Epistemic modality

Epistemic modality is a fancy term that talks about how we express our beliefs and knowledge about something. It's like saying how certain or uncertain we are about something.

For example, when you say, "I think it will rain today," you are expressing an opinion about something that might happen. The words "I think" show that you are not completely sure, and there is a chance that it might not rain.

On the other hand, if you say, "It is raining outside," you are expressing a fact. The words "it is" show that you are certain about it, and there is no doubt about it.

In the same way, epistemic modality helps us express our degree of certainty or uncertainty in our beliefs and knowledge. It can be used to communicate how likely something is to happen or how probable it is.

Using words like "might," "may," "could," and "possibly" show that we are not entirely sure about something, and there is a chance that it might not happen. These words are called modal auxiliaries, and they help us express our degree of certainty.

In contrast, using words like "will," "shall," and "must" show that we are confident about something happening or being the truth. It's like saying we are sure about something, and there is no doubt in our minds.

So, epistemic modality is just a way of expressing our beliefs and knowledge with different degrees of certainty or uncertainty. And it helps us communicate more effectively by showing how sure or unsure we are about something, just like how we tell our friends whether we're sure about something or not.