A study on the meaning and structure of a geography text

1

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*****************

DƯƠNG THỊ THẢO
A STUDY ON THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF A
GEOGRAPHY TEXT: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
(NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ NGHĨA VÀ CẤU TRÚC CỦA MỘT VĂN BẢN ĐỊA LÝ:
PHÂN TÍCH TRÊN CƠ SỞ LÝ THUYẾT CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG)

MINOR M.A. THESIS
Field : English Linguistics
Code : 602215

Hanoi – 2010


2

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*****************

DƯƠNG THỊ THẢO
A STUDY ON THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF A
GEOGRAPHY TEXT: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
(NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ NGHĨA VÀ CẤU TRÚC CỦA MỘT VĂN BẢN ĐỊA LÝ:

PHÂN TÍCH TRÊN CƠ SỞ LÝ THUYẾT CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG)

MINOR M.A. THESIS
Field :

English Linguistics

Code :

602215

Supervisor:

Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân

Hanoi - 2010


6

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ………………………………………………………………………..

i

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………………............... iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………………….. iv
PART I:

INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………..

1

1.

Rationale of the Study ………………………………………………………. 1

2.

Aims of the Study …………………………………………………………...

1

3.

Scope of the Study ……………………………………………………..........

1

4.

Methods of the Study ………………………………………………………..

2

5.

Data Collection ……………………………………………………………...

2

6.

Design of the Study ………………………………………………………..... 2

PART II: DEVELOPMENT …………………………………………………………...
Chapter 1:

3

THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS …………………………………… 3

1.1.

Introduction ………………………………………………………………..

3

1.2.

Systemic Functional Theory ………………………………………………

3

1.3.

Metafunctions ……………………………………………………………..

4

1.3.1.

Ideational Metafunction …………………………………………

4

1.3.2.

Interpersonal Metafunction ………………………………….......

8

1.3.3.

Textual Metafunction ……………………………………………

9

1.4.

1.5.

Cohesion Analysis ………………………………………………………… 10
1.4.1.

Grammatical cohesion ………………………………………… 11

1.4.1.1.

Reference ……………………………………………………...

11

1.4.1.2.

Substitution …………………………………………………....

12

1.4.1.3.

Ellipsis ……………………………………………………….... 12

1.4.1.4.

Conjunction ……………………………………………………

13

1.4.2

Lexical cohesion ………………………………………………

13

1.4.2.1.

Reiteration ……………………………………………………..

14

1.4.2.2.

Collocation …………………………………………………….

14

Summary …………………………………………………………………..

14


7

Chapter 2: THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT

15

“ACID PRECIPITATION – A HUMAN IMPACT ON THE EARTH SYSTEM”
2.1.

Introduction ………………………………………………………………..

15

2.2.

The Text …………………………………………………………………...

15

2.3.

The Context of the Chosen Text ………………………………………......

16

2.4.

Clause and Clause Complex Analysis ………………………………….....

17

2.5.

The Analysis of the Text in Terms of Transitivity, Mood and Theme

19

2.5.1. The Transitivity Pattern …………………………………………...

26

2.5.2. The Mood Pattern …………………………………………………. 27
2.6.

2.5.3. The Thematic Pattern ……………………………………………...

28

Cohesion Analysis of the Text ………………………………………….....

28

2.6.1.

Grammatical Cohesion ………………………………………... 28

2.6.1.1.

Conjunctive Devices …………………………………………..

28

2.6.1.2.

Reference ……………………………………………………...

29

2.6.2.

Lexical Cohesion ………………………………………….......

31

Context Configuration of the Text ……………………………………......

34

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………….

36

1.

Recapitulations ……………..……………………………………………...

36

2.

Implications for Teaching and Learning ………………………………......

37

3.

Suggestions for Further Study …………………………………………......

37

2.7.
PART III:

REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………….. 38

APPENDICES …………………………………………………………………………..

I

Appendix 1. Clause and Clause Complex Analysis ………………………………… II
Appendix 2. Transitivity Pattern of the Text ……………………………………….

V

Appendix 3. Mood Pattern of the Text ……………………………………………...

VII

Appendix 4. Thematic Pattern of the Text ………………………………………......

IX