Dialogue Adjuncts Analysis
4.2 Interpersonal Meanings Conveyed by Modal Adjuncts Apart from modal operators, modal adjuncts also realize interpersonal function of language. Halliday divides modal adjuncts into mood adjuncts and comment adjuncts. Mood adjuncts are composed by adjuncts of temporality, modality and intensity. By contrast, comment adjuncts are not as frequently used as mood adjuncts. However, Halliday still lists some comment adjuncts for reference. By integrating original tables 3(5), 4(7), 4(8) and 4(9) in An Introduction to Functional Grammar Third Edition (2004), the writer makes a new table as follow to show some of the mood adjuncts together with comment adjuncts.
Table 9 Mood adjuncts and comment adjuncts
Modal adjuncts
Adjuncts of temporality future remote eventually …show more content…
The most frequently used item is adjuncts of intensity, with the total number being twice as much as that of adjuncts of modality. The main point is what interpersonal meanings are conveyed by these different types of modal adjuncts. Let’s look at some examples in detail.
Example (1) Clinton: I want us to raise the national minimum wage because people who live in poverty should not... who work full time should not still be in poverty. Clinton indicates that many of American people who work full time but live in poverty. The adjuncts “still” makes a contrast between working as full-time employers and having very low income. It also delivers a concept of time, i.e. they are in poverty now. So taking steps to raise national minimum wag is imperative according to Clinton.
Example (2) Trump: You look at all of the places I just left. Trump points out a serious job loss in many states because big corporations are leaving. He uses “just” to emphasize job loss is happening at present and he witnesses right before the presidential debates. It adds more credibility to his words which sound like a fact rather than …show more content…
presidential debates. Some of them as “evidently, at first, in general, (un)wisely, surprisingly” even do not appear in the debate discourse. The corresponding meanings of these words are conveyed by other words or phrases which do not belong to modality system. With the numbers shown above, Trump uses more comment adjuncts in the debates than his opponent. The following explanation focuses on comment adjuncts: “in my opinion, frankly, honestly, please and unfortunately”.
Example (1): Clinton: If we set those goals and we go together to try to achieve them, there’s nothing in my opinion that America can’t do. The meaning of “in my opinion” equals to that of “I think”. “America can do everything” is Clinton’s own perspective. She says that in order to show her great confidence in the ability of whole power came from Americans.
Example (2): Trump: I’ve said things that, frankly, you hear these things I said. And I was embarrassed by it. The meaning of “frankly” equals to that of “I admit”. Trump admits that he has said something offensive to
Table 9 Mood adjuncts and comment adjuncts
Modal adjuncts
Adjuncts of temporality future remote eventually …show more content…
The most frequently used item is adjuncts of intensity, with the total number being twice as much as that of adjuncts of modality. The main point is what interpersonal meanings are conveyed by these different types of modal adjuncts. Let’s look at some examples in detail.
Example (1) Clinton: I want us to raise the national minimum wage because people who live in poverty should not... who work full time should not still be in poverty. Clinton indicates that many of American people who work full time but live in poverty. The adjuncts “still” makes a contrast between working as full-time employers and having very low income. It also delivers a concept of time, i.e. they are in poverty now. So taking steps to raise national minimum wag is imperative according to Clinton.
Example (2) Trump: You look at all of the places I just left. Trump points out a serious job loss in many states because big corporations are leaving. He uses “just” to emphasize job loss is happening at present and he witnesses right before the presidential debates. It adds more credibility to his words which sound like a fact rather than …show more content…
presidential debates. Some of them as “evidently, at first, in general, (un)wisely, surprisingly” even do not appear in the debate discourse. The corresponding meanings of these words are conveyed by other words or phrases which do not belong to modality system. With the numbers shown above, Trump uses more comment adjuncts in the debates than his opponent. The following explanation focuses on comment adjuncts: “in my opinion, frankly, honestly, please and unfortunately”.
Example (1): Clinton: If we set those goals and we go together to try to achieve them, there’s nothing in my opinion that America can’t do. The meaning of “in my opinion” equals to that of “I think”. “America can do everything” is Clinton’s own perspective. She says that in order to show her great confidence in the ability of whole power came from Americans.
Example (2): Trump: I’ve said things that, frankly, you hear these things I said. And I was embarrassed by it. The meaning of “frankly” equals to that of “I admit”. Trump admits that he has said something offensive to