Chapter 11 & 12*Factivity, Implication and Modality

*A Variety of Predicates

Presented by Aef Sugihartony

Chandra Usmawan

The Scope of Presentation11.1 Factivity11.2 Implicative Predicates11.3 Modality

12.1 Attitudinal Predicates12.2 Enabling and Preventing12.3 Perceptual Predicates

11.1 FactivityA factive predicate has a predication as one of its

arguments whether affirmative or negative, it presupposes the truth of that predication.

Examples:I regret/don’t regret that smoking can cause cancer.

>> Smoking can cause cancer.

I resent/don’t resent John’s decision. >> John decided something.

The predicates regret and resent are factive. Whether affirmative or negative, they present the following predication as true.

NOTE: factive is not the same as ‘factual.’

Whether the predication is true or not can only be determined by investigating events and situations outside language; ‘factive’ means that the predication is presented linguistically as being true.

11.2 Implication

Other predicates accompanied by embedded

sentences, always in reduced form, are

implicative predicates. They imply the truth or

non-truth of what is stated in the embedded

sentence.

Examples of Implicative predicates I managed to catch my bus. ® I caught my bus. I didn’t manage to catch my bus. ® I didn’t catch my bus. We chanced to see your brother. ® We saw your brother. He chose to wait for us. ® He waited for us. She remembered to stop at the post office. ® She stopped at the post office. We didn’t happen to see your brother. ® We didn’t see your brother.

11.3 Modality Modality has to do with two kinds of necessity,

obligation or possibility/probability.

Deontic modality has to do with obligation (the necessity of action or non-action)

Epistemic modality is concerned with possibility (the

necessity of existence or non-existence)

Examples of Deontic modality:a. We must leave immediately.b. We should leave immediately.c. We have to leave immediately. We have got to

leave immediately.d. We need to leave immediately.e. We ought to leave immediately.

Examples of Epistemic modality:a. Driving in a heavy rainstorm can be dangerous.b. Driving in a heavy rainstorm may be dangerous.c. Driving in a heavy rainstorm might be dangerous.d. Driving in a heavy rainstorm must be dangerous.

12.1 Attitudinal PredicatesThey express mental states that people have about theirpast experiences and possible future ones and generalfeelings about likes, dislikes or preferences.

ProspectivePossible Future*Intention: I aim to be the best student. John intends to visit Mary next Sunday.

*Mental Rehearsing: I consider postponing the meeting. They contemplate the problems.

*Decision: Peter chooses Susan to be his wife. My parents decide to buy a new car

*Preparation: The Boss plans his secretary for the meeting.

My mom prepares some cakes for the party.

*Attempt: The students try to pass the exam. Mike attempts to have a lot of money.

*Reliance on another: I count on you for this problem. The scenery depends on the

weather

*Desire or lack of Desire: I am afraid of stealing money. John wants to meet his girl

RetrospectivePast Experience*Mental Review: I regret drinking a lot of beers. I miss meeting her at the

restaurant.

Preferences*Liking and Disliking: They enjoy watching football

match. We hate ghost stories.

*Evaluation: Prince Charles admires Princess Diana for her

beauty.I pity Africa continent for its poverty.

12.2 Enabling and Preventing PredicatesAn enabling predicate is a verb or which tells that the

following predication is made possible.

3 types of such a predicate can be recognized as follows:

a. Use of Authority: The Boss allowed his employees to leave the office

earlier The President authorizes the Police to guard the nation. The Customs Office has permitted that company to run

the business

b. Effort or Action: Mary helped his mother to clean the house.

The police assist the President to pass the streets. c. Instruction: Marco trained his dog to roll over.

The teacher instructs the students to turn in their assignment before this Sunday.

The parents teach their children to eat by using spoon.

A preventing predicate is a verb which states that an agent causes the non-occurrence of the predication.

The types of such a predicate are stated as follows:

a. Use of Authority: The Boss forbade the secretary to leave the meeting. The law prohibits civil society to do illegal logging.

b. Effort: The parents keep their children from leaving the

house. The goalkeeper blocked his shot from scoring a goal.

c. Speech: The teacher discouraged John from entering the

contest Mark inhibits his wife from spending a lot of money.

d. Protection: The police protect the money from being stolen. The shield defends the guards from attack.

e. Self-Prevention: Susan is abstaining from smoking these days. Carlo avoids eating a lot of sugar.

12.3 Perceptual PredicatesThey are also called ‘sensory verbs,’because they express the sensations that the people receive from outside

stimuli through their five senses.

Most of the basic English ones are illustrated in these fifteen key sentences(Viberg 1983:123–6).22a We saw some penguins. (Visual)22b We looked at the penguins (with considerable interest).22c The penguins looked strange (to us).

23a Alice heard a funny song. (Auditory)23b Alice listened (intently) to the song.23c The song sounded awful (to Alice).

24a Ted tasted onion in the soup. (Gustatory)24b Ted tasted the soup (cautiously).24c The soup tasted good (to Ted).

25a I felt a sharp pain. (Tactile)25b I felt the table top (carefully).25c The table felt rough (to me).

26a Mama smelled smoke. (Olfactory)26b Mama smelled the soup (suspiciously).26c The soup smelled rather odd (to Mama).

22a We saw some penguins.23a Alice heard a funny song.24a Ted tasted onion in the soup.25a I felt a sharp pain.26a Mama smelled smoke.In the (a) sentences, the verb expresses the particular sense through which the

experience comes.

22b We looked at the penguins (with considerable interest).23b Alice listened (intently) to the song.24b Ted tasted the soup (cautiously).25b I felt the table top (carefully).26b Mama smelled the soup (suspiciously).In the (b) sentences, the verb is expressed more seriously with a further response.

22c The penguins looked strange (to us).23c The song sounded awful (to Alice).24c The soup tasted good (to Ted).25c The table felt rough (to me).26c The soup smelled rather odd (to Mama).In the (c) sentences, the verb has created the perception to the actor.

In English, Sensory verbs can be expressed in an infinitive clause without to, and in a gerund clause.

The difference is especially clear when the verb of the clause indicates a repeatable act:

I saw a light flash/I saw a light flashing.I heard a dog bark/I heard a dog barking.

The infinitive clause can be interpreted as information that the light flashed just once and there was a single bark from the dog.

The gerund clause tells of repetitive events.

Thanks for your attention

MayGod Bless all of us forever !!

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