Abstract

Obama’s victory speech in 2008 and his inauguration speech in 2009 are often analyzed by many linguists from different aspects. This paper draws on Halliday’s theory of interpersonal function and his classification of modal verbs to study these two political speeches.

It is found that, in terms of modal values, the most frequently used modal verbs in these two speeches are those of median values, while those of high and low values account for a small percentage. The frequent use of modal verbs of median values makes the speaker’s mood mild and more acceptable by the audience. Secondly, the numbers of modal verbs of high values are different in the two speeches. Obama uses more modal verbs of high values in his inauguration speech than in his victory speech, which can show his confidence in his leadership and the America’s future development. Thirdly, in these two speeches, CAN, a modal verb of low values, is used most frequently, which shows Obama and American citizens are able to get rid of trouble and rebuild the country.

With the development of international communication, the abuse of English modal verbs may lead to unnecessary misunderstandings or conflicts. With this paper, people can get a better understanding of modal verbs and employ them in proper way. 

 Key words: Obama; political speeches; interpersonal function; modal verbs;  modal values 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction.1

2 Literature review.2

3 Halliday's classification of modal verbs.3

4 Comparative analysis of the use of modal verbs.4

 4.1 Modal verbs of high values7

 4.2 Modal verbs of median values8

 4.3 Modal verbs of low values.10

5 Conclusion.13

References 15