GENDER FEATURES INDICATED IN MODAL VOCABULARY USE IN THE INTRODUCTORY SECTION OF DEALING DIALOGUES AT DONG THAP MARKET

Abstract

Our main purpose in this paper is to uncover a couple of discrepancies between males and females (buyer and  seller)  in their use of  modal  vocabulary  with regard to use  frequency, tokens  and functions. Our investiagtion shows that apart from other shared points, most males and females used quite a great deal of modal vocabulary from the Southern dialect, in which the discrepancies were clearly found. The female employed the modal vocabulary more often than the other sex. Those used by the female at high frequencies were of request, appeal and complaint. Meanwhile, the male tended to express modalities of the vocative and urgent request. Each gender has its own ways of modal vocabulary use to start dealing dialogues.