:
− analysis of the literature on the research topic;
− method of synthesis;
− generalization method;
− method of continuous sampling;
− descriptive method.
The material of the study served English modal verbs used in «Three men in a boat» by Jerome K. Jerome.
The structure of the study is determined by the purpose and objectives of the study. The work consists of introduction, two chapters, conclusions of chapters, conclusion and bibliography.

Заключение:

The category of modality attracts more and more attention of linguists because of its multifunctional and manifold manifestation. In linguistic science, modality refers to the most studied categories, which is along with research in the field of metaphors. Modal values and ways of their reproduction are studied at different language levels, such as syntactic, semantic-syntactic, textual and communicative-functional.
Modality is a semantic category that expresses the speaker’s relation to the content of the statement, the purpose of the statement and the relation of the content of the message to reality. In linguistics, there is an objective and subjective modality. Objective modality expresses the communication of a message with one and the other plan of reality, that is, real or imaginary is what is reported, possible or desirable. Subjective modality expresses the attitude of the speaker to the content of the statement.
In English, the modality category is manifested in four levels: phonetic, lexical, lexical, grammatical, and grammatical. At the phonetic level, the emphasis and intonation can express such values of modality as assumptions, reservations, doubts, confidence, etc. In English, the intonational or logical emphasis is most often placed on predicate centers. At the grammatical level, modality is expressed by the verb method (real, order, conditional), which are implemented respectively in narrative, inductive and negative sentences.
This study has its theoretical significance, which consists in considering the specifics of the use of modal verbs of the English language in various modal meanings – subjective and objective.
The practical significance of the research is that the theoretical and factual material we collect can be used in further development of the subject under study, as well as as a lecture material for students of philological specialties.
The prospect of the work is to explore the means of expressing modality in the works of different genres, which will considerably extend the range of their use and will allow them to study the peculiarities of their application more thoroughly.
 

Фрагмент текста работы:

1 THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF MODAL VERBS IN ENGLISH
1.1 Modality category in English

The term «modality» is used in various spheres of knowledge: in philosophy, logic, linguistics, literary criticism. The word «modality» comes from the Latin «modus» — a measure, a means. The concept of «modality» first appeared in Aristotle’s «Metaphysics» (he singled out three leading modal concepts: necessity, possibility and reality) [2], later this division was transformed into classical philosophical systems. Various ideas about modality could be found in works of Theophrastus, Eudemus of Rhodes, medieval scholastics. In the philosophy of the New Age, the traditional distribution of the judgments of I. Kant to the assertoric (judgment of reality), problematic (judgment of the possibility), apodictic (judgment of necessity), as well as reliable and probable [13]. M.N. Epstein, in his book Philosophy of Possible, generalizes approaches to the study of modalities in various spheres of human thought. He relates the notion of modality to the basic and builds his theory of possible, based on the three main modality of being: Reality, Possible and Necessary. As most significant, he highlights the modality of the Possible, because two other modalities are determined through it [32].
Modality in logic is a characteristic of judging by the «power» of assertion: judgment may be necessary, possible, incidental, impossible, etc. [24, р. 46].
Since the text is the main object of the study of literary critics, the category of modality in this field of knowledge is considered just as a category that characterizes the text as a whole. The literary term represents a conglomerate of values of modality as a philosophical and ethical category and modality as a category of linguistics. The dictionary of literary terms gives a definition of modality similar to its definition in linguistics: «the category of expression, which expresses the speaker’s relation to the depicted reality» [21, р. 18].
A specialist in English literature, professor at Edinburgh University, Alares Fowler, wrote about the proximity of the concepts of «genre» and «modality». The difference between concepts, in his opinion, lies in the fact that the genre defines a group of pieces of art with similar certain features, and the modality defines a certain feature, inherent in the most characteristic pieces of art of a given genre. The modal characteristic is added to the genre characteristic (for example, satirical drama, comic novel, etc.) [32].
More detailed this issue was considered by Gerard Janet in his book «Works on Poetics». The scientist raises the term «modality» in the narrow sense, in this case, the narrative modality is meant. There are the following types of modalities: narrative, dramatic, mixed. Thus, modality is a universal linguistic form, and the genre is its thematic variety (for example, vaudeville is a thematic kind of comedy). However, there is no rigid attachment of the genre to one particular modality [9, р. 98]. Depending on, which point of view events are considered, the narrative gets one or another perspective. In turn, the distance and perspective are two main features of modality, two main means of information regulation. The distance determines the extent to which information is transmitted in detail, the prospect – as far as it is exhaustively or inaccurately delivered.
Domestic literary studies paid little attention to the modality category. Among the Russian researchers should be noted Vladimir Meshcheryakov [18, р. 100]. He classifies the category of modality to those categories having a semiotic nature. For modality, as for the pragmatic category, the nature of the means of realization is indifferent: this category can be realized on the grammatical, lexical, or intonational level, in the text section, or in the whole text. Meshcheryakov distinguishes two types of modality: a segment, that characterizes the process of deployment of text on its individual sections, and a supersegment that reflects the author’s assessment of reality. The scientist defines a supersegmental modality as a «genre» modality: the modal background of a text determines its affiliation with one or another genre. Proceeding from the thesis that the authors can see and understand the causal relationships in the depicted reality in a different way, and thus «the work of the plot reflects the author’s relation to what he writes,» Mescheryakov highlights cognitive modality. Cognitive modality is a modality that manifests itself as a result of analysis of means of artistic image, hidden modality. The author argues that the paradigm of modal contexts is limited and depends on the morals, values, priorities of society in each particular period of its development.
N.S. Valgina in the book “The Theory of the text” calls modality «the most important element of textural and textual perception», which glues all units of the text into a single content and structural unit [7]. The researcher also draws attention to the branch of subjective modality that determines the speaker’s relation to the statement, and the objective, expressing the relation of the statement to reality.
Like logic and philosophy, linguistics identifies several types of modality that differ in the three moods of the verb: Indicative, Imperative and Subjunctive. The modality in linguistics is defined by scientists as a functional-semantic category, which contributes to the expression of various types of attitudes of expression to reality, as well as various types of subjective qualifications of the utterance. In Western European linguistics, Charles Bally’s concept of the modality of has become most widespread. the essence of which is that in any statement one can distinguish the main content (dictum) and its modal part (modus), which expresses the intellectual, emotional or volitional statement of the speaker in relation to dictum [4].
In the concepts of various linguists, the scope of this concept and the coverage of language phenomena do not coincide. The treatment of the term «modality» in modern linguistics is extremely broad, but in any interpretation, there is an element of appreciation: «the point of view,» the relation in an explicit or implicit form is included in the interpretation [21, р. 101]. Category of the modality is one of the linguistic universals, it can be found in the various levels of language (morphology, syntax, intonation). Undoubtedly, it can be found among the text characteristics as well.
In linguistics, the semantic category of modality transmits the speaker’s relation to the content of his statement, the purpose of the target, the relation of the content of the statement to reality. Modality may have the meaning of assertion, order, wish, assumption, authenticity, reality or unreality. Objective modality has a connection with the category of time and is differentiated based on timeliness and insignificance. Subjective modality is the speaker’s attitude to what is being said, an additional function of the message. The semantic basis of the subjective modality is formed by the concept of evaluation in a broad sense, which includes both the logical (intellectual, rational) qualification of the message, and various types of emotional (irrational) reactions.
Modality can be expressed by different grammatical and lexical means. Imperative and Subjunctive Mood in English can serve as examples of modality expression. Also, modal words, for example, perhaps, likely; modal verbs can, may, should and must has some tone of modality.
The group of modal verbs includes a small number of those verbs that differ from the rest by a number of characteristic features of meaning, use, and grammatical form. Such verbs do not have their own verbal category (type, temporal relativity); they are characterized only by the form of action and time, which are signs of the predicate. From this it follows that in the absence of infinitive forms, gerundi, participles, modal verbs are located on the periphery of the verbal system of the English language.
By function in the sentence modal verbs are auxiliary. They denote the ability, ability, probability, necessity of action, which in itself is expressed by a meaningful verb. Thus, modal verbs are combined with the infinitive and form a complex modal predicate with it. For example, It should be about five now.
A modal word is a word whose specific meaning is lost; therefore, in speech it functions as a means of describing the image of a modality. A modal word is a part of the language to which immutable words belong, which express the speaker’s subjective attitude to the expressed thought.
Regarding the form of modal words, we note that they do not have an explicit external sign. However, the two other signs, semantic and syntactic, are presented very clearly in them, which gives many linguists the opportunity to relate them to a separate part of speech. The value of the subjective attitude to the expression in terms of its reliability, approximation, desirability is a semantic feature of modal words.
Modal word performs the function of the insert part of the sentence, much less — word-sentence.
In modern English, modal words include (Table 1):
By its meaning, modal words can be divided, depending on the image of their subjective relation to the facts of reality, to words-assertion, assumptions and words that give an evaluation of the statement in terms of desirability or reluctance.
Most modal words in English derived from adverbs and have the suffix -ly, so modal words are often close to adverbs and particles. For this reason, it is difficult to distinguish them. The most commonly used modal words include: modal words that express uncertainty in the probability of the message being reported — maybe, perhaps, probably (Probably, you’re right); modal words expressing approval and disapproval — fortunately, unfortunately, luckily, unluckily, happily, unhappily (Unfortunately, the weather was bad); Modal words — «amplifiers» — really (I really do not know what’s to be done.); modal words expressing confidence in the message of course, sure, surely, to be sure, sure enough, evidently, obviously, no doubt, naturally, really.
In contemporary linguistics, the idea of differentiating between objective and subjective modality is not always unanimous. Instead, modality is treated as a purely subjective category, which covers two layers of modal relations: primary and secondary [10]. Primary modality expresses the degree of relation of the content of the statement to reality from the point of view of the speaker. Under the secondary modality understand the characteristics of the relation of the subject to action in
terms of necessity, the desirability of action, as well as the characteristics of the speaker’s relation to the content of the statement as a whole in relation to his confidence in the message.
Epistemic modality is considered to be an integral part of subjective modality, which expresses the probability, authenticity, truth of the statement, degree of completeness and the nature of the speaker’s knowledge of the message [25]. Epistemic modality reflects the degree of validity of the content of the utterance, as well as the way of perceiving the information contained in the message.
In logic, there are two types of judgments based on the degree of validity: reliable and problematic. True judgments reflect the real state of things, they are reasonable, while problematic judgments are not well-founded [19]. The reasons for making a decision on the degree of validity of the judgment are faith and knowledge.
Within the functional-semantic approach, the values that form the category of modality, collectively, represent the semantic macro field of the modality of expression, which in turn consists of the micro fields of the primary modality and the secondary modality with their subspecies. The micro field of epistemic modality is formed by values that reflect the degree of confidence of the speaker in the authenticity of the reported information. The composition of this micro field includes the values of probability and uncertainty, and probability is divided into high, simple and low [20, р. 10].
Reasonable linguistic studies of modality require a comprehensive review of the flow of speech in close connection with all sections of linguistics. The specificity of modality is that modal values are not always represented by markers belonging to the same level. Seven modalities are expressed by means described in morphology, syntax, phonetics, linguistics of the text.
In the Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary modality (from Latin modus — measure, method) is considered as a functional-semantic category, expressing different types of attitude of expression to reality, as well as various types of subjective qualifications of a message [27, p. 303]. The scope of modality include: 1) the opposition to the expressed by the nature of their communicative installation (statement — the question — the inducement); 2) opposition on the basis of «statement — denial»; 3) graduation of values in the range of «reality — irreality» (reality — hypothetical — irreality), different degrees of confidence of the speaker in the reliability of the thought of reality, which is formed by him; 4) various modifications of the relationship between the subject and the predicate, expressed by lexical means («wants», «may», «must», «necessary») [26, p. 303].
O.S. Akhmanova considers modality as a conceptual category with the meaning of the speaker’s attitude to the statement and the relation expressed to reality [3, p. 237].
By M. Bloch definition, modality as a category in the English language may be manifested «in the sphere of grammatical elements of the language and in the field of its lexical-nominative elements. In this sense, any word expressing an estimate with the surrounding reality must be defined as a modal» [6, p. 98].
Definition of the category of modality, according to G. A. Zolotova, includes three meanings: 1) the ratio of the statement to reality from the standpoint of the speaker; 2) the attitude of the speaker to the content of the statement; 3) the formation of the subject of action to action [11, p. 12].
L.S. Yermolayeva distinguishes between the following main types of modality — «internal» and «external». Under the «internal» modality refers to the relation of the subject of action to the action carried out by him; under the «external» — the ratio of the content of the sentence to reality in terms of reality — the irreality (type I) and the degree of confidence of the speaker in relation to the reported facts (type II).
Although L.S. Yermolayeva speaks of two types of modality, in fact its classification includes three types of modality whose meanings are analogous to those analyzed by G.A. Zolotova. Thus, the specificity of the internal modality lies in the fact that this form does not give the modal characteristics of the entire sentence, but only gives a modal description of relations within the sentence (that is, «internal modality»). The main means of expressing the modal relationship between the subject of action and action in the English language are modal verbs. In the sentence, they are part of a compound verbal modal predicate and show the attitude of the speaker to the sentence.
Under the external modality of type I it is understood the relation of the content of the sentence to reality in terms of reality — irreality. L. S. Yermolayeva considers the contradiction of reality — the irreality on the basis of conformity or inconsistency of the content of the statement of reality, the main means of which are the form of the method.
In the external modality of type II, the role of the speaker is especially highlighted, since in this type of modality, the degree of confidence, doubt (or uncertainty) of the speaker is expressed in accordance with the content of the statement. This modal value is transmitted, for example, by modal verbs that perform a secondary function and show a modal relation to the entire sentence [11, p. 13, 25].
The analysis of scientific literature on this issue shows that the interpretation of the category of modality is extremely broad. However, in general, linguists tend to believe that the category of modality reflects two types of logical and grammatical relationships: the ratio of the content of the sentence to objective reality and the attitude of the speaker to the content of the sentence (statement). The first type of connection is called «objective modality,» while the second is seen as a form of speech and is called «subjective modality» [14, p. 17-18]. For example, E.A. Zvereva highlights objective and subjective modality. The researcher points out that objective modality expresses relations that objectively exist in real reality – the relation of necessity or opportunity, due to objective