In this thesis I examine the linguistic, semantic and sociolinguistic components of the English modal system and the difficulty the system presents to both instructors and learners of English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this study was to determine what these components are and how they affect communication. I begin by defining what modality is and how it is manifested in English. The focus is upon the one-word modals and not the phrasal modals; however, some phrasal modals are explicated when a contrast exists between the meaning of the one-word modal and its phrasal equivalent. After the modal is defined, problem areas of form and meaning are explicated. Then, a review of how grammar, specifically modals, has been taught in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) follows. In this review, second language acquisition research is also examined for its influence on grammar pedagogy.
","abstract_html":"<p>In this thesis I examine the linguistic, semantic and sociolinguistic components of the English modal system and the difficulty the system presents to both instructors and learners of English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this study was to determine what these components are and how they affect communication. I begin by defining what modality is and how it is manifested in English. The focus is upon the one-word modals and not the phrasal modals; however, some phrasal modals are explicated when a contrast exists between the meaning of the one-word modal and its phrasal equivalent. After the modal is defined, problem areas of form and meaning are explicated. Then, a review of how grammar, specifically modals, has been taught in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) follows. In this review, second language acquisition research is also examined for its influence on grammar pedagogy.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hutcheson, Jeffery"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Department of English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1994,"date_issued":"1994-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1994-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:02Z","subjects":["English as Second Language","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/972","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hutcheson, Jeffery"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["English as Second Language","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/972"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this thesis I examine the linguistic, semantic and sociolinguistic components of the English modal system and the difficulty the system presents to both instructors and learners of English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this study was to determine what these components are and how they affect communication. I begin by defining what modality is and how it is manifested in English. The focus is upon the one-word modals and not the phrasal modals; however, some phrasal modals are explicated when a contrast exists between the meaning of the one-word modal and its phrasal equivalent. After the modal is defined, problem areas of form and meaning are explicated. Then, a review of how grammar, specifically modals, has been taught in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) follows. In this review, second language acquisition research is also examined for its influence on grammar pedagogy.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Study of the Linguistic Semantic and Sociolinguistic Components of the English Modal System"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Hutcheson, Jeffery"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this thesis I examine the linguistic, semantic and sociolinguistic components of the English modal system and the difficulty the system presents to both instructors and learners of English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this study was to determine what these components are and how they affect communication. I begin by defining what modality is and how it is manifested in English. The focus is upon the one-word modals and not the phrasal modals; however, some phrasal modals are explicated when a contrast exists between the meaning of the one-word modal and its phrasal equivalent. After the modal is defined, problem areas of form and meaning are explicated. Then, a review of how grammar, specifically modals, has been taught in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) follows. In this review, second language acquisition research is also examined for its influence on grammar pedagogy.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/972"],"dc:subject":["English as Second Language","English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["A Study of the Linguistic Semantic and Sociolinguistic Components of the English Modal System"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of English"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:02Z"}