This book offers original theoretical accounts and a wealth of descriptive information concerning modality in present-day English. At the same time, it provides fresh impetus to more general linguistic issues such as grammaticalization, colloquialization, or the interplay between sociolinguistic and syntactic constraints. The articles fall into four sections: (a) the semantics and pragmatics of core modal verbs; (b) the status of emerging modal items; (c) stylistic variation and change; (d) sociolinguistic variation and syntactic models. In addition to distinguished newcomers, contributors include well-known specialists in the field. The book is of considerable value to students and teachers of English and Linguistics at undergraduate and graduate levels worldwide. FROM THE CONTENTS:Frank PalmerModality in English: theoretical, descriptive and typological issuesTHE SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS OF CORE MODAL VERBS:Paul LarreyaIrrealis, past time reference and modality Richard MatthewsModal auxiliary constructions, TAM and interrogativesGregory Ward, Betty J. Birner, and Jeffrey P. KaplanA pragmatic analysis of the epistemic would construction in English Stéphane GressetTowards a contextual micro-analysis of the non-equivalence of might and couldTHE STATUS OF EMERGING MODAL ITEMSPhilippe BourdinOn two distinct uses of go as a conjoined marker of evaluative modality Keith Mitchell Had better and might as well: on the margins of modality? Heidi VerplaetseWhat you and I want: A functional approach to verb complementation of modal want to Carita ParadisBetween epistemic modality and degree: the case of reallySTYLISTIC VARIATION AND CHANGEGeoffrey LeechModality on the move: the English modal auxiliaries 1961-1992Nicholas SmithChanges in the modals and semi-modals of strong obligation and epistemic necessity in recent British English Maurizio GottiShall and will in contemporary English: a comparison with past uses Roberta FacchinettiPragmatic and sociological constraints on the functions of may in contemporary British EnglishSOCIOLINGUISTIC VARIATION AND SYNTACTIC MODELSJennifer Coates The role of epistemic modality in women's talk Stephen J. Nagle Double modals in the southern United States: syntactic structure or syntactic structures? Graeme TrousdaleModal verbs in Tyneside English: evidence for (socio)linguistic theoryTo sign up for our FREE ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER, please visit our website at www.degruyter.com.To order, please contact SFG-Servicecenter-Fachverlage GmbHPostfach 434372774 Reutlingen, GermanyFax: +49 (0)7071 - 93 53 - 33E-mail: deGruyter@s-f-g.com For USA, Canada and Mexico:Walter de Gruyter, Inc.200 Saw Mill River RoadHawthorne, NY 10532, USAFax: +1 (914) 747-1326E-mail: cs@degruyterny.comPlease visit our website for other publications by Mouton de Gruyter: http://www.degruyter.com