Лекции по теоретической грамматике английского языка. Тивьяева И.В. - 49 стр.

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You may be right merely acknowledges the possibility that “You are right” is

true.

Dynamic modality

has nothing to do with the speaker, it is subject-oriented

and generally concerns the properties and dispositions of persons, etc., referred to

in the clause.

e.g. Liz can drive better than you. I asked Ed to go but he won’t.

In these examples the speaker is concerned with Liz’s driving ability and

Ed’s willingness to go.

All three kinds of modality are commonly expressed by other means than by

modal auxiliaries: lexical verbs (You are obliged to do that), adjectives (You are

likely to be fined), adverbs (Perhaps you are right), nouns (You have my

permission to leave early).

4. Oppositional reduction of verbal categories

In various contextual conditions, one member of an opposition can be used

in the position of the other, counter-member. This phenomenon is usually referred

to as “oppositional reduction” (some authors use the term “oppositional

substitution”). Two major types of oppositional reduction are differentiated:

neutralization and transposition.

Neutralization as a linguistic concept by which we mean suspension of

otherwise functioning oppositions. The position of neutralization is, as a rule, filled

in by the weak member of the opposition due to its more general semantics.

Neutralization is stylistically indifferent, the use of the unmarked member of the

opposition in the position of the marked member does not transgress the expressive

conventions of ordinary speech.

e.g. The exhibition opens next week.

The example presents a case of neutralization of the opposition “present vs.

future”. The present form “opens”, which is the weak member of the opposition, is

used in the position of the strong member and denotes a future action.