The legal documents are selected from publications of foreign laws covering a wide range of fields.This corpus covers European legal areas such as mergers, value added tax (VAT）and e-commerce.The study uses data from Vat Acts (1998-99), Merger Control Law in the European Union (1995), European Data: Privacy Law and Online Business (2003), Merger Control in the EU (2005), and E-Commerce: A Practical Guide to the Law (2001).
In the appendixes and bibliography of the dissertation the addresses and sources are given.In this sense, the examples and corpora that are studied in this dissertation are authentic.
1.5 Organization of the dissertation
This dissertation consists of seven chapters.
Chapter 1 presents an introduction to some basic issues about the current study: the background, the objectives of the present investigation, the approach the current study takes, data collection, and the overall organization of the dissertation.The background of the present study is that modality has normally been approached through a single linguistic device or perspective, and that the study of the patterns of co-occurring modal devices has been fragmentary in both theory and practice.There are seven major objectives to be reached in this dissertation.Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed.Qualitatively, the nature and roles of MSAs are examined under a multi-dimension functional approach to MSAs with reference to the insights offered by a variety of linguistic schools.Quantitatively, an empirical study of the distributions and functions of MSAs in four genres and a teaching experiment are conducted.
Chapter 2 is devoted to a review of various studies on modality.As MSA is a term proposed by the writer of this dissertation, no directly-targeting studies concerned are available.Thus, the present study reviews the previous research on modality in a general sense in order to show the necessity for the study of MSAs as a means of modality supplementing.Though the previous studies on MVs, adverbs and MAs draw much from the points of view of philosophy, pragmatics, cognition and SFL, some limitations are obvious.
Chapter 3 focuses on the presentation of the theoretical basis for modality supplementing and MSAs in discourse.A multi-dimension functional approach is proposed in this dissertation.There are a few assumptions underlying this theory, i.e.:
(A）Modality supplementing is justified from various angles such as cognitive inputs, pragmatic needs and genre.They are the important factors that exert impacts on the functions of MSAs.
(B）MSAs can perform a number of functions.These functions reveal what roles of modality supplementing MSAs can play in discourse.
(C）MSAs can be classified based on the relevant contextual factors.
(D）MSAs embody interpersonal meanings, which can be realized through lexicogrammatical patterns.
Chapter 4 deals with the classification and functions of MSAs.This chapter enriches the theoretical framework proposed in Chapter 3 and lays a foundation for the studies in Chapters 5 and 6.
Chapter 5 launches an investigation into the lexicogrammatical realization of interpersonal meanings by means of MSAs, based on the understandings gained from Chapters 3 and 4.Specifically, the following interpersonal meanings will be explored: (a）value; (b）stance; (c）social distance.
The interpersonal meanings of MSAs highlight their functions of modality supplementing in discourse.
Chapter 6 is divided into two parts.First, there will be some empirical research concerning the distributions of MSAs as a means of modality supplementing in four genres, namely, PS, JI, AW and LR, for example:
(A）The investigation will check if the types of MSAs that move around MVs vary from genre to genre.This can show how the interpersonal meanings of stance and social distance are revealed by MSAs.
(B）The investigation will explore the genre-affected pattern-like MSAs in four genres.In this way, people may know how social distance interacts with genre.
This chapter will also find the functions of MSAs in the situation of China’s EFL learners.The experimental results are presented and discussed, and the pedagogic implications for the situations are explored.
Chapter 7 presents findings made in this study, the significance of the current study and some implications drawn from this study.It also points out some limitations for this dissertation and proposes suggestions for further research.
The suggestions for future research are positive.For instance, the corpora could be expanded for the sake of validity or reliability, and more genres rich in modal devices could be selected for comparative insights.Also, MSAs and modality supplementing could be studied cross- linguistically, i.e.a comparison or contrast of this linguistic phenomenon between Chinese and English might yield more fruitful results.
