A study of the use of modality in the car advertisements of business week magazine issued from January to August 1997

Oleh :
Nugroho Wisnu Pujoyono - C0300046 - Fak. Sastra dan Seni Rupa

ABSTRAK This research is a descriptive research. The objectives of the research are to describe the types of modalities used in the car advertisements and to describe the use of each type of modality expression to the meaning as a whole in the car advertisements. The research is based on the Halliday’s theory. The sources of data in this research were Business Week magazine issued from January up to August 1997, while the data is the sentences with modality expression. The population of this research is all sentences in the car advertisements of Business Week magazine issued from January up to August 1997. The data taken were chosen by applying total sampling, meaning the entire sample provided were used as the data. In conducting the research, the researcher analyzed the data by finding the frequency of modality presence and absence, of modality distribution, of number of each type of modality, and of modality distribution. Then the data presentation is discussed. The discussion guided the researcher to describe the types of modalities and the use of each type of modality to the meaning as a whole. The result of the analysis shows that there are four types of modality used in the car advertisement texts. They are probability, usuality, obligation, and inclination. The usuality expression dominates number in the car advertisement with 48,89%. Probability expression is on the second rank with 31,11%. Obligation is on the third rank with 15,56%. Inclination is rarely used in car advertisements. It is shown by the percentage of the use of inclination expression is only 4,44%. After recognizing the types of modalities used in car advertisement, the researcher also discusses about the use of each type of modality to the meaning as a whole. After concluding, the researcher also gives some recommendations to the other students who are interested in linguistic study, other researchers, teachers, and the car advertisers for the sake of the beneficial of the thesis writing.