This paper aims to present partial research findings of a doctoral thesis on the use of linguistic modality strategies. The investigation considers the role of modal operators in the negotiation process established by the relationship of the text producer with both the text content and the interlocutor. The analysis focuses on epistemic and deontic modal operators in paragraphs of opinion pieces written by 3rd year secondary students from a public school in Cascavel (Paraná, Brazil). This research is qualitative-oriented, using procedures of qualitative content analysis, following a descriptive-interpretive approach. The study is based on theoretical framework that focuses on analyzing real texts and examining specific linguistic resources, given the enunciation conditions involved in text production. It was found that students use strategies to mark their relationship with their own text and their interlocutor that fall in two negotiation categories: emphatic negotiation and attenuated negotiation, which involves illocutionary acts of strong and weak assertion, respectively.
Modal operator; Negotiation; Opinion piece; Secondary Education
