Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines

Abstract Drawing on diachronic and synchronic collexeme analyses, this paper investigated preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality, which is realized by explicit subjective orientation, explicit objective orientation and implicit objective orientation, in academic disciplines of Corpus of C...

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Main Author: Jiangping Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024-11-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04084-0
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author Jiangping Zhou
author_facet Jiangping Zhou
author_sort Jiangping Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Drawing on diachronic and synchronic collexeme analyses, this paper investigated preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality, which is realized by explicit subjective orientation, explicit objective orientation and implicit objective orientation, in academic disciplines of Corpus of Contemporary American English or COCA. The findings demonstrate that explicit subjective orientation is generally avoided by academic writers in later phases of COCA and more rarely used in natural sciences than in social and human sciences. Explicit objective orientation that denotes low modal value of probability, i.e., possible, and median value of obligation, i.e., important and necessary, is insensitive to both three phases and academic disciplines in COCA. Implicit objective orientation, inclusive of significantly attracted possibility and importance, employs probability and obligation that denote median value of probability and high value of obligation respectively to mask the subjective judgments of scholars regarding the proposition under scrutiny. This research is significant in shedding light on the use of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic writings across disciplines.
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spelling doaj-art-fa509913e3bf4e37b7a67e755bd144ed2024-11-17T12:15:23ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-11-0111111310.1057/s41599-024-04084-0Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplinesJiangping Zhou0China West Normal UniversityAbstract Drawing on diachronic and synchronic collexeme analyses, this paper investigated preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality, which is realized by explicit subjective orientation, explicit objective orientation and implicit objective orientation, in academic disciplines of Corpus of Contemporary American English or COCA. The findings demonstrate that explicit subjective orientation is generally avoided by academic writers in later phases of COCA and more rarely used in natural sciences than in social and human sciences. Explicit objective orientation that denotes low modal value of probability, i.e., possible, and median value of obligation, i.e., important and necessary, is insensitive to both three phases and academic disciplines in COCA. Implicit objective orientation, inclusive of significantly attracted possibility and importance, employs probability and obligation that denote median value of probability and high value of obligation respectively to mask the subjective judgments of scholars regarding the proposition under scrutiny. This research is significant in shedding light on the use of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic writings across disciplines.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04084-0
spellingShingle Jiangping Zhou
Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
title_full Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
title_fullStr Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
title_full_unstemmed Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
title_short Preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
title_sort preferences of interpersonal metaphor of modality in academic disciplines
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04084-0
work_keys_str_mv AT jiangpingzhou preferencesofinterpersonalmetaphorofmodalityinacademicdisciplines