Parent-child conversation. Analysis of modality 1. How could birds die? COULD: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: M/L: congruenti 2.

Like the one in the garden, are you thinking of? 3. Well, sometimes birds die when they get very old, SOMETIMES: Modality: Modalization: Usuality: L: metaphorical 4. Or maybe they get sick because they got some disease, MAYBE: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: metaphorical 5. Or maybe a cat got it. MAYBE: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: metaphorical 6. Baby birds sometimes die, SOMETIMES: Modality: Modalization: Usuality: L: congruent 7. When they fall out the nest, or, in the winter, birds might die because they cant get enough food. MIGHT: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: congruent. IN THE WINTER functions as a hedge, a comment adjunct framing the whole clause, a cautious note on the epistemic value of the assertion expressed by the proposition. 8. If you were in a cold place also functions as some sort of hedge, again, a cautious note on the epistemic value of the assertion. 9. Yeh, but what happens if one bird falls out 10.And then and when its just about at the ground it flies? 11.Yes, well if its big enough to fly, itll be all right. WILL: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: H: congruent. 12. And sometimes birds fall out the nest but they dont dieSOMETIMES: Modality: Modalization: Usuality: L: congruent 13.But that didnt look like a baby bird; 14.Maybe there was something wrong with it; MAYBE: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: metaphorical. 15.Maybe a cat killed it. MAYBE: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: metaphorical 16.I dont think it was our cat. I DONT THINK Modality: Modalization: Possibility: H: metaphorical.

17.Perhaps it was on the ground and then a cat got it. PERHAPS: Modality: Modalization: Probability: L: metaphorical. 18.Yeah, it was probably pecking something on the ground PROBABLY: Modality: Modalization: Probability: M/H: congruent. 19.Maybe it was just a very old bird. MAYBE: Modality: Modalization: Possibility: L: metaphorical. 20.But it looks as if its alive. 21.Yeah, it does, doesnt it? 22.Perhaps its eye got blind. PERHAPS: Modality: Modalization: Probability: L: metaphorical. 23.Could have been: Modality: Modalization: Probability: L: congruent. 24.But it definitely wasnt alive. DEFINITELY: Modality: Modalization: Probability: H: congruent.

Modality is congruent if realized internally, within the clause, as is the case with COULD in 1 above. Modality is metaphorical if realized externally, outside the clause, by means of a mental clause (I think that, I reckon that, I guess that), an attributive clause (Its possible that, Its essential that, Its likely that), or a Disjunct/Sentence Adjunct/Comment adjunct (May be, Possibly, Empirically, Evidently).