epistemic modality

Epistemic modality relates to expressing how certain or uncertain we are about the information we share. It indicates the speaker's attitude toward the truth of a statement—whether they believe it’s definitely true, probably true, possible, or unlikely. For example, saying “It’s raining” shows certainty, while “It might be raining” expresses uncertainty. Epistemic modality is often communicated through modal words like “must,” “may,” “might,” or “could,” helping listeners understand how confident the speaker is about what they’re stating.