What term refers to the speaker's or writer's view of how likely a situation is?

What term refers to the speaker's or writer's view of how likely a situation is?

• A. extrinsic modality
• B. hedging
• C. phrase
• D. notional syllabus

Answer: (A)

Think of how language shows the speaker’s assessment of chances. The view of how likely something is sits in modality—the way we express possibility, probability, or certainty about a proposition. Extrinsic modality captures those judgments about external probability expressed by the speaker, such as statements that something is likely or could happen. This aligns exactly with describing how likely a situation is. Hedging is about softening claims and showing uncertainty in a broader way, but it doesn’t name the stance on likelihood itself. The other options don’t target the concept of likelihood in language.