A study on the semantic and lexicogrammatical features of the short story mr know all by w somerset maugham a systemic functional analysis

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

************

NGUYỄN THI ̣ BÍ CH LIÊN

A STUDY ON THE SEMANTIC AND LEXICOGRAMMATICAL
FEATURES OF THE SHORT STORY MR KNOW ALL BY W.
SOMERSET MAUGHAM: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ CÁC ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGỮ NGHĨA VÀ NGỮ PHÁP TỪ VỰNG
TRONG TRUYỆN NGẮN ÔNG BIẾT TUỐT CỦA NHÀ VĂN W.SOMERSET
MAUGHAM. PHÂN TÍ CH THEO QUAN ĐIỂM CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60220201

HANOI – 2016


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

************

NGUYỄN THI ̣ BÍ CH LIÊN

A STUDY ON THE SEMANTIC AND LEXICOGRAMMATICAL
FEATURES OF THE SHORT STORY MR KNOW ALL BY W.
SOMERSET MAUGHAM: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ CÁC ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGỮ NGHĨA VÀ NGỮ PHÁP TỪ VỰNG
TRONG TRUYỆN NGẮN ÔNG BIẾT TUỐT CỦA NHÀ VĂN W.SOMERSET
MAUGHAM. PHÂN TÍ CH THEO QUAN ĐIỂM CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60220201
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân

HANOI - 2016


CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT
I hereby certify that the thesis entitled A study on the semantic and
lexicogrammartical features of the short story Mr. Know All by Somerset
Maugham: A systemic functional analysis is the result of my own research for the
Degree of Master of Art at University of Language and International Studies, Ha
Noi National University, and the thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any
other university or tertiary institution.
Hanoi, 2016

Nguyễn Thi Bi
̣ ́ch Liên

i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like first to express my deep gratitude to Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân,
my supervisor, for his untiring and benevolent assistance granted to me throughout
the process of my writing. His practical advice, useful suggestions and critical
feedback have been generous and beneficial, without which I would not have been
able to complete this thesis.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to my whole-hearted
colleagues and friends for their help and kind encouragement during the research
period.
My indebtedness is to my beloved family members whose help and
encouragements contributed greatly to the completion of my study.
Hanoi,2016

Nguyễn Thi Bi
̣ ́ch Liên

ii


ABSTRACT
The shortcoming in most textual analyses is their dependence on contestable
and value judgments of literary critics. However, such prescriptive commentary is
not instrumental in exploring multiple meanings encoded in grammar. This
necessitates a linguistic analysis of texts, which demonstrates how and why a text
gets to be the way it is as well as the reader interprets it in the particular way. For
this reason, the functional text analysis undertaken in this study aims to investigate
how and why the text is written.

It is performed with regard to Halliday‟s

Functional Grammar framework. The linguistic data were analyzed by using the
quantitative and qualitative methods. Consequently, how interpersonal relationships
are created within texts, how information is organized in texts and how the
ideological positions of writers are implanted in texts were shown and interpreted. It
is presented that the predominance of the material process reflects the main purpose
of the discourse. And most of the processes are presented in the past tense and in
declarative mood which serves effectively the purpose of the author.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CANDIDATE‟STATEMENT ................................................................................................ i
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................... iv
PART I: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER1:GENER LINTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1
1.1. Rationale of the study ..................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Aims of the study and research questions ...................................................................... 2
1.3. Scope of the study .......................................................................................................... 3
1.4. Methods of the study....................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Design of the study ........................................................................................................ 3
PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................... 5
2.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5
2.2. Systemic Functional Linguistics .................................................................................... 6
2.2.1. Strata of the systemic functional model .............................................................. 7

2.2.2. Metafunctions ...................................................................................................... 8
2.3. The ideational meaning ................................................................................................... 9
2.3.1. Process types ................................................................................................. 10
2.3.1.1. Material process ......................................................................................... 10
2.3.1.2. Mental processes ........................................................................................ 10
2.3.1.3. Relational processes ................................................................................... 11
2.3.1.4. Behavioral processes ................................................................................. 12
2.3.1.5. Verbal processes ....................................................................................... 12
2.3.1.6. Existential processes .................................................................................. 13
2.3.2. Circumstances ............................................................................................... 13
2.4. The interpersonal meaning............................................................................................ 14
2.4.1. Constituents of the Mood ................................................................................... 15
2.4.2. Residue ............................................................................................................... 16
2.4.3. Mood types ........................................................................................................ 16
2.4.3.1. Indicative mood ......................................................................................... 17

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2.4.3.2. Imperative mood ...................................................................................... 18
2.5. The textual meaning...................................................................................................... 18
2.5.1. Types of theme .................................................................................................. 19
2.5.1.1. Ideational or Topical theme ..................................................................... 19
2.5.1.2. Textual theme .......................................................................................... 20
2.5.1.3. Interpersonal theme.................................................................................. 20
2.5.2. Theme and mood ............................................................................................... 20
2.5.2.1. Theme in interrogatives ............................................................................ 21
2.5.2.2. Theme in imperatives ............................................................................... 21
2.5.2.3. Theme in declaratives .............................................................................. 21
2.5.2.4. Theme in exclaimatives ........................................................................... 22

2.6. Summary ....................................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 3: THE SEMANTIC AND LEXICOGRAMMATICAL FEATURES OF THE
SHORT STORY MR. KNOW ALL ..................................................................................... 23
3.1. W. Somerset Maugham and the story Mr. Know All .................................................. 23
3.2. The analysis of the story in terms of clause and clause complex ................................. 24
3.3. The analysis of the story in terms of transitivity ......................................................... 25
3.4. The analysis of the story in terms of mood .................................................................. 39
3.5. The analysis of the story in terms of theme ................................................................. 41
3.6. Summary ....................................................................................................................... 43
PART III: CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 44
4.1. Recapitulation ............................................................................................................... 44
4.2. Implications of the study.............................................................................................. 45
4.3. Suggestions for further study ....................................................................................... 45
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX 1: Clause and clause complex ............................................................................ I
APPENDIX 2: The transitivity pattern ............................................................................... IX
APPENDIX 3: The mood pattern ......................................................................................XC
APPENDIX 4: The theme pattern ....................................................................................... C

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PART I: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale of the study
Since its birth in early 18th century, linguistics has witnessed a great change
in the development of various approaches to grammar study such as Chomsky‟s
transformational

generative

grammar,

Bloomfield‟s

immediate

constituent

grammar. Systemic functional grammar, among those, which was developed by
celebrities in linguistics such as Halliday, Hassan, Morley, Bloor, can be seen as the
most useful tool to satisfy human‟s desire to explore the language‟s nature. As
Thompson (1996:6) states functional grammar is “a full analysis of sentence in both
form and meaning as well as their relationship”.
Compared with traditional grammar, which considered grammar as “a set of
rules which specify all the possible grammatical structures of the language where
grammatical and ungrammatical sentences are distinguished clearly” (Lock,
1996:1), functional grammar “is a way of looking at language in terms of how
grammar is used” (Martin et al, 1997). In more details, functional grammar
concerns with the grammatical patterns and lexical items used in text, as well as
choices of those items, focusing on “the development of grammatical systems as a
means for people to interact with each other” (Martin et al., 1997:1). In Vietnam,
there also have valuable studies of grammarians relating to functional grammar,
among which there are Cao Xuân Hạo (1991) with Tiếng Việt: Sơ thảo ngữ pháp
chức năng, Hoàng Văn Vân (2005) with Ngữ pháp kinh nghiệm của cú tiếng Việt:
Mô tả theo quan điểm chức năng hệ thống. Thanks to all these scholars, language is
seen to be “closer to life”.
According to Halliday, a functional grammar was designed to study the
wording and interpret the wording by reference to what it means in order to “make

it possible to say sensible and useful things about any text” (Halliday, 1994).
In detail, it is particularly helpful for explaining how language is selected and
organized in particular ways for particular socio-cultural purposes.

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Yet, “traditional approaches to the study of literary texts model text analysis
as an interpretive activity”, where “students learn to read a text and try to argue
about what meanings they think the writer was making in the text” (Eggins, 2000:
309). “From a systemic perspective”, text analysis is, however, “not an interpretive
but an explanatory activity” (Eggins, 2000: 309). In fact, “the linguistic analysis of
text is not an interpretation of that text; it is an explanation” – an explanation of
both “WHAT” and “HOW” “a text means” (Eggins, 2000: 309; Halliday & Hasan,
1985: 327). In this way, students will become “effective readers”, who can “see the
constructedness of the text and of the reading position” imposed upon them by the
writer (Kress, 1990: 40).
As a teacher of English, I am deeply interested in developing both language
proficiency and structural accuracy for my students. That is the reason why I have been
deeply concerned with systemic functional grammar and my absorption in it, I believe,
will help me to apply the theory teaching English to my students more effectively.
As shown in the title A study on the semantic and lexicogrammatical
features of the short story Mr. Know All by W. Somerset Maugham: A systemic
functional analysis, there are some main reasons for my choice of the topic. Firstly, as
a language teacher, what I am supposed to do is to use and teach English correctly and
appropriately. In order to achieve this goal, analyzing texts to understand their meaning
is quite necessary. Secondly, understanding what a text is through analyzing, it will
certainly help us a great deal in our teaching as stated by Halliday and Hasan (1985).
That is reason why I choose to explore the semantic and lexicogrammatical
features of Mr. Know All by Somerset Maugham.

1.2. Aim of the study and research questions
The overarching aim of the study is to investigate how transitivity, mood and
theme are employed in the story Mr. Know All by W. Somerset Maugham to convey
experiential, interpersonal and textual meanings.
To achieve this aim, the following research question are raised for
exploration:

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How are transitivity, mood and theme employed in the story Mr. Know All
by Somerset Maugham to reveal the experiential, interpersonal and textual meaning ?
1.3. Scope of the study
Within the framework of a minor thesis submitted in fulfillment of the
requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in English Linguistics, the primary
focus of this study will be on investigating semantic and lexicogrammatical features
of the story; they are the transitivity pattern, the mood and modality patterns, and
the thematic pattern. The text used as data for the study is a short story entitled Mr.
Know All by W. Somerset Maugham.
1.4. Methods of the study
To achieve the aim as stated above, the study will use two main methods:
qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative method is used for literature
review, re-examining the systemic functional grammar framework, analysing the
data for results, and discussing research results. Quantitative method is concerned
with calculating the data and concerting it into percentages for discussion and
cocnclusion. The analyses of the clauses in terms of transitivity, mood and theme
are based on Halliday‟s systemic functional grammar framework.
1.5. Design of the study
The study is designed in three main parts:
Part I – Introduction

Chapter 1 – General introduction presents rationale for the study, aim of the
study, scope of the study, method of the study and design of the study.
Part II – Development – is the main part of the study which is organized around
two chapters:
Chapter 2: Theoretical backgrounds – provides the theoretical framework
of the study. Its focus is on introducing important concepts of systemic functional
linguistics relevant to the topic of the study and a brief introduction to the author
and the story Mr. Know All.

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Chapter 3: Data analysis – analyses the semantic and lexicogrammatical
features of the story Mr. Know All to see how transitivity, mood & modality, and
theme are patterned in the story and provides comments based on these findings.
Part III – Chapter 4 - Conclusion – summarizes what has been studied; provides
some implications for teaching and learning English; and makes some suggestions
for further research.

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PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL BACKGOUND
2.1. Introduction
It is not the aim of this chapter to present a comprehensive account of
systemic functional linguistics; such an account is now widely available: Halliday
(1992, 1996); Matthiessen (1995); Halliday & Martin (1981, 1993); Halliday &
Hasan (1985); Berry (1975, 1977), Hasan, Cloran & Butt (1996); Hoang Van Van

(2012) and many others. In this chapter, I will draw attention to only those features
of the model which appear directly relevant to a grammatical study of this kind. To
make the task manageable, the review will follow Hoang Van Van (2012) by
organizing it around two major headings: semantics (the stratum of meaning) and
lexicogrammar (the stratum of wording): metafunctional resonance.
Semantics is the highest stratum within language; it refers to the systems of
meaning in a language, for example, how sentences relate to the real world of
people, actions, places and so on.
Lexicogrammar is a term used in systemic functional linguistics to
emphasize the interdependence of and continuity between vocabulary (lexis)
and syntax (grammar). According to systemic functional theory, lexicogrammar is
diversified into a metafunctional spectrum, extended in delicacy from grammar to
lexis, and ordered into a series of ranked units" (Halliday, 2014).
As the upper of the two content strata within language, semantics is the
interface between context and lexicogrammar as presented in the diagram below.
Ideational
meaning

Interpersonal
meaning

Semantics
Lexico-grammatical

5

Textual
meaning

From the point of view of analysis, the mapping is interpreted as decoding
lexicogrammatical structure to recover the speaker‟s meaning. Semantics transforms
experience and interpersonal relationships into linguistic meaning, and lexicogrammar
transforms this meaning into words, adopting the speaker‟s perspective. In other words,
a hearer recovers the speaker‟s meanings by interpreting the choices of lexical items,
and the ways in which these are put together (the grammatical structure).
Within the scope of my study, this chapter will explore some basic concepts
that are relevant to the thesis‟s topic: there are transitivity, mood and theme. But
before looking at them in some detail, it is necessary to provide a brief introduction
to systemic functional linguistics.
2.2. Systemic functional linguistics
Systemic functional linguistics is a theory about language as a resource for
making meaning based on a context of culture. It is developed by Michael Halliday,
a professor of linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia. The theory is based
on Firth‟s system- structure theory (Halliday, 1985; Hoang Van Van, 2012).
Beginning in 1950s, formal grammar, which was developed by Noam
Chomsky and his followers, is concerned with the description of the structure of
individual sentences. These linguists intend to explain the language structure in the
way it is. At the same time, a set of rules for grammatically correct or incorrect
usage are established as the guide for language users. In other words, whether a
sentence or an utterance is said to be wrong or right is due to its obedience to the
laws of grammar. Unlike formal linguists, functional linguists have generally
dedicated themselves to addressing practical concerns of the application of grammar
as well as relating grammar to its function within society. Specifically, Halliday
(1994) views language not as a system of rules but as “a system of meaning”.
Halliday approaches language not from within the internal working of the
linguistic system, but primarily from outside. He begins with the question: Why is
language structured in the way it is and not in some other way? And his answer is:
because it reflects the functions which language is required to serve as a mean of

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social communication. In other words, it shows how people use language to make
meaning in order to navigate their social interactions on their lives. That is, the
reason why systemic functional linguistics takes language to its functions through
meaning, not just formation (cf. Eggins, 1994; Martin, 1985; Lock, 1996).
Systemic functional linguistics has two characteristics: systemic and
functional. It is systemic because it is based on systemic theory, which emphasizes
meaning as the fundamental element in analyzing language. Halliday (1994) states
“systemic theory is theory of meaning as a choice, by which a language or any other
semiotic system is interpreted as networks of interlocking options” (Halliday,
1985). Functionally, systemic functional linguistics is designed to explore how
language is formed. “It is functional in the sense that it is designed to account for
how language is used” (Halliday, 1985) which is represented in three
metafunctions: experiential- textual – interpersonal.
2.2.1. Strata of the systemic functional model
The model below is based on Halliday (1978 and elsewhere), Hasan (1993,
1995, 1996; Hasan & Perrett (1994); Teich (1999) and Hoang Van Van (2012) in
interpreting language as consisting of four strata, which are termed: context –
semantics – lexicogrammar and phonology.

Figure 1 - Four strata of systemic functional model
According to the model, phonology refers to the system of sounding;
lexicogrammar refers to the system of wording; semantics refers to the system of
meaning in a language and context refers to the social system.

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Also according to the model, each stratum can be further divided into
functional components or functions. The ideational, interpersonal and textual
functions of language are considered in the semantic stratum. Here, ideational
meaning refers to the way one uses representational tools to compose the idea. In
the context stratum for example, functional components are concerned with field
(what is going on in the communicative event), tenor (the social roles and
relationships involved) and mode (the channel in which communication takes place
and the medium for communication).
There are many other components relating to systemic functional linguistics.
However, in this study, I will draw attention to only those features of the model
which appear directly relevant to my study. Therefore, I will focus on exploring two
strata: semantics and lexicogrammar to see what they are and how lexicogrammar
resonates semantics.
In systemic functional linguistics, clause rather than sentence is the unit
of analysis. In systemic theory, a clause is a unit in which the meanings of three
different kinds are combined. Three distinct structures, each expressing one kind of
semantic organization, are mapped onto one another to produce a single wording.
These semantic structures are referred to as meta-functions.
2.2.2.Metafunctions: Modes of meaning
In order to account for this meaning-making potential of language, Halliday
(1994) proposes three metafunctions at a semantical level:
 Experiential – “construing a model of experience”
 Interpersonal – “enacting social relationships”
 Textual – “creating relevance to context”
(Halliday, 1994)
The experiential meaning construes our experience of the world around us
and inside us. It‟s expressed through the system of transitivity which consists of six
types of process: material, behavioural, mental, verbal, relational, and existential. A
clause is analyzed into Process, Participant and Circumstance.

8


o

The interpersonal meaning enacts our social roles and relations. It‟s

expressed through the mood system. A clause is analysed into Subject, Finite,
Predicator, Complement, and Adjunct.
o

The textual meaning presents the meanings construed and enacted as a flow

of information as message. It is expressed through the thematic system. A clause is
analysed into Theme and Rheme. The Theme is the departure of the message and
the Rheme is what the Theme is about.
Below is an example taken from Matthiessen & Bateman (1991); see also
Halliday (1994: 371).

Figure 2: Metafunctional layering
The following parts are going to briefly summarize the main points of each
meaning.
2.3. The ideational meaning
The ideational meaning is the function for construing human experience
(Alice, Martin, Christian, 2005: 26). It relates to meaning about phenomena; about
how we represent experience in language. Meaning of this kind are most certainly
influenced by the field of discourse (specify what is going on with reference to
what), hence it investigates about things, about what they are or do and also the
circumstance surrounding this happening and doing. This meaning is realized
through wording by Transitivity system. According to Suzanne (1994:229), in

analyzing transitivity system, it is concerned with describing three aspects of the
clause: Process, Participants and Circumstances. In transitivity system processes are
the central while the Participants and Circumstances are incumbent upon the
processes. There are six different types of processes identified by Halliday (1985):

9


Material, Mental, Verbal, Behavioral, Relational, and Existential. Each of which
will be presented in 2.3.1 below.
2.3.1. Process types
2.3.1.1. Material process
Material process is process of “doing”, usually physical and tangible actions. They
express the notion that some entity “does” something which may be done “to” some other
entity. These processes can be proved by asking: what did X do? or What did X do to Y?.
The „doer‟ of the action is called Actor. The one that is affected by the action is called
Goal. Any material process has an actor, even though the actor may not be mentioned in
the clause. The actor may be elliptical in the case of passive clauses. For example:
He
Goal

was hit
Process: material

on his head
Circumstance

In some material processes, there exists a third participant called Beneficiary.
The Beneficiary is either Recipient or Client. The Recipient is one that goods are
given to. The Client is one that services are done for. For example:

I

will give

Actor Process: Material

you

my book.

Beneficiary: Recipient

Goal

I

will do

it

for you.

Actor

Process: material

Goal

Beneficiary: Client

2.3.1.2. Mental process
Mental process is the process of feeling, thinking and seeing (Halliday, 1994;
Halliday, 2012). Unlike material process which belongs to the physical world,
mental process usually reflects the world of consciousnes. It involves four main
subtypes: cognitive (thinking, knowing, understanding, realizing etc.), perceptive
(hearing, sensing, feeling etc.), affective (loving, hating, adoring, enjoying etc.),
and desiderative (wanting, desiring, wishing etc.). In this type of process, the
subject is labeled Senser (who experiences the process) and the complement is
labeled phenomenon (what is experienced). For example:

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The boy

loved

the girl.

Senser

Process: mental (affection)

phenomenon

We should be aware that the Sener must be human or at least animate
creature (except in metaphorical uses) since only animate beings (human and
animals) can think or feel. Phenomenon may be animate or inanimate.
2.3.1.3. Relational process
Relational process is the process of being, having and being at. According to

Halliday (1994), there are three main types of relational process which are named:


intensive „X is A‟ (establishes a relationship of sameness between two entities)



Circumstantial „X is at A‟ (defines the entity in terms of location, time, manner)



possessive „X has A‟ (indicates that one entity owns another)

Each of these comes in two distinct modes:


attributive (A is an attribute of X)



identifying (A is the identity of X).
Halliday offers the principal types of relational process as follows:
Attributive

The leader is Tom.
Tom is the leader.

Sarah is wise.

Intensive

Circumstantial The fair is on a Tuesday.
Peter has a piano.

Possessive

Table 1:

Identifying

Tomorrow is the 10th.
The 10th is tomorrow.
The piano is Peter‟s.
Peter‟s is the piano.

The principal types of relational process

In the attributive mode, one participant is known as Carrier and the quality to
represent the possessive relation of carrier is referred to as Attribute, which is
usually realized by an adjective or an indefinite nominal group.
Sarah

is

wise.

Carrier

Process: relational (intensive)

Attribute

When a relational process is in the identifying mode, it has two equating
participants, one identifying the other, which is referred to respectively in two pairs
of terms as identified / identifier and token / value.
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Tom

is

the leader.

Identified/
Taken

Process: relational (intensive)

Identifier/
Value

2.3.1.4. Behavioral process
Behavioral process is the process of (typically human) physiological and
psychological behavior, like breathing, coughing, smiling, dreaming and staring. It is on
the borderline between material and mental processes. In this type of process, the only
one participant who is “behaving”, labelled Behaver, is typically a conscious being.
She

cried

softly.

Behaver

Process: behavioral

Circumstance

According to Halliday (1994: 139), the boundaries of behavioral processes
are indeterminate, but we can recognize the following kinds as typical: processes of
consciousness represented as forms of behavior: look, watch, stare, listen...,
processes as behavior: chatter, grumble, talk... Other physiological processes:
breathe, cough, faint..., bodily postures and pastitmes: sing, dance, lie (down)...
Normally, there is one participant in a behavioral process. However, the
second participant, which is repeated, is called Range. And when the second
participant is not a repetition, it is labelled Phenomenon.
She

laughed

an embarrassed laugh.

Behaver

Process: behavioral

Range

I

smell

the rose.

Behaver

Process: behavioral

Phenomenon.

2.3.1.5. Verbal process
Verbal process is the process of saying. It expresses the relationship between the
ideas constructed in human consciousness and the ideas enacted in the form of
language. In addition, it shares the characteristics of mental and relational processes.
The participants of the process are: Sayer (the participant who is speaking),
Receiver (the addressee to whom the process is directed), Verbiage (what is said in
form of a nominal group or an embedded clause), Target (the object of the talk).
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Verbal process contains one participant referred to as Sayer, two participants
referred to respectively as Sayer and Target or Sayer and Verbiage depending on
each particular subtype of verbal process, and even three participants are referred to
respectively as Sayer, Target and Recipient.
I

am always praising

you

to my friends.

Sayer

Process: verbal

Target

Recipient

The relationship of quoting or reporting is also mentioned in this type of process.
She

said

“go away”.

Sayer

Process: verbal

Quoted

She

said

that she would go away.

Sayer

Process: verbal

Reported

2.3.1.6. Existential processes
These processes represent that something exists or happens. Normally, the
word “There” is necessary as a subject although it has no representational function.
These clauses typically have the verb be, or some other verb expressing existence,
such as exist, arise, occur, happen, take place...followed by a nominal group
functioning as Existent (a thing which exists in the process). The existent may be a
phenomenon of any kind, and is often, in fact, an event. For example:
There

was
Process: existential

a storm.
Existent: event

2.3.2. Circumstances
In systemic functional grammar, the components which are used to express
the aspects such as time, place, manner, accompaniment, etc, are called
Circumstances (Hoang Van Van, 2005: 325). Typically, they occur freely in all
types of process and with the same significance they occur. Circumstances are
realized by adverbial groups or prepositional phrases.
Halliday (1994: 151) introduces a list of nine main types of circumstantial
elements in English: extent, location, manner, cause, contingency, accompaniment,
role, matter and angle, which can be represented in Table 2 below:

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Type

Specific
categories

Example

1
. Extent

a) Distant
b) Duration

a) He walks (for) seven miles
b) She stayed for two hours

2

Location

a) Place
b) Time

a) We work in the kitchen
b) I get up at six o’clock

Manner

a) Means
b) Quality
c) Comparison

a) My mother went by bus.
b) It was snowing heavily.
c) It went through my head like an
earthquake

Cause

a) Reason
b) Purpose
c) Behalf

a) For want of a nail the shoe was lost
b) For the sake of peace..
c) I’m writing on behalf of Aunt Jane

Contingency

a) Condition
b) Concession
c) Default

3

4

5

6
7

Accompaniment
Role

a) Comitative
b) Additive
a) Guise
b) Product

8 Matter
9 Angle

a) In the event of typhoon, open all windows.
b) Despite the rain, the excursion was a great
success.
c) We shall give them the benefit of the doubt.
a) Fred came with Tom .
b) Fred came instead of Tom.
a) I’m speaking as your employer.
b) She is turning into another person.
I worry about your health.
The price was good according to Jack.

Table 2: Types of circumstantial element
2. 4. The interpersonal meaning
Interpersonal Meanings are meanings which express a speaker‟s attitudes and

judgments and personality which enable speaker participates in the speech situation.
These are meaning for acting upon and with others which are realized in wording
that is called Mood and Modality.
In the Interpersonal meaning, one of the things we are doing with it is
establishing a relationship between the person speaking now and the person who
will probably speak next. To establish this relationship, we take turns at speaking,
we take on different roles in the exchange. The basic speech roles we can take on
are: giving and demanding. We also choose commodity, where the choice is
between exchanging information, goods or services. While exchanging commodity

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speakers involve four basic move types of statement, question, offer and command
which are called speech acts or speech functions.
a) Giving
b) Demanding

a) Goods and services
Offer
Would you like this teapot?
Command
Give me that teapot

b) Information
Statement
He is giving her the
teapot
Question
What is he giving her

The principle grammatical system here is the Mood system, which the choice
is between imperative and indicative.

Figure 3: Network of MOOD systems (Matthiessen and Halliday, 2009)
2.4.1. Constituents of the Mood
In English, the Mood consists of two elements: the Subject which is realized
by a nominal group that the speaker gives responsibility for the validity of the
clause and the Finite which is realized by the first of the verbal group, expressing
tenses, modality and polarity. For example:
I
Who
Michael
Subject
Mood

didn’t
did
did
Finite

The Finite element is one of the small number of verbal operators expressing
tense, modality and polarity. These are listed below:
past
did, was
had, used to
Modal:
low
can, may

present
does, is
has

future
will,shall
would, should

median
will, would

high
must, ought to

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could, might
(dare)

is to, was to

need,
has to, had to

Table 3: Finite verbal operators (Halliday 1994:76)
2.4.2. Residue
The Residue accommodates the remainder of the clause. It consists of
functional elements of three kinds: Predicator (can be only one), Complement (can
be one or two) and Adjunct (indefinite number).



Predicator is realized by a verbal group minus the temporal or modal operator,

which as we have seen functions as Finite in the Mood element. It presents in all
major clauses, except being displayed by ellipsis. For example: was shining =>
predicator: shining


Complement is an element within the residue that has the potential of being

subject but is not, and it is typically realized by a nominal group.
For example:
The duke

gave

my aunt

that teapot.

Subject

Finite

Complement

Complement

Mood



Residue

Adjunct is an element that has not got the potential of being a subject. It is
realized by an adverbial group or a prepositional phrase.
My aunt

was

Subject
Finite
Mood

given
Predicator

that teapot

yesterday

Complement
Adjunct
Residue

by the
duke.
Adjunct

There are several other types of adjuncts. The two which fall outside of

Mood structure are Conjunctive adjuncts, Comment adjunct and Mood adjunct.
2.4.3. Mood types

Figure 4: Mood types (Matthiessen and Halliday (2009)
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2.4.3.1. Indicative mood
Indicative mood is realized by the features Subject + Finite. The order of the
Subject and Finite releases Declarative and Interrogative.
• Declarative
- unmarked: Subject + Finite
The car

had

four bicycle wheels.

Subject

Finite

Complement

- Unmarked: Finite + Subject.
Then

came
Predicator
Residue

the production line
Subject
Mood

Finite

• Interrogative
- Polar (Yes/No Questions): Finite + Subject
Did
Finite

Henry Ford
Subject
Mood

build
his first car in the backyard ?
Predicator Complement
Adjunct
Residue

- Wh-Questions: + subject: Wh/Subject ^ Finite
Who
Subject/
Wh

built
Finite

a car

in his backyard?

Predicator Complement

Mood

Cir. Adjunct

Residue

- Residue: Wh+Fin+Subj where C/Wh (Complement is queried) or A/Wh (Adjunct
is queried)
What

did

Henry Ford

build ?

Complement/ Wh

Finite

Subject

predicator

Mood
Residue


Exclamatives: Wh+S+F+P where C/Wh or A/Wh
What big eyes

you

have !

Complement/wh

Subject

Finite

Residue

Mood

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2.4.3.2. Imperative mood
In Imperatives the Mood element may consist of Subject + Finite, Subject
only, Finite only, or they may have no Mood element. There will always be a
Predicator. For example:





Don’t you put it there.

[Subject + Finite]

Let’s put it there.

[Subject]

Commands are variable in their realisation:
Turn it down!

[Imperative]

Why don’t you turn it down?

[Wh-Interrogative]

Offers also don‟t have a typical grammatical realisation.
Have a chocolate!

[Imperative]

Like a coffee?

[Polar Interrogative]

2.5. The textual meaning

Appropriately named “clause as message” (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004), the
textual metafunction contributes to the organization of the message within and between
clauses. Seemingly, it is closely linked to theories of cohesion in discourse. The structure
which gives the clause the characteristics of a message is the Thematic structure.
In the Thematic structure, the theme functions as the departure point which
has been chosen for the text by the speaker and it takes the initial position in the
clause. Rheme is the remainder of the message, which develops the theme in order
to complete the message of the clause.
The Theme position lets the reader or listener know what the clause is going to be
about. However, first position in the clause is not what defines the Theme, it is the means
whereby the function of the theme is realized, in the grammar of English. For example:
The duke
Theme

has given my aunt that teapot.
Rheme

Theme may be a nominal group, a prepositional phrase, an adverbial group
or even a clause.
Once upon a time
Very carefully

there were three bears
she put him back on his feet again
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