English Grammar: Modality

Modality
Although some grammarians consider it to belong to the category of MOOD, modality actually stands on its own, particularly in the English language where it is primarily marked by the system of MODAL VERBS.
If we compare the following sentences:
1. It is raining. (INDICATIVE; marks the statement for the factuality of action/state/event described by it)
and
2. It may be raining outside. (MODALITY)
we can define MODALITY as the way in which the meaning of a proposition is modified so as to reflect the speaker's/subject's attitude towards the likelihood of the proposition conten…