earticle

영어

Based on M. A. K. Halliday’s modality system in Appraisal Theory and the Theory of Dialogic Space, this paper explores how modality and metaphors of modality are manipulated to the construction of the dialogic space in academic discourse via marking and statistics of the phenomena of modality and metaphor of modality in self-built academic English corpus. The findings of this study reveal that the construction of the dialogic space is subject to the three dimensions of modality and metaphor of modality: orientation, value and polarity. In the orientation of modality, both implicit and explicit expressions can regulate the size of the dialogic space. Although used less frequently, metaphor of modality regulates more degree of freedom in the dialogic space. In terms of the value of modality, it is inversely related to the openness value of the dialogic space. The polarity of modality closes the dialogic space in different degrees.