Modals and Periphrastics in English : An Investigation Into the Semantic Correspondence Between Certain English Modal Verbs and Their Periphrastic Equivalents

English has several periphrastic verbal forms that are semantically close to particular modal verbs and perform suppletive functions in relation to them. After an exploration of the properties of potential periphrastic forms, this study investigates the nature of the relationship between the modals __must, should, will__ and __can__ and various semantically close periphrastics. The focus is on the pragmatic interpretation of the items compared, with some attention to their functions in discourse. Despite the relative idiosyncracy of all these items, the general marked status of periphrastics is evident, and this is shown to be reflected in a number of different ways. Level of formality is a further differentiating factor here. English has a number of periphrastic verbal forms that are semantically close to particular modal verbs and perform suppletive functions in relation to them (eg, have (got) to - must and be able to - can ). After an exploration of the syntactic, semantic and phonological properties of potential periphrastic forms, this study investigates the nature of the relationship between the modals must, should, will and can and various semantically close periphrastics, using a spoken corpus of British English as the primary source of data. The focus is on the pragmatic interpretation of the items being compared, with some attention to their functions in discourse. These items are notoriously idiosyncratic both syntactically and semantically, but the general contrast claimed by some scholars between the maximally unmarked status of modals and the relatively marked status of periphrastics is amply confirmed, and this, together with the basic association of modality with alternative possible worlds, is shown to be reflected in a number of different ways, including the claimed 'objectivity' of periphrastics and the tendency of some to be associated with actuality. Level of formality is also found to be a significant, though not uniform, factor here. 1 Introduction 1.1 Some existing proposals 1.2 Some basic descriptive problems 1.3 The present investigation 1.4 Data and the variety question 1.5 Methodological issues 1.6 Organization 2 Periphrastic forms 2.1 Introduction: establishing semantic relatedness 2.2 The classification of auxiliaries and modals 2.3 Criteria for periphrastics 2.4 Conclusion 3 Approaches to this area 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Types of modal meaning and related terminology 3.3 Subjectivity and objectivity 3.4 The generative framework 3.5 Pragmatic approaches 3.6 The ‘actuality hypothesis’ and related proposals 3.7 Style and variety 3.8 Markedness 3.9 Conclusion 4 Must, have (got) to, need (to) and be bound to 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Framework of this discussion 4.3 Variety and style 4.4 Deontic uses of must, have (got) to and need (to): present tenses, affirmative 4.5 Other aspects of the deontic uses of must, have (got) to and need (to) 4.6 Epistemic uses of must, have (got) to and need (to) 4.7 Be bound to 4.8 General conclusions 5 Other modal-periphrastic sets 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Should, ought to, be supposed to and had better 5.3 Will, be going to, is to and be willing to 5.4 Can and be able to 6 Conclusions Bibliography Over the past few decades, the book series Linguistische Arbeiten [Linguistic Studies], comprising over 500 volumes, has made a significant contribution to the development of linguistic theory both in Germany and internationally. The series will continue to deliver new impulses for research and maintain the central insight of linguistics that progress can only be made in acquiring new knowledge about human languages both synchronically and diachronically by closely combining empirical and theoretical analyses. To this end, we invite submission of high-quality linguistic studies from all the central areas of general linguistics and the linguistics of individual languages which address topical questions, discuss new data and advance the development of linguistic theory. Main description: English has several periphrastic verbal forms that are semantically close to particular modal verbs and perform suppletive functions in relation to them. After an exploration of the properties of potential periphrastic forms, this study investigates the nature of the relationship between the modals must, should, will and can and various semantically close periphrastics. The focus is on the pragmatic interpretation of the items compared, with some attention to their functions in discourse. Despite the relative idiosyncracy of all these items, the general marked status of periphrastics is evident, and this is shown to be reflected in a number of different ways. Level of formality is a further differentiating factor here The book series Linguistische Arbeiten (LA) publishes high-quality work in linguistics that addresses current issues in synchrony and diachrony, theoretically or empirically oriented. Paul Westney. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [220]-225).