Abstract inserted. Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-222) and index.
Contents:
Prolegomena. Modality ; Modal verbs ; Corpus studies in linguistics ; The aims and the structure of the study -- Modal contexts. Coates (1983) ; Papafragou's criticism of Coates -- Modals in context. English modals ; Swedish modals ; Intermediate examples -- Context revisited. Controllability ; Additional features ; Controllability and transitivity -- Mining the modals. Data mining ; (De)coding confident inference and obligation ; (De)coding possible conclusion and permission : may ; (De)coding possible conclusion and permission : kan -- Final remarks. On the universality of the interpretation patterns ; Summing up.
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