A TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL GONE WITH THE WIND BY MARGARET MITCHELL

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled
A transitivity analysis of the novel “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in
English Language. Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‘s work
has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis.
Hanoi, 2018

Trần Thị Lan Hương

Approved by
SUPERVISOR
(Signature and full name)

Đỗ Kim Phương, Ph.D
Date:……………………

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To fulfill this graduation thesis, I have been indebted to many people, so I would
like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of them for their valuable contributions.
First and foremost, to my supervisor Ph.D Do Kim Phuong, I would like to deeply
thank for her patient guidance, encouragement and supervision from the very initial
to the final stage of submitting this thesis. Without her endless assistance, precious
advice and detailed comments my work would not have been completed.
Furthermore, I owe my special thanks to all the lecturers who have enthusiastically
given precious lectures in my M.A course. I have obtained a lot of useful
knowledge for my study from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Tuyet Minh, Assoc. Prof. Dr.

Ho Ngoc Trung, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Van Que, Prof. Assoc. Dang Ngoc Huong,
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dang Suu, Prof. Assoc. Nguyen Thi Van Dong, Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Vo Dai Quang, and other lecturers at the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies of Hanoi
Open University. For concerns and assistance, my thanks also go to the staff of the
Faculty of Post Graduate Studies.
Besides, I highly appreciate the helpful advice, assistance and participation from my
colleagues and friends who help the study to be fulfilled and willingly share their
precious time during the process of conducting this thesis.
In particular, I also would like to convey my great gratitude to my beloved family
for their continuous support and encouragement they have provided during the
course and throughout the entire study process. I will be grateful forever for their
support.
Last but not least, to all the authors of the publications in the list of references, I
offer my sincere thanks for their useful materials.
Hanoi, 2018
Trần Thị Lan Hương

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ABSTRACT
This study is concerned with Transitivity System used Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone
with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The purposes of this research are to identify
the process types of transitivity system, to find out their significance in the
characterisation of each character in Chapter 2 as well as to describe the
implications of the analysis. This study is conducted by applying descriptive,
analytic and statistical methods. There are 395 clauses selected from the chapter .
All the process types of transitivity system are found in Chapter 2, which are
material, mental, relational, behavioral, verbal and existential process. The result of
the analysis is shown as follows : material (42,53%), mental (19,75%), relational

(28,86%), verbal (5,82%), behavioral (0,76%), and existential (2,28%). In addition,
the result also presents the occurrences of process types with each of the five
characters in the chapter. This will be carefully discussed in Chapter 4 of the study.
The findings of the study can, to some extent, be used as some suggestions for
English teachers and learners to have more access to Process types of Transitivity
System in order to achieve success in teaching and learning writing English texts.
Besides, linguistics researchers of Systemic Functional Grammar can conduct
further study on the similar topic to investigate another aspects of the issue.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY .......................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ........................................................................ vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................1
1.1. Rationale of the study...........................................................................................1
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study .........................................................................2
1.2.1. Aims ..................................................................................................................2
1.2.2. Objectives ..........................................................................................................2
1.3. Research questions ...............................................................................................3
1.4. Methods of the study ............................................................................................3
1.5. Scope of the study ................................................................................................3
1.6. Significance of the study ......................................................................................4
1.7. Design of the study...............................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................6

2.1. Previous studies ....................................................................................................6
2.2. Systemic Functional Grammar .............................................................................8
2.2.1. Introduction to SFG...........................................................................................8
2.2.2. Metafunctions ....................................................................................................9
2.2.2.1. Ideational Metafunction ...............................................................................10
2.2.2.2. Interpersonal Metafunction ..........................................................................11
2.2.2.3. Textual Metafunction ...................................................................................12
2.3. Transitivity system .............................................................................................13
2.3.1. Three components of the process ....................................................................14
2.3.2. Types of process ..............................................................................................17
2.3.2.1. Material Process ...........................................................................................17
2.3.2.2. Mental Process .............................................................................................20
2.3.2.3. Relational Process ........................................................................................21
2.3.2.4. Verbal Process ..............................................................................................23
2.3.2.5. Behavioural Process .....................................................................................25
2.3.2.6. Existential Process .......................................................................................26

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2.4. Summary ............................................................................................................26
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .........................................................................27
3.1. Subjects ..............................................................................................................27
3.2. Instruments .........................................................................................................27
3.3. Procedures ..........................................................................................................28
3.4. Statistical Analysis .............................................................................................29
3.5. Summary ............................................................................................................29
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS OF PROCESS TYPES OF TRANSITIVITY
SYSTEM USED IN CHAPTER 2 OF THE NOVEL "GONE WITH THE
WIND" ......................................................................................................................31

4.1. Process Types of Transitivity used in Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone with the
Wind" .........................................................................................................................31
4.2. The significance of the identified transitivity patterns in the characterisation of
each character in Chapter 2 .......................................................................................38
4.3. Implications of the analysis in writing and teaching and learning writing ........50
4.4. Summary ............................................................................................................51
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ...............................................................................53
5.1 Summary of Findings ..........................................................................................53
5.2 Concluding remarks ............................................................................................54
5.3 Recommendations for Further Study ..................................................................54
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................56
APPENDIX: ..............................................................................................................59

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Adj: Adjunct
Cir: Circumstantial
Compl: Complement
Fin: Finite
Pre: Predicator
Pro: Process
SFG: Systemic Functional Grammar
SFL: Systemic Functional Linguistics

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 2.1. Main systems of the metafunctions (Wilcock, 1993, p.19). ...................10
Figure 2.1. Layers of the metafunctions (Wilcock, 1993, p.19) ...............................12
Table 2.1. Summary of processes and participants ...................................................15
Table 4.1: Process types in Chapter 2 .......................................................................31
Table 4.2: Summary of Process types in Chapter 2 .................................................39

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale of the study
Language, no matter how it is defined, analyzed and accessed, is a tool of
communication. It is widely believed that people who study and use a language are
interested in how meanings can be made and understood through choices of words
and grammatical resources. Therefore, language and language study attract a lot of
academic researchers from different disciplines to better understand contemporary
society.
There are numerous language fields for linguistics researchers to conduct studies
on. They may study the language of science, politics, religion, economics, literature,
daily life, etc. for their own reasons. An analysis of a famous literary work in the
light of Systemic Functional Grammar is my priotity over any other topics with the
following justifications.
The first motive for the study is based on the very book "Gone with the Wind". This
is the only novel by American modern woman writer Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell,
popularly known as Margaret Mitchell, was published in 1936. It is a successful
commercial novel and a world popular classic. "Gone with the Wind" broke the
sales record and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. As of 2014, a Harris poll
found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible.
More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide. Despite its popularity
and great success, it has not got much attention from the literary critics and

linguistics researchers.
The second reason concerns the Systemic Functional Grammar approach. Among
many different approaches to study and analyze the grammar of a language,
Functional Grammar is found very useful and interesting because it offers language
reseachers and learners an analytic tool of looking at the whole text. Although it has
been studied by many famous linguists in the world, it has not been studied much in
Vietnam.

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The last crucial factor leading to this study is the implications of the analysis in
writing as well as in teaching and learning writing. The result of the study provides
an useful tool for teachers and learners to be able to analyze and understand English
written texts. Applying process types in writing, teaching and learning writing, they
will achieve better language competence.
With these ideas in mind, in this study, Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone with the wind"
by Margaret Mitchell will be analysed in terms of Transitivity Process with the
knowledge of Systematic Functional Grammar. It is hoped that this study will
provide some insights into the characterisation of each character in the chapter as
well as suggest some applications for English-writing teachers and learners.

1.2. Aims and objectives of the study
1.2.1. Aims
This study aims at analysing Types of Process used in Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone
with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell and explaining the significance of the
identified Transitivity patterns in the characterisation of each character in the
chapter.

1.2.2. Objectives

To achieve the aims mentioned-above, the following objectives are put forwards:
+ Identifying Process Types of Transitivity System used in Chapter 2 of the
novel "Gone with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell.
+ Showing the significance of the identified transitivity patterns in the
characterisation of each character in Chapter 2
+ Suggesting some implications of the analysis of Process Types

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1.3. Research questions
With the above aims and objectives, the study deals with the following research
questions:
1. What are Process Types of Transitivity System used in Chapter 2 of the novel
"Gone with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell ?
2. What is the significance of the identified transitivity patterns in the
characterisation of each character in Chapter 2?
3. What are the implications of the analysis of Process Types?

1.4. Methods of the study
From the aims and objectives stated above, the study is conducted based mainly on
three major methods: descriptive, analytic and statistical.
The descriptive method concerns with the description of the theoretical background
and framework of Systemic Functional Grammar, in terms of Metalfunctions and
Transitivity System.
The analytic method helps to identify Transitivity System used in Chapter 2 of the
novel "Gone with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The analysis of the source
language text‘s clause is mainly based on Halliday‘s theories of Systemic
Functional Grammar taken in “An introduction to Functional Grammar‖.
The statistical method is used to figure out the percentage of each process type used

in Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell.

1.5. Scope of the study
With regards to the problems and objectives of the study, the writer has to limit the
scope of the study. Therefore, this study concentrates on the analysis of Process
Types in Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone with the wind" by Margaret Mitchell.

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1.6. Significance of the study
This study is expected to offer some theoretical and practical contributions. In terms
of theory, this study can hopefully enrich the literature about Transitivity System in
exposition texts and also hopefully be useful for the readers who are interested in
studying Transitivity System in which it can help them to master English and to
understand the system itself. In addition, this study can hopefully be used as a
reference in the analysis of Transitivity System.
Practically, the result of this study is expected to provide information for teachers,
especially those regarding the quality of the texts so that teachers are able to select
proper texts as teaching documents. In addition, this study will help teachers
enhance their ability to analyze texts using transitivity system. Thus, teachers will
be able to help students gain their ability to create well-written texts.

1.7. Design of the study
This study pictures an exploratory case study which encompasses five chapters.
Chapter 1: outlines the rationale of the study; the aims and objectives of the study,
the significance of the study, the methods of the study, the scope of the study, and
the design of the study.
Chapter 2 attempts to establish the theoretical framework for the study. The key
concepts in systemic functional linguistics are examined to provide a description of

Metafunctions (Interpersonal metafunctions, Ideational metafunctions, Textual
metafunctions) and Transitivity Sytem (Three components of the process, Material
Process, Mental Process, Relational Process, Verbal Process, Existential Process,
Behavioural Process)
Chapter 3 : is concerned with the methodology of the research . It consists the
subjects of the study, the instruments, the procedures, and the data analysis of the
study.

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Chapter 4: conducts the data analysis and explains the analysis results. In this
chapter, the process types are carefully analyzed to help fulfill the purpose of the
study mentioned in chapter 1.
Chapter 5: provides a short conclusion of the study and makes some suggestions
for further research.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Previous studies
Transitivity has been a hot topic in linguistic studies for a long time. It has been
studied from different angles. Transitivity analysis has been widely used to
understand the language of speakers and writers. It examines the structure of
sentences and clauses which are represented by processes, the participants involved
in these processes, and the circumstances in which processes and participants are
involved.
Using transitivity analysis, researchers have tried to reveal that language structures
can produce certain meanings and ideology which are not always explicit for

readers. In other words, the task of functional analysis, particularly transitivity
analysis, is to discover the relation between meanings and wordings that accounts
for the organization of linguistic features in a text. Therefore, the concept of
transitivity has been used by a number of linguists in the world and in Vietnam to
shed more light on the use of language in a literary text.
Spearheading the study in Transitivity analysis, a research labelled as ―one of the
groundbreaking analysis in stylistics‖ (Carter and Stockwell, 1971 cited in Nguyen,
p. 86) was done by M.A.K. Halliday to illustrate how the meaning is brought by the
grammatical structure of the text‘s language of William Golding‘s the Inheritors.
This study entailed a wide employment of the transitivity analysis in analyzing texts
such as short stories (Nguyen, 2012; Msuya, 2014; Mwinlaaru, 2012), sonnets
(Indrayani & Seomantri, 2014) play (Gallardo, 2006) and essay (Cunanan, 2011).
Analyzing the short story entitled Heroic Mother by Hoa Pham, Nguyen (2012)
looked into the personality portrayal of the mother.
Perusing the same type of literary text, Msuya (2014) studied Peter Abraham‘s
Mine Boy through the same framework but with particular regard to the verbal
processes of the characters named Xuma and Leah.

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Focusing on a different kind of literary text, Indrayani & Seomantri (2014) analyzed
the sonnets written by Shakespeare. The study includes the analysis of three of
Shakespearean sonnets namely The Time of the Year, Let Me Not to the Marriage of
True Minds and My Mistress‟ Eye. It was found that only four of the six processes
were present namely material, mental, relational and existential are present wherein
the first occurred most frequently among the others. The research also identified
some archaic words and how these played an important role in the clauses.
Cunanan (2011), on the other hand, studied the essay written by Virginia Woolf
entitled Old Mrs. Grey and explained how stylistic analysis could help the ESL

readers understand the text through giving considerations to the author‘s linguistic
choice. The study pointed out that transitivity analysis allows the readers to have an
access to the persona‘s stream of consciousness.
Through the transitivity analysis, according to Nguyen (2012), ―…researchers have
tried to reveal that language structures can produce certain meanings and ideology
which are not always explicit for readers‖ (p. 86). With this, ―…a good number of
textual stylistic scholars have embarked on making analyses of different texts
(Msuya, 2014:134) to unfold its different ideologies through the systemic-functional
linguistics which established a bond between the word choice and meaning.
The aforementioned studies ―…are just few among many‖ (Nguyen, 2012: p. 86)
existing research that have employed transitivity analysis. These studies have
invited other scholars to analyze different literary and non-literary texts to construe
their underlying objective meanings embedded in the language. Meanwhile, the
present study which adapts the same framework explains briefly what transitivity
theory.
Thus, however small the study is, I would like to contribute to this fledgling field by
analyzing Transitivity System used in Chapter 2 of the novel "Gone with the wind"
by Margaret Mitchell from the perspective of Systemic Functional Grammar.
Before that, in this chapter, background knowledge of Systematic Functional
Grammar and Process Types will be presented.

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2.2. Systemic Functional Grammar
2.2.1. Introduction to SFG
The origins of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) can be traced from earlier
works of the Prague School Formed in Europe in the 1920‘s. Michael Alexander
Kirkwood Halliday is the founder of SFL. He expanded the theory from his teacher,
JR Firth‘s work. SFL is an approach that sees how the meaning of a language can

be related to human experience. Many SFL-oriented linguists begin an analysis with
social context and discovered how languages act upon, and is constrained and
influenced by this social context.
The functional grammar is primary concerned with the function of structures and
their constituents and with their meaning in context. The focus of this kind of
grammar is usually on the appropriateness of a form for a particular communicative
purpose in a particular context. On the other hand, it is concerned with the way in
which grammar is organized to make meaning.
David et. al ( 1995:23) stated whenever human speak or write, they make selections
from entire lexical and grammatical system of English to choose appropriate
meanings for the field, tenor, and mode of a context of situation, they introduce the
notion that language simultaneously perform three functions (Ideational:
Experiential and Logical, Interpersonal, and Textual). Halliday in David et. al
(1996:13) calls these main functions metafuctions. Also, Gerot and Wignell
(1995:6) state that ―functional grammar views language as a resource for making
meaning‖.
This kind of grammar attempts to describe language in actual use and so focus on
text and their contexts. It is concerned not only with the structures but also how
those structures construct meaning. Functional grammar explains language viewed
from the relationship between context, meaning, and wording. It starts with the
question, ‗How are the meaning of a text realized?‘ However, Halliday (1994:17)
assert that ―functional grammar is a study of wording, but one that interprets the

8


wording by reference to what it means and the meaning is encoded in the wording
as an integrated whole‖.
In simple words, Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) is a grammar based on the
view that language is a system for making meaning. Systemic refers to the fact that

when we use language, we make choices from sets of available options. This is
contrary to the traditional view of grammar as sets of rules. Functional assumes that
every time we make a choice from the available options, we are doing so in order to
fulfill a communicative purpose. And Grammar simply refers to the fact that there
is an overall organisation to all of these possible options.
From all of the above-mentioned, it can be concluded that functional grammar is a
study of context, meaning and structure of language, the meaning which constructed
by the wording or structure of a language. Meanings are created by combining
function and structure. It means that different structure builds different meanings.
Thus, analyzing functional grammar needs a good comprehension in relating the
function and structure (Fontaine, 2013). However, function in a clause structure is
mostly not only one. Therefore, to discover those functions, metafuntions concept is
presented (Halliday and Matthiesen, 2014).

2.2.2. Metafunctions
Metafunction is a term referring to three different functional components in
systemic theory (Halliday and Matthiesen, 2014:361).
The first component is ideational metafunction. This metafunction views language
as human experience reflection of the world. It represents processes like doing or
happening, saying or sensing, being or having accompanied with several different
participants and circumstances. That is why the function is even called clause as
representation.
The second is interpersonal metafunction. It views language as action. This function
reflects actions like informing or questioning, ordering or offering, expressing
appraisal and attitude to whoever being addressed and whatever being talked about.

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It is supposed to be clause as an exchange since it reflects interaction between

speaker and listener.
The third is textual metafunction. It is also called clause as message. The function
connects the clause and the text. It develops the discourse sequences so that the
discourse becomes cohesion and coherence (Halliday and Matthiesen, 2014: 30-31).
There are also three situation contexts: field, tenor and mode. Field is what happens
in the situation; tenor is about social relation; and mode is about contextual
coherence (Halliday and Matthiesen, 2014:33). Those contexts can be explored by
analyzing metafunctions through functional grammar. The field can be
comprehended by analyzing ideational function through transitivity system. Tenor
can be understood by finding interpersonal function through mood and modality
systems. Then, the mode context can be explained by elaborating mode context
through theme and cohesion (Gerot and Wignell, 1995:15).
The table below summarises the three systems and their respective metafunctions:

Figure 2.1. Main systems of the metafunctions (Wilcock, 1993, p.19).
2.2.2.1. Ideational Metafunction
The ideational metafunction refers to the use of language to construe and organise
one‘s experience of the world. It is further divided into the experiential and the
logical subfunction. The former describes clauses as representation and focuses on
content and ideas, and how people actively construe and make sense of reality,
classifying the objects and events within their awareness (Halliday, 1999).
Halliday‘s claim that grammar has an active role in helping construing reality in the
experiential subfunction also shows a Whorfian influence.

10


On the other hand, the logical subfunction focuses on the relationship between
ideas, or in Halliday‘s words, systems ―which set up logical–semantic relationships
between one clausal unit and another‖ (Halliday, 2003), and the emphasis is put on

the symbolic representation of reality and experience through language.
The ideational metafunction deals with how reality is represented in language, and
asks questions such as ―who, (does) what, whom, how, why, where, and when‖.
Halliday devised a system to analyse texts in the spectrum of this category:
transitivity, which includes processes, participants, and circumstances. These will
be in the next part of the study (2.3. Transitivity System)
Below is an analysis example of a clause in terms of ideational metafunction :
Susan

has

Actor

Pro: Material

written

ten novels

so far

Goal

Circumstance

2.2.2.2. Interpersonal Metafunction
The interpersonal metafunction expresses the role relationship between speaker and
hearer or between writer and reader associated with the situation (Halliday,
1994:68) . In addition, Bloor and Bloor (2004:28) the language is used to enable us
to participate in communicative acts with other people, to take on roles and to

express and understand feeling, attitude, and judgments. The interpersonal
metafunction also concerns the use of language to set up and sustain interaction
between people using language.
In interpersonal analysis, meaning is considered from the point of view of its
function in the process of social interaction. A clause is analysed into Mood and
Residue, with the mood element further analysed into Subject and Finite. The
Subject and Complement are typically realized by nominal groups. The Finite is
realized by the tensed element of the verb. The Predicator is realized by the nontensed (or nonfinite) element or elements of the verbal group. The Adjunct is
realized by an adverbial group or prepositional phrase.
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Below is an analysis example of a clause in terms of interpersonal metafunction :
Peter

Is

washing

his car

at the moment

Subject

Finite

Predicator

Complement

Adjunct

Mood

Residue

2.2.2.3. Textual Metafunction
The textual metafunction refers to ―the use of language to organise the text itself‖
(Bloor & Bloor, 1995) and deals with clauses as messages (Wilcock, 1993). Two
important elements of the textual metafunction are Theme and Rheme. Theme is
―the point of departure of the message‖ carried by one clause (Halliday/Bloor&
Bloor 1995: 71), it tells what the clause is about and is placed at the beginning of
the clause. Theme is followed by the Rheme, which comprises the rest of the
message.
Below is an analysis example of a clause in terms of interpersonal metafunction :
Their enthusiasm for the job

impresses me the most.

Theme

Rheme

The table below summarises the practical application of the metafunctions and their
systems:

Figure 2.1. Layers of the metafunctions (Wilcock, 1993, p.19)
Although there are three metafunctions, this study narrows down to adapt the
ideational metafunctions. Therefore, the theoretical framework of this study is based

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on System of Transitivity as proposed by Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) and by
other linguists who draw on Halliday (1994), Bloor and Bloor (2004), Thompson
(2004), Eggins (2004) and Martin et.al (1997). Analyses using this function will
construe the experience that can be realized by analysing the sentences using
Transitivity. According to Halliday (1973), the System of Transitivity is a major
contribution to text-based understanding and the text-based investigation.

2.3. Transitivity system
Transitivity is a system that construes the world of experience for describing the
whole clause with a set of process types as its central.
Transitivity is relevant to the Ideational Meaning of semantics and field of context
of situation. The term transitivity is probably familiar as a way of distinguishing
between verbs according to whether they have an object or not. It is a proper of verb
that relates to whether a verb can take direct object and how many such objects a
verb can take.
Martin et.al (1997) describes transitivity as a resource for construing our experience
in terms of configurations of a process, participant, and circumstances. Butt et. al
(1996) state that ―most English clauses have a constituent structure that can be
described functionally in terms of participant, process, and circumstance with
process being the essential ingredient‖.
However, Thompson (1996) states that ―transitivity refers to a system for describing
the whole clause, rather than just the verb and its object‖. According to Halliday
(1994) ―transitivity is a system that construes the world of experience into a
managable set of process types‖. While, Gerot and Wignell (1995) state that
―processes are central to transitivity. Participant and circumstance are incumbent
upon process. It indicates different processes suggest different participants in
varying circumstances‖.

This can be concluded that Transitivity is the system of grammatical choice, which
involves the experiential meaning of the clause. Transitivity choices have close

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relations with the field of discourse, analysts can predict the choice of process that
the interactants are making in order to achieve their communicative goals by
looking at what the discourse is about. Consequently, given the process types used
in the discourse, analysts can work out the meanings interactants are trying to
communicate. Transitivity, therefore, is sometimes referred to as process type.

2.3.1. Three components of the process
As mentioned before, transitivity system is a grammatical system to achieve
ideational meaning (Halliday and Matthiesen, 2014: 213). In analyzing ideational
meaning through this system, each element of clause should be divided on its
function as three components in principle:
(i) the process itself,
(ii) the participants in the clause,
(iii) the circumstances associated with the process,
Process
The process is the nucleus of the experiential mode of the clause and is
prototypically realised by the verb phrase. Traditionally verbs have been defined as
‗doing words‘. Actually some verbs are not doing words at all, but rather express
states of being and having. Further, the term ‗process‘ refers in general to goingson, like doing, happening, seeing, feeling, thinking, as well as being and having. It
is the central to transitivity and consists of the various types processes together with
the structures that realize these processes.
Participant
The participant is the term used to refer in ganeral to entities involved in process.
It can be a person, a place, or an object. In the grammar of a clause the participant is

realized by a nominal group. Every major clause normally includes at least one
participant which is labelled according to the process type.
The participant refers to the roles of entities that is directly involved in the process :
the one that does, behaves or says, together with the passive one that is done to, said
to, etc. The participants are not necessarily humans or even animate; the term

14


―participant entities‖ would be more accurate ( Halliday, 1976:160 ). The
participant entities are normally realized by noun phrases in the clause.
The table below summarises the processes and their respective participants.
Process

Participant

Material

Actor
Goal
Beneficiary/Recipient
Scope
Client
Attribute

Mental
Relational
Attributive

Senser

Phenomenon
Carrier
Attribute

Identifying

Token/ Identifier
Value/ Identified

Verbal

Sayer
Quoted
Reported
Receiver
Verbiage
Target

Existential

Existent

Behavioural

Behaver
Behaviour

Table 2.1. Summary of processes and participants

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Circumstance
The circumstance is the third major component of the grammar of the clause in the
transitivity model. Circumstances are not directly involved in the process because
they are attendants of the clause. Consequently, Circumstances occupy the adjunct
element of the clause structure. Prepositional and adverb phrases typically realise
the circumstance component. Simpson (2004) notes that the Circumstance
component of the clause encompasses a wide range of semantic class which
comprises of extent, location, manner, cause, contingency, accompaniment, role,
matter and angle, as well as their sub-categories (Mwinlaaru, 2012:34).
Type

Sub-Type

Question answered Example

Extent

distance

How far?

He ran three miles

duration

How long?

He ran for three days

frequency

How frequently?

He ran every day

place

Where?

He ran in Toronto

time

When?

He ran last year

means

By what means?

He saved her with a rope

quality

How?

She saved him quickly

comparison

Like what?

She ran like the wind

degree

How much?

She loved him more than anyone

reason

Why?

She ran because she loved to

purpose

For what purpose?

She ran to raise money

behalf

On whose behalf

She ran for her sister

condition

Under what
conditions?

In the event of fire leave the
building

default

Under what
negative
conditions?

Without an agreement, the plan
will fail

concession

With what

Despite her help, the plan failed

Location
Manner

Cause

Continge

ncy

concession?
Accompa
niment

comitative

Who/what with?

John ran with Jane

additive

Who/what else?

John wears mittens in addition to
his gloves

Role

guise

What as?

She spoke as his mentor
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product

What into?

He was transformed into a prince

Matter

matter

What about?

He warned me about the film

Angle

source

According to

According to the lecturer, the

whom?

class is cancelled

Table 2.2. Circumstances

2.3.2. Types of process
The different types of process as construed by the transitivity system in the
grammar are classified based on our awareness of our inner and outer experience.

Those that are used to describe the external, or physical world, are of material
processes; those that portray our consciousness are of mental processes, and those
that relate one fragment of experience to another are of relational processes. In
addition to the three main types, there are three subtypes of process namely
behavioral, verbal and existential which represent processes of behaving, saying,
and existing respectively.

2.3.2.1. Material Process
Material processes are processes of doing in the physical world. Material processes
have two inherent participants involved in them. The first of these is the Actor,
which is an obligatory element and expresses the doer of the process. The second is
the Goal, which is an optional element and expresses the person or entity _whether
animate or inanimate_ affected by the process. In addition to these two inherent
participant roles, there is an extra element called Circumstance, which provides
additional information on the ―when, where, how, and why‖ of the process. The
Circumstantial meaning is realized, not in nominal phrases, but as either adverbial
phrases or prepositional phrases, and so is subsidiary in status to the process.
Circumtance expresses supplementary information, such as place, time, extent,
matter, manner, duration, condition, means, etc.
The following examples illustrate these constructions :

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Example: John kicked the ball
John

kicked

the ball

Actor

Pro: Material

Goal

Example: John kicked the ball very hard
John

kicked

the ball

very hard

Actor

Pro: Material

Goal

Circumstance

Example: The boat sailed in the bay
The boat

Sailed

in the bay

Actor

Pro: Material

Circumstance

Of course, it is possible to reverse Actor - Goal in a passive form, placing a Goal at
an initial position and Actor at the end of the sentence, such as :
Example: The ball was kicked by John
The ball
Goal

was

Kicked

by John

Pro: Material

Actor

Material process clauses can also contain four other participants: Beneficiary or
Recipient, Scope, Client, and Attribute. The Beneficiary or Recipient, is a
participant in a material process clause with a benefactive role, corresponding to the
item that answers to the question, ―to whom?‖ (what for example inflectional
languages realise with Dative). It usually involves verbs such as ‗give‘, ‗send‘,
‗offer‘, etc.:
Example: Anne gave you the keys

Anne

gave

You

the keys

Actor

Pro: Material

Recipient

Goal
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