Semi-modal verb “Need to” and the modality of obligation “Must & Have to” in authentic corpus-based English

Recent studies indicate that the modality system of current English grammar depicts notable alteration in the frequency, distribution and semantic developments of modals and semi- modals. Research on some modal auxiliaries points toward a considerable decrease in the use of these modals (e.g. shall, must) while semantically similar phrases called semi-modals (e.g. have to, need to, be going to) show an upward trend in use. This research paper focuses on an investigation of the semimodal verb “need to” in naturally occurring American English comparing to the root modal “must” and the semi-modal “have to”, which are mainly used for the expressions of strong obligation. As an exploratory corpus study, the purpose of the paper is to present conducted observations and make inferences from the authentic uses of the epistemic necessity and modality of obligation in the context of American English. All data are obtained from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) over the span of 1990-2017. The occurrence of “need to” compared to “must” and “have to” is examined through frequency and percentages, distribution by genre and year, most common verbs and personal pronouns used with modals, and modal combinations of “need to”. This corpus-based analysis has revealed various alternative constructions and an increase in the frequencies of the occurrences of “need to” in the corpus, providing support for earlier studies in the field. It is clearly seen that modality gradually gets free from central and root structures and heads toward modal expressions which are called semi-modals forming milder means of obligation expressions.

Derlem temelli İngilizce’de yarım kip yapısı “Need to” (-meli/-malı) ve zorunluluk kipleri “Must & Have to” (-mek zorunda)

Son çalışmalar günümüz İngilizce dilbilgisindeki kiplik sisteminde kip belirteçlerinin kullanım sıklıkları, dağılımı ve anlamsal gelişimi açısından dikkate değer bir değişim göstermektedir. Bazı kiplik yapıları üzerinde yapılan araştırmalar, kimi yapılarda (shall, must gibi) önemli bir düşüş olduğunu fakat anlamsal açıdan benzer yapıların kullanımında da (have to, need to, be going to gibi) artış olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu araştırma otantik Amerikan İngilizcesindeki “need to” (-meli, - malı) yapısını zorunluluk ifadeleri olarak kullanılan “must” (-mek zorunda) kip yapısı ve “have to” (- mek zorunda) yarım kip yapısı ile karşılaştırarak incelemektedir. Bir derlem çalışması olarak, araştırmanın amacı Amerikan İngilizcesi bağlamında zorunluluk ve gereklilik kiplerinin gerçek kullanımlarını inceleyip bunlardan çıkarımlar yapmaktır. Araştırma verileri 1990-2017 yıllarına yönelik olarak Çağdaş Amerikan İngilizcesi Derlemi’nden (COCA) elde edilmiştir. “Must” ve “have to” ile karşılaştırmalı olarak “need to” kullanımı sıklık ve yüzdelikler, tür ve yıllara göre dağılım, kiplerle yaygın kullanılan fiiller ve kişi zamirleri ve kiplerin birlikte kullanımı başlıkları altında incelenmiştir. Bu çalışma alandaki benzer çalışmaların sonuçlarını destekleyerek, yapıların alternatif kullanımlarını ve “need to” kipinin artan kullanım sıklığını ortaya koymaktadır. Açıkça görülmektedir ki kiplik yavaşça kök yapılardan çıkıp zorunluluk ifadelerini yumuşatan yarım kip ifadelerine doğru evrilmektedir.

PDF

___

Biber, D. (2004). Modal use across registers and time. In Curzan, Anne and Kimberly Emmons (Eds.), Studies in the history of the English language II. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). The Longman grammar of spoken and written English. London: Longman.

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (2006). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow: Longman.

Biewer, C. (2009). Modals and semi-modals of obligation and necessity in South Pacific Englishes. Anglistik, 20, 41-55.

Collins, P. (2005). The modals and quasi-modals of obligation and necessity in Australian English and other Englishes. English World-Wide, 26, 249-73.

Collins, P. (2009). Modals and quasi-modals in English. Amsterdam: Rodopi.

Diaconu, G. (2011). The expression of obligation and necessity in New Englishes – A corpus-based study. PhD Dissertation, Freiburg University.

Foley, M., & Hall, D. (2003). Advanced learners’ grammar: A self-study reference & practice book with answers. Harlow: Longman.

Kastrone, I. (2008). Need to and the modality of obligation: A corpus-based approach. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Leech, G. (2003). Modality on the move: the English modal auxiliaries 1961-1992. In R. Facchinetti, M. Krug & F. Palmer (Eds). Modality in contemporary English. (pp. 223-240). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Leech, G., Hundt, M., Mair, C., & Smith, N. (2009). Change in contemporary English: A grammatical study. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mair, C. (2006). Twentieth-century English. history, variation and standardization. Cambridge: CUP.

Mair, C., & Leech, G. (2006). Current change in English syntax. In B. Aarts, & A. MacMahon (Eds.), The handbook of English linguistics (pp. 318-342). Oxford: Blackwell.

Millar, N. (2009). Modal verbs in TIME - frequency changes 1923-2006. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 14(2), 191-220.

Nokkonen, S. (2006). The semantic variation of need to in four recent British English corpora. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 11(1), 29-71.

Seggewiß (published as Müller), F. (2008). From degrammaticalisation to regrammaticalisation? Current changes in the use of NEED. Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik, 33(1), 71-94.

Seggewiß, F. (2012). Current changes in English modals: A corpus-based analysis of present-day spoken English. Freiburg: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg dissertation.

Smith, N. (2003). Changes in the modals and semi-modals of strong obligation and epistemic necessity in recent British English. In R. Facchinetti, M. Krug & F. Palmer (Eds). Modality in contemporary English. (pp. 241-266). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Swan, M. (2002). Practical English usage: International student’s edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tagliamonte, S., & D’Arcy, A. (2007). The modals of obligation/ necessity in Canadian perspective. English World Wide, 28(1), 47-78.

Tottie, G. (2002). An introduction to American English, 156-157. Oxford: Blackwell.

Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London: Longman.