Preface

Chapters in this book

1. i-iv i
2. Preface v
3. Contents xv
4. Modality in English: Theoretical, descriptive and typological issues 1
5. The semantics and pragmatics of core modal verbs
6. Irrealis, past time reference and modality 21
7. Modal auxiliary constructions, ΤΑΜ and interrogatives 47
8. A pragmatic analysis of the epistemic would construction in English 71
9. Towards a contextual micro-analysis of the non-equivalence of might and could 81
10. The status of emerging modal items
11. On two distinct uses of go as a conjoined marker of evaluative modality 103
12. Had better and might as well·. On the margins of modality? 129
13. What you and I want: A functional approach to verb complementation of modal WANT TO 151
14. Between epistemic modality and degree: The case of really 191
15. Stylistic variation and change
16. Modality on the move: The English modal auxiliaries 1961-1992 223
17. Changes in the modals and semi-modals of strong obligation and epistemic necessity in recent British English 241
18. Shall and will in contemporary English: A comparison with past uses 267
19. Pragmatic and sociological constraints on the functions of may in contemporary British English 301
20. Sociolinguistic variation and syntactic models
21. The role of epistemic modality in women’s talk 331
22. Double modals in the southern United States: Syntactic structure or syntactic structures? 349
23. Modal verbs in Tyneside English: Evidence for (socio)linguistic theory 373
24. Subject index 389