In modal subordination, a modal sentence is interpreted relative to a hypothetical scenario introduced in an earlier sentence. In this paper, I argue that this phenomenon reflects the fact that the interpretation of modals is an ANAPHORIC process, precisely analogous to the anaphoric interpretation of tense. Modal morphemes introduce alternative scenarios as entities into the discourse model; their interpretation depends on evoking scenarios for described, reference and speech points, and relating them to one another. Although this account formalizes anaphoric connections using dynamic semantics, it invokes a novel and direct encoding of scenarios as ordinary, static objects (competing analyses take modal referents to be inherently dynamic objects, unlike the referents of pronouns and tenses). The result is a simpler proposal with better empirical coverage.

In this paper I will present and defend an analysis of (a sample of) the English modal auxiliary verbs using a relevance-theoretic semantic and pragmatic framework. I will start by discussing previous analyses of modality in English with an eye to explaining how a cluster of related meanings- epistemic, root, and other- is expressed by the same set of lexical items. I will then go on to develop a unitary semantic approach to the English toodais, treating them as (mostly) incomplete propositional operators. After defending the details of my semantic account, I will show how the proposed semantics can give rise to the range of root interpretations modal verbs can receive in context. Epistemic interpretations require some further theoretical machinery, which will make crucial use of the notion of metarepresentation. Finally, I will sketch the differences between natural-language interpretations of modal operators and their alethic/logical uses.

this paper was partially supported by NIH Grant # F32 MH65020-A1

Interaction in written discourse can be carried out in a number of ways which are essentially the same as in spoken discourse but which have a different effect because of the medium. This paper gives an overview of the main grammatical systems which can be exploited in interaction, and then examines their use in written texts, focusing particularly on enacted and projected roles. Written advertisements are used to exemplify features of this use. A distinction is drawn between writer and reader on the one hand and writer-in-the-text and reader-in-the-text. It is argued that one function of the interaction is to project a reader-in-the-text with whom the reader is invited to identify, or converge. This is especially evident in advertisements, and has a clearly manipulative purpose there; but other written genres can be viewed as exploiting similar linguistic options for their own purposes, and can be defined partly by their use of these options.

CONTENTS Introduction. The expression of modality in Korean i I. Scope of investigation i II. Structure of thesis i III. General expository practice ii III.I. Abbreviations ii III.II. Data transcription iii III.III. Data glossing iv III.IV. Data sources and source abbreviations v Chapter 1 Preliminaries 1 1.1. Modality 1 1.1.1. The concept of modality 1 1.1.2. A notional model of modality 5 1.1.3. A taxonomy of modalities 13 1.1.3.1. The basic dichotomy - epistemic and deontic modality 14 1.1.3.2. Epistemic modality 15 1.1.3.3. Deontic modality 17 1.1.3.4. Evidentials 19 1.1.3.5. Dynamic modality 20 1.1.3.6. Volitive modality 22 1.1.3.7. Other types of modality 23 1.2. Korean 24 1.2.1. General language data 24 1.2.2. Classification 25 1.2.3. Phonology 27 1.2.4. Morphology 29 1.2.5. Syntax 31 Chapter 2 Mood 34 2.1. The concept of mood 34 2.2. The verbal system of speech levels 39 2.3. A taxonomy of mood in Korean 42 2.3.1. Neutral mood 2

This paper has attempted to provide a study on theme markedness in a multilingual context, with special attention to the contrast between English and Spanish

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I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree.