1. A Systemic Analysis of the Modality Systems of English and Japanese
KADOOKA Ken-Ichi
Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan

2. 1. Introduction
Studies of the modality systems across languages: F.R. Palmer (2001) Mood and Modality
Definition of modality in Palmer (1997) Modality and the English Modals: Lyons’ (1977: 452) suggestion that modality is concerned with the ‘opinion and attitude’ of the speaker seems a fairly helpful preliminary definition.

3. 2. Definition of modality in SFL
SFL: Systemic Functional Linguistics, Halliday and Metthiessen (2014) Halliday’s Introduction to Functional Grammar
“What the modality system does is to construe the region of uncertainty that lies between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. (p. 176)
Polarity: positive or negative

4. Relation of modality to polarity and mood (Halliday and Matthiessen 2014:691, Fig. 10-6
MODALIZATION
‘indicative’ type
MODULATION
‘imperative’ type
positive
[probability]
[usuality]
[obligation]
[inclination]
it is
do!
must do
certainly
required
it must be
determined
always
it will be
usually
supposed
will do
probably
keen
it may be
sometimes
allowed
possibly
may do
willing
it isn’t
don’t!
negative

5. System of modality in SFL
Modality type, orientation, value and polarity
Modality type: modalization, modulation
Orientation: subjective/objective, explicit/implicit
Value: median, low, high
Polarity: positive, negative

6. Modalization and Modulation
Modalization is an indicative type -- epistemic
Probability: may be
Usuality: sometimes
Modulation is an imperative type -- deontic
Obligation: is wanted for
Inclination: wants to

7. Examples Probability: There can’t be many candlestick-makers left.
Usuality: It’ll change right there in front of your eyes.
Obligation: The roads should pay for themselves, like the railways.
Inclination: Voters won’t pay taxes any more.

8. Direct Negative Probability: it’s likely Mary doesn’t know
Usuality: Fred usually doesn’t stay
Obligation: John’s supposed not to go
Inclination: Jane’s keen not to take part

9. Transferred negative Probability: it isn’t likely Mary knows
Usuality: Fred doesn’t usually stay
Obligation: John’s not supposed to go
Inclination: Jane’s not keen to take part

10. 3. Modality system in Japanese
Teruya, Kazuhiro (2007) A Systemic Functional Grammar of Japanese
Two volumes, based on the SFL framework, analyzes Japanese: ideational, interpersonal, textual metafunctions
Modality belongs to the MOOD structure, which in turn is part of the interpersonal metafunction

11. Explanation unmarked
EXPLN
TYPE
Explanation marked ‘no da’
Interrogative
INDIC
The most general systems of indicative type (Teruya 2007: 171, figure 4.3)
TYPE
declarative
Interactant
SUBJECT
PERSON
Non-interactant
SUBJECT
explicit
PRESUMPTION
implicit

12. No-da in Teruya (2007) under the heading of MOOD type, indicative mood
Deicticity, explanation type, indicative type
No-da is separated from the modality system

13. Modalization and Modulation
Modalization: ability, usuality, probability
Modulation: necessity, obligation, permission, expectation, inclination
Compared with the English modality system in Halliday and Matthiessen (2014), ability, necessity, permission and expectation are added

14. Modalization: Ability
[suru] koto ga dekiru: “can (do)”
[suru] koto ga dekinai: “can’t (do)”
Huhitsuyouna toko dake o kesu koto ga
Unnecessary part only ACC erase-thing NOM
Dekimashita ka
ABLE-past INTERROGATIVE
“Were you able to erase only the part that is unnecessary?”

15. Modalization: Usuality
[suru] koto ga (mo) aru: “It sometimes happens [that]”
[suru] koto wa nai: “It never happens [that]”
Ali ni atta koto ga aru no kai!
Ali DAT meet USUALITY EXPLANATIVE
“You have met Ali before?!”

16. Modalization: Probability
[suru] kamo shirenai: (lit) “It is not known whether = maybe” (uncertain)
[suru] to wa kagiranai: “It may not very well be [that]”
Yama ni bessou o kau koto mo dekiru
Moutain in villa ACC buy ABLE
Kamo shirenai: PROBABILITY
“I might be able to buy a villa in the mountain.”

17. Modulation: Necessity
[shi] nakere ba nara nai: “will not do if it does not = must”
[shi] te wa ike nai: “will not do if it does = must not”
Souiu jinzai o motto sagashi-dashite, kokusai-
Such person ACC more search international
Gaikou ni tsukawa-nakereba naranai
Diplomacy DAT use-MUST
“Such a talented person must be adopted as a diplomat.”

18. Modulation: Obligation
[suru] beki da: “ought [to]”
[suru] beki de wa nai: “not ought [to]”
Chosen-jin no mondai wa Nanboku Chosen ga
Koreans DAT problem NOM south-north Korea
Jishuteki-ni kimeru beki da
Independently decide ought to
“As for the Korean problem, south and north Korea should decide on their own.”

19. Modulation: Permission
[shi-te] (mo) ii: “may [do]”
[shi] naku te mo ii: “It is all right not to = you need not”
Doko he itte, nani no shigoto o
Wherever to go whatever work ACC
shi-te mo ii
Do also good
“You can go wherever you like, and do whatever job you like.”

20. Modulation: Expectation
[sure-ba/shita-ra/suru to] ii: “It is good [to], it would be nice [to]”
[shi-nakere-ba] ii: “It is good [not to]”
Karada ni shitagat-te koudou sure-ba ii
Body DAT follow act do-TENTATIVE good
“You can behave following your body.”

21. Modulation: Inclination
[suru] tsumori da: “It is my intention [that]”
[suru] tsumori de wa nai: “It is not my intention [that]
Shikashi, sore o oginau dake no kunren wa
But that ACC make-up-for only DAT training
Tsunde-iru tsumori da.
Pile-up intention
“But I think I have much training to make up for it.”

22. 4. Studies of modality in Japanese
Masuoka Takashi (2007) Nihongo Modality Tankyuu (A Study of Modality in Japanese)
Divided into Modality of judgment and Modality of utterance: similar to Lyons (1977)
Modality of judgment: interpretation of the proposition
Modality of utterance: how to construct a sentence

23. Explanatory modality ‘no da’
Watashi no naka o fuki-nukeru
I GEN inside ACC blow-through
Kaze ga kai-ta no da.
Wind NOM write-past no-da
“watashi” ga sore o kai-ta no de wa nai.
it no-da TOPIC neg

24. No-da “It is the wind which blew through me that wrote it, not myself”
“No-da” adds the nuance of emphasis
Rhetorical effect in the example, together with the personification of wind as human

25. 5. Summary
Teruya’s intention of adopting more minute classification in the Japanese modality system
・In Modalization, ability could be added in Halliday and Matthiessen (2014: 696): This [ability] is on the fringe of the modality system.
・In Modulation, it would be possible to regard that obligation were subdivided into necessity, permission and expectation.

26. Future subjects
Evidentiality could be added to Modalization: appearance, hearsay, reasoning
Appearance: [suru] rashii (seems [that]), [shi] sou da (looks like [that]), [suru] you da (likely [that])
Hearsay: [suru] sou da (seems [that]), [suru] to iu (is said [that])
Reasoning: expectation [suru] hazu da (it is the normal expectation [that])
Reason [suru] kara da (it is because [that])
Cause [suru] tame da (it is for the sake [that])