Use of Modality in the Punjab Textbook Board’s English for Grade 7: An SFL-Based Evaluation

Abstract

This study investigates the use of modality in the Punjab Textbook Board's English textbook for Grade 7 through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014). Seventy-three modal expressions were identified and classified by type, value, and orientation. Results reveal a dominance of deontic modality, particularly through high- and medium-value modal verbs such as must and should, indicating a focus on moral instruction and authority. Most modals exhibit subjective orientation, aligning with a behaviorist pedagogical approach. The limited variety of modals—especially the underrepresentation of epistemic and dynamic forms—suggests a misalignment with authentic language usage, potentially hindering students’ pragmatic competence. These findings highlight concerns about ideological reinforcement through textbook discourse and call for a more balanced integration of modality types to support communicative and critical language development.