HOW BRAZILIAN LEARNERS EXPRESS MODALITY IN THEIR WRITING: A CORPUS-BASED STUDY ON LEXICAL BUNDLES

Abstract

Based on the theoretical framework of descriptive syntax (DOWNING; LOCKE, 2006), this study analyzed a learner corpus- Corpus of Brazilian Learners of English (CABrI), compared with the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essay (LOCNESS). The analysis revealed the predominance ofepistemic modals in both corpora, with differences in the expression of this type of modality. In the corpus of non-native speakers, there was a greater variety of modal verb items, whereas in the corpus of native speakers therewas a predominance of adverbs with modalizing meanings. This study may contribute to the emerging area of corpora and syntax.