Реферат на тему The category of modality

Содержание:

Introduction 3
The Category of Modality 4
Conclusion 13
References 14

Введение:

Such a problem as a modality interested scientists, both in antiquity and in our days. In modern science, the concept of modality is far from the last place. This term is used in such sciences as: logic, linguistics, psychology, philosophy.
In modern linguistics, the problem of the evolution of modality in different languages is widely considered.
Modality is one of the central language categories and has a universal character. The diachronic and synchronic analysis of the means of expressing modality is of particular interest, since they express the values of necessity and possibility, which plays an important role in communication.
The subject of research is the category of modality. The object of the research is the functioning of the category of modality.
The theoretical basis of the research is the work of leading domestic and foreign scientists in the field of linguistics and theoretical grammar in particular: Sh. Bally, E. A. Belyaev, N. Ya. Blokh, V. V. Vinogradov, L. S. Ermolaev, E. A Zvereva, F. R. Palmer, I. B. Khlebnikova and others.
A long-standing and constant interest of linguists in the study of modality is due to the fact that modality is one of the central categories of linguistics, a category expressing the attitude of the speaker to the content of the statement and the ratio of the content of the statement to the real for information Modality as a language category is a subject of long study in linguistics, however, its main types, functional characteristics, typological properties and semantics of the forms representing them make it impossible to classify this category as a single class of language formations.
The modality contains such a large range of values that it becomes necessary to study them more thoroughly. There are still no clear parameters for defining the notion of modality, defining the role of various language means in the expression of modal language meanings. According to one of the approaches to the definition of this category, modality is one of the indicators of predicativeness, which, along with the category of time, characterizes the grammatical meaning of a sentence. A number of theories are based on this concept, but the problem of the status and scope of the linguistic category of modality has not been fully studied until now.

Заключение:

A modality is a category of meaning that contains a link between an action and a reality, or a relation of the speaker to the action. The one, who speaks, not only conveys information to the addressee, but also expresses his assessment. The category of modality is one of the language universals, which is reflected in different levels of the language.
Consequently, modality is a complex multi-functional functional semantic category, which expresses the attitude of the speaker to the statement, and his assessment of the relation to the objective reality. The content of the statement can be considered as real or unreal, possible or impossible, necessary or probable, desirable or undesirable, etc. Modality is differentiated into objective and subjective.
The objective modality is based on the means of expression, rational assessment of the reality of the object, and the subjective modality is related to the expression of the author’s own attitude to the expressed meaning.
Subjective modality is a functional-semantic category that serves to embody an assessment by the speaker of the degree of reliability of the transmitted information. This category is of great importance when creating a popular science text — through its attitude to the events being described, the speaker shapes the addressee’s attitude towards them (and the view of the speaker will not be imposed — the reader will most likely agree with the assessment of a more competent journalist in this matter). For an objective modality, the denotation is the surrounding, real world, and for the subjective, it is the understanding of this world and the phenomena occurring in it.

Фрагмент текста работы:

The Category of Modality

The concept of “modality” first appeared in Aristotle’s “Metaphysics” (he singled out three leading modal concepts: necessity, possibility, and reality), later this distribution turned into classical philosophical systems. Various judgments about modality are found in “Theophastus” by Eudem of Rhodes and medieval scholastics. In the philosophy of modern times, the distribution of I. Kant’s judgments to assertive (judgments about reality), problematic (judgments about possibility), apodictic (judgments about necessity), as well as reliable and probable judgments. M.N. Epstein in his book «The Philosophy of the Possible» summarizes the approaches to the study of modalities in various fields of humanitarian thinking. He attributes the concept of modalities to basic ones and builds his theory of the possible, based on three basic modalities of being: reality is possible and necessary. As the most significant, he identifies the modality of the possible, since through it two other modalities are determined.
The polysemy of the term “modality” in linguistics is obvious. The concept of modality includes various phenomena that are united by the fact that they all grammatically and lexically express the attitude of the speaker (writer) to what is being communicated or communicated to reality. In our work, a modality is understood as a functional-semantic category expressing different types of attitude of a statement to reality, as well as different types of subjective qualifications of the communicated. The structure of modality is not monolithic; it is extremely complex, flexible and representative.
Modality is a category expressing different types of attitude to a statement to reality, and intonation is one of the extra-linguistic means that serve to express different shades of attitude to reality (including doubts). It should be concluded that intonation is an important extra-linguistic component of modal (and not only) utterances. Assumption is a very special kind of modal value.
This is a subjective assessment of the reality expressed by the speaker, based on how well he is aware of this state of affairs. If the speaker is not sufficiently aware of this fact (or does not want to say anything categorically), he reports it as something more or less likely. In fact, the fact that he assumes either corresponds to reality or does not correspond to it. [Barkhudarov 1973: 245].
The question of expressing precisely assumptions (and not other meanings of a wide modal plan) is specifically considered in this paper for two reasons. First, this is one of the most common modal relationships (people are often not sufficiently aware of a particular fact to be categorically asserted or denied). In this case, various forms of assumption are especially used in colloquial speech, in direct communication. Secondly, the basis for the selection of the assumption as a special type of modal meaning is the fact that the assumption is expressed, as a rule, by various lexical, or rather, lexical and grammatical means.
The definition of modality is a category expressing the attitude of the speaker to the content of the utterance, the relation of the latter to reality.
Modality may have the meaning of affirmation, orders, wishes, etc.
Modality is expressed by special forms of inclinations, intonation, modal words (for example, «maybe», «necessary», «should»); in logic, such words are called modal operators, with their help a way of understanding judgments (statements) is indicated. [Vinogradov 1975: 11].
Perhaps, there is no other category, on the linguistic nature and composition of the particular meanings of which so many contradictory points of view would be expressed as the category of modality. Most authors include in its structure values that are the most diverse in their essence, functional purpose, and belonging to levels of the linguistic structure, so that the category of modality loses any certainty.
Meanwhile, this problem is essential not only for linguistics, but also for logic, since the category of modality belongs to the area of linguistic phenomena where their connection with the logical structure and thinking turns out to be the most direct.
It is known that modality is equally the subject of study and linguistics and logic. And if in the first, modality is included in the list of the most essential characteristics of a sentence as a language unit, then in the second it is considered as an essential sign of judgment as a form of thinking. Therefore, the analysis of the language category modality can be made only in close connection with the analysis of the logical category of modality.
Linguistics has come a long way in the study of modality, based on the achievements of logic, semiotics and psychology. However, the modality has not yet received a full explanation due to its multiplicity, specificity of linguistic expression and functional features. Researchers give different definitions of the category «modality». Consider some concepts.
In the 1960s of the 20th century, all the linguistic facts relating to all phrases, introductory words, inserted constructions were formulated and brought into the system in the Russian grammar, but the definition of modality was not yet.
The first definition of modality is found in the Akhmanova’s linguistic dictionary, who considers modality as a conceptual category with the meaning of the attitude to the content of the utterance and the relation of the content of the utterance to reality (the relation communicated to its actual implementation), expressed by various lexical and grammatical means such as form and mood, modal verbs, etc. [Akhmanova 2010: 24].
Modality may have the meaning of statements, orders, wishes, assumptions, authenticity, irreality, etc. In the dictionary of linguistic terms, the modality is also divided by type:
— hypothetical modality (suppositional modality), which involves the presentation of the content of the utterance as conjectural;
— verbal modality verbal modality. Modality expressed by a verb;
— the modality of the surreal (unreal modality) representation of the content of the statement as impossible, impracticable;
— negative modality — presentation of the content of the statement as inappropriate to reality [Zvereva 1967: 248].
Russian grammar notes that, firstly, modality is expressed by multi-level means of language, secondly, it is indicated that the category of objective modality is related to the category of predicativeness, thirdly, the range of phenomena relating to modality phenomena is outlined:
 meaning of reality — irreality:
 reality is denoted by syntactic indicative (present, past, future tense);
 irreality — by surreal moods (subjunctive, conditional, desirable, incentive);
 subjective-modal value — the ratio of the speaker to the reported;
 words (verbs, short adjectives) are included in the scope of modality, which by their lexical meanings express opportunity, desire, and obligation [Shabalina 2002: 68].
The Russian dictionary of foreign words gives the following definition: “modality — (fr. Modalite, lat. Modus inclination) — modality of judgment — the difference between logical judgments depending on the nature of the confidence they establish — on whether they express the necessary or only probable connection between the logical subject and predicate. By modality, judgments are distinguished: apodictic, assertive and problematic [Vinogradov 1975: 124].
Let us turn to the consideration of the definition given in the explanatory dictionary ofby Ushakovа D. N.: modality — (English modality) is a conceptual category with the meaning of the speaker’s attitude to the content of the utterance and the relation of the content of the utterance to reality (relation to its actual implementation) expressed by different grammatical and lexical means such as mood forms, modal verbs, intonation, etc. [Ushakov 2013: 178].
V.V. Vinogradov in his work «The Russian Language» gave a broader definition of modality. It follows from it that “modality is not only a characteristic of reality and unreality, but also the attitude of the speaker to the expressed”. From the definition it is clear that there are two types of modality: objective and subjective, but in the text it is difficult to distinguish a clear boundary between them. Many researchers believe that the modality in the text is subjective [Vinogradov 2001: 43].
By the definition of M. Ya. Blokh, modality as a category in English can manifest itself «in the sphere of the grammatical elements of the language and in the sphere of its lexico-nominative items. In this sense, any word expressing an assessment with the surrounding reality should be defined as modal” [Blokh 2002: 98].
M. Grepl identifies three aspects of modality: «common modality» (basic), and inside it — four modal statuses (messages, questions, orders, wishes), «Modality is voluntary» and «modality of truth» (truthfulness). At the same time, the author notes that the “voluntative modality” expresses the attitude of the subject of action to actions, and the “modality of truth” is the degree of confidence in the content of the speaker’s statement of real significance [Zvereva 1983: 13].
Definition of the category of modality, according to G. A. Zolotov, including three meanings: 1) the attitude of the statement to reality from the point of view of the speaker; 2) the attitude of the speaker to the content of the stated; 3) putting the subject of action to action [Zvereva 193: 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. Ermolaeva speaks of two types of modality, in fact, its classification includes three types of modality, the values of which are similar to the values considered by G. A. Zolotov. Thus, the specificity of the internal modality is that this type does not give a modal characteristic of the whole sentence, but gives only a modal characteristic of relations within the sentence (that is, “internal modality”).
The main means of expressing a modal relationship between the subject of the action and the action in the English language are modal verbs. In the sentence, they are part of the compound verbal modal predicate and show the attitude of the speaker to the action of the sentence [Zvereva 1983: 22-25].
In the external modality of type I, the relation of the content of the sentence to reality in terms of reality — unreality is understood. The contrast between reality and irreality L. S. Yermolaeva considers, on the basis of conformity or inconsistency, the content of the utterance to reality, the main means of which are the forms of the method.
In the external modality of type II, the speaker’s role is particularly prominent, 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 utterance. This modal meaning is transmitted, for example, by modal verbs, perform a secondary function and show a modal relation to the whole sentence [Zvereva 1983: 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).