MODALITY AND POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN MODERN ENGLISH
Keywords:
modality, politeness, modal verbs, indirectness, hedging, face-saving, pragmatics, speech acts, English, requests, suggestions, epistemic, deontic.Abstract
This article examines how English speakers use modality to sound polite in everyday and professional communication. Modal verbs like could, might, and would help people make requests, give suggestions, or express uncertainty in a respectful way. These expressions allow speakers to soften their words, avoid sounding too direct, and maintain good social relationships. The paper looks at different types of modality – epistemic, deontic, and dynamic – and explains how each supports politeness strategies such as hedging and face-saving. Through real-life examples, the study shows that modality is essential for expressing politeness in modern English.
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