Epistemic modality and focus in Dutch

This paper reports on a "controlled data elicitation" experiment investigat ing the role of information structure in the use of epistemic modal express ion forms in Dutch. Specifically, it investigates the effect of focality ve rsus nonfocality of an epistemic modal evaluation of Dutch speakers' select ion of a number of alternative expression types for epistemic modality (adv erbs, predicative adjectives, modal auxiliaries, mental-state predicates, a nd particles). In the experiment, subjects are asked to comment on a number of short cartoon strip stories - the conditions of focality versus nonfoca lity are created by varying the types of questions asked about the stories.