Epistemic modality in political discourse – a study of two selected state of the nation addresses by ex-president John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates the use of epistemic modality in two selected State of the Nation Addresses delivered by Ex-president John Agyekum Kufour of Ghana on 16th February, 2001 and 14th February, 2008respectively. The two texts were purposely selected, closely read and analyzed through mixed method of qualitative and quantitative dimensions. The analysis employs analytical frameworks of Kratzer’s Context dependency and Lexical Specialization and Halliday and Matthiessen Modal Taxonomy. The study was to find out epistemic notions of certainty, uncertainty and tentativeness through the comparative frequency of distribution and communicative purposes of elements of modal auxiliary verbs, semi-modal verbs, modal lexical verbs and modal adjuncts. The modal forms are quoted manually with the sentences, electronically checked and then analyzed together for their epistemic meanings. The total number of sentences containing the epistemic modal elements that is analysed is 112. There are a total of 14 representing 12.5% occurrences of modal auxiliary verbs and 9 occurrences of modal adjuncts representing 8.05% while the remaining is shared by adjuncts of intensity and adjuncts of temporality representing 25 representing 22.32% and 64 representing 57.14% respectively. The study reveals that the distribution of epistemic modality devices was not uniform in terms of meaning and that modal adjuncts are predominant in the expression of certainty. The study bears implications for pedagogy, the theory of epistemic modality and discourse analytical studies on political speeches, particularly, on the State of the Nation Address.