(De)coding Modality : The Case of Must, May, Måste and Kan
This study investigates the mechanisms of (de)coding modality, focusing on the interpretation of utterances containing the modals must, may, måste, and kan. The main research question posed in this study is what enables the interlocutors to interpret modal expressions so that communicative goals are achieved. To answer this general question, Coates's (1983) study on modal contexts is initially rep