This paper makes a comparative research by the method of quantitative analysis on the different interper -sonal meaning of how American and Chinese undergraduates use modal verbs to write an essay with the same topic . It shows that American and Chinese students express totally different interpersonal meaning in using modal verbs . Chinese students are used to express their views by accountable modal verbs which refer to responsibility and duty , while those of the native speaking favor cognitive modal verbs which offer information or comment on the topic .As for modality value , both of them show the same features: they use more mid-and-low value modal verbs and less high-value modal verbs .This paper puts forward some advice for the future English teaching .%采用定量分析的方法对比中美两国大学生在同一命题作文下通过情态动词的运用实现人际意义，体现人际关系的异同，发现中美两国大学生在采用情态类型表达人际意义方面存在巨大的差异。中国大学生习惯于运用表示责任、义务的责任性情态词来表达作者的观点以达到建议或规劝的目的。而本族语大学生更多地使用了表示提供信息或对命题判断的认知性情态词。但在情态词使用的量值方面，中美大学生表现得较为相似，总体而言，他们中值和低值的情态词使用的次数较多，高值情态词使用较少。
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