unit ii the experiential meta-function and the transitivity of the clause [based on gerot &...

Unit IIUnit II

The experiential meta-The experiential meta-function and the transitivity of function and the transitivity of the clausethe clause

[Based on Gerot & Wignell, chapter 3, pp. 52-[Based on Gerot & Wignell, chapter 3, pp. 52-79; Bloor & Bloor, chapter 6, pp. 106-126; 79; Bloor & Bloor, chapter 6, pp. 106-126; Martin, Matthiessen & Painter, chapter 4, pp. Martin, Matthiessen & Painter, chapter 4, pp. 100-164]100-164]

The verb (transitivity) in traditional The verb (transitivity) in traditional grammar – classes of verbs and structure of grammar – classes of verbs and structure of the clause – Verb determines structure of the clause – Verb determines structure of

the clause (how many and what type of the clause (how many and what type of complements the clause has)complements the clause has)

Type of verbs Structure

Intransitive verbsS + F/P (no complement)

He ran. He walked. The water boiled

Monotransitive verbsS + F/P + C (= DO) (one complement DO)

He made a cake. He bought a car. He used my pencil. He saw a bird. He wanted a friend.

Ditransitive verbsS + F/P + C (= DO) + C (= IO) (two complements IO and DO)

He gave his brother some money. He gave some money to his brother, He bought his brother a car.He bought a car for his brother.

Complex transitiveS + F/P + C (= DO) + C (= OC) (two complements DO and OC)

They appointed him king.They called him Neo.

The verb (transitivity) in traditional The verb (transitivity) in traditional grammar – classes of verbs and grammar – classes of verbs and

structure of the clausestructure of the clause

Type of verbs Structure

Linking verbs (stative)S + F/P + C (SC) (one complement SC)

She is/seemed hard-working and meticulous.She is a (renowned) scientist.She is the head of the research team.

Linking verbs (resultative)S + F/P + C (SC) (one complement SC)

She became a nurse.She went mad.She grew tired.

Transitivity in traditional Transitivity in traditional grammar – concern with grammar – concern with

form rather than meaningform rather than meaning

Traditional grammarTraditional grammar is mainly concerned with formform,

and, in the case of the verb, with the number and type of the number and type of

complementscomplements associated with each type of verb and the the

clause structureclause structure resulting from the choice of one or the

other verb.

A functional approach to grammar, and more specifically functional approach to grammar, and more specifically

to the verb or to transitivity,to the verb or to transitivity, is concerned with meaningmeaning,

though in both approaches the verb has a key role in

determining the structure of the clause, as we will see.

Transitivity in Systemic Functional Grammar

TRANSITIVITYTRANSITIVITY is the system system or resourceresource for

construing experiential meaningexperiential meaning, i. e. meaning

about the world outside and inside the

speaker.

It is the resource for construing (=

interpreting and expressing) events,

happenings, goings-on, mental states, sayings,

behaviour and relations of different kinds.

Transitivity in Functional Grammar: Transitivity in Functional Grammar: nuclear and peripheral transitivitynuclear and peripheral transitivity

Nuclear transitivity:Nuclear transitivity: resources that are central to the representation of events, happenings, states, relations, more specifically: The Process The Participant(s) involved in the Process

Peripheral transitivity: Peripheral transitivity: resources that are not so central to the representation of events, happenings, states, more specifically:

CircumstancesCircumstances

Transitivity in Functional Grammar: Transitivity in Functional Grammar: nuclear transitivity (Process and nuclear transitivity (Process and

participants)participants)

Process:Process: the resource for sorting out/ the resource for sorting out/ classifying/ categorizing our experience of classifying/ categorizing our experience of events and goings-on in general into a small events and goings-on in general into a small number of types. The process is realized by number of types. The process is realized by verbs (lexical verb).verbs (lexical verb).There are 6 to 7 process types that are generally There are 6 to 7 process types that are generally recognized and these are on the next two slides.recognized and these are on the next two slides.

Participants: Participants: people, things, etc. involved in a people, things, etc. involved in a given process (action, going-on, happening, given process (action, going-on, happening, state). The participants are generally realized by state). The participants are generally realized by NGps.NGps.

Nuclear transitivity (Basic Nuclear transitivity (Basic process types: meaning and process types: meaning and

examples)examples)Process type Meanings ExamplesMaterial actions and

happenings (outside world; observable)

He ran. The window broke. He climbed the tree.She made a cake. She broke the window. She gave him a present.

Mental perception, cognition and affective processes (inner world; not directly observable)

I saw a bird, I heard a sound. I saw him cross the street.I knew (the answers). I believe/think he is wrong.I fear the outcome. I like the smell. The woman scares me. The decision pleased me.

Behavioural human and animal physiological behaviour; human paraverbal and mental behaviour

He snored/coughed. He slept soundly. He breathed heavily.They shouted/cried/growled.He pondered/reflected over the problem.

Nuclear transitivity (Basic Nuclear transitivity (Basic process types and associated process types and associated


Process type Meanings Examples

Verbal saying (mental process that becomes observable)

He told a lie. He told a story.He said “Hello”. “I’m tired!” he exclaimed. He answered that he was unaware of the decision.

Existential existence There is a bird on the tree. Ghosts exist.

Relational being and having

He is a (famous) scientist. He is the head of the department. He has blue eyes/a car.

Meteorological

weather or time processes

It’s 8 o’clock. It’s noon. It’s windy. It’s raining/snowing.

Nuclear transitivity (Basic Nuclear transitivity (Basic process types and associated process types and associated


Basic process types are distinguishable from each other in:

Meaning Number and kind of participants Subtypes Distinctive features and reactances

In what follows we will look at the 7 basic types presented before and analyse them paying attention to the four critwria above:

Nuclear transitivity: different process Nuclear transitivity: different process types described and illustrated in types described and illustrated in

more detail - Materialmore detail - Material

Process type

Participants

Subtypes Examples Distinctive features/ Reactances

Material(actions and happenings – outside world – observable)

+Actor

+Actor +Range

+Actor+Goal

+Actor+ Goal & Beneficiary: (Recipient/Client )

-middle

-m. w/range

-effective

-effective (giving type)

-He ran. The window broke.

-He climbed the tree.

-He broke the window.

He gave me flowers. He brought me flowers.

-Substitution by do (do to)-Selection of Present progressive (Present in present) as unmarked tense in the present-No capacity to project (see mental and verbal)

Participants in material processes explained

Actor: doer of the action; participant who carries out the action;Range: participant that represents the scope of application of the action, but that is not affected by itGoal: participant being affected or receiving the impact of the action.Beneficiary (Recipient): participant that receives the goal being exchanged in a process of giving (to+ Ngp)Beneficiary (Client): participant on behalf of whom sth is done (for + Ngp)

Participants in material processes analyzed

He ran. The window broke.Actor Process Actor Process

He climbed the tree. He made a mistakeActor Process Range Actor Process Range

He broke the window. He cooked the mealActor Process Goal Actor Process Goal

He gave/brought me flowers. Actor Process Recipient/Client Goal

Material processes as “doing-words”

Material processes: the only processes that can confidently be called “doing-words” (term used in traditional school-grammar to refer to verbs in general). This is seen in the fact that they are the only ones (except maybe for some behavioural ones) that can be substituted by “do”. One can say “What he did yesterday was go/run/walk to the park”; or “What he did to the poor man was kill him/kick him/punch him” or “What he did with the book was tear it into pieces”. But one cannot say “What he did was see a bird/ hear a strange sound” or “What he did was know the answer/understand the question” or “What he did was want a cake/fear the outcome”. These last sentences would appear illogical because the verbs in them do not express a “doing”, a material process.

Material processes: Material processes: distinguishing between Range distinguishing between Range

and Goaland Goal

Range (not liable to be impacted or affected; it just expresses the scope of the process)

Goal (impacted/affected)

Cannot be probed by “do to”, “do with”

*What did he do with the tree/mountain?He climbed it

*What did he do with the piano?He played it.

Can be probed by “do to”, “do with”

What did he do with the tree?

He put it in one of the corners of the room and decorated it. What did he do with the piano?He hatched it.


and Goaland Goal



can be replaced by a PP

“He climbed (up) the tree”

“He played (on) the piano”

“He jumped (over) the fence”

Cannot be replaced by a PP


and Goaland Goal



Not liable to be followed by an Attribute, a Role, a Beneficiary or a Location

followed by an Attribute, a Role, a Beneficiary or a Location that represents the result of the impactThey painted the wall white. They drove the car hot. (Attribute)Cut the onions into cubes. They broke the window into pieces. (Role: Product)They kicked the cat down the stairs (Location)They gave/brought a car to the kid/for the kid (Beneficiary; Client)


and Goaland Goal



Certain material processes with range can be restated by means of a single verb

He took a bath/a shower (= He bathed/showered).

He made a mistake (= he erred).

Not possible for material processes with Goal

Nuclear transitivity: different process Nuclear transitivity: different process types described and illustrated in types described and illustrated in

more detail - Mentalmore detail - MentalProcess type

Participants Subtypes Examples Reactances

Mentalpercep-tion, cogni-tion, affection – inner world – non-observa-ble)

+Senser+Phenomenon/+Macrophenomenon (act -perception)+Metaphenom. (fact - emotion)+ Metapoheno-menon (idea - cognition)

perception

cognition

affection

-He saw a bird. I saw him cross/crossing the street. -He knows all the answers. He believes that you are to blame.-I like/fear him. He pleases/scares me. He regrets the fact that he was unable to help.

-No substitution by any verb-S Present as unmarked tense in Present-Bidirec-tional-Capacity to project

Participants in mental processes explained

Senser: an entity endowed with higher or lower consciousness, like a human being and, for some processes, an animal. It can be Subject (I like fruit) or Complement (Fruit appeals to/pleases me);

Phenomenon: a thing (person, object, place, etc.) that can be perceived, known or that can be the object of an emotion of some kind. It is a participant in the mental clause and it is always a Ngp (He saw the animal; he knew the animal; He loves animals);

Macrophenomenon: an event or happening or doing in the material world that can be perceived; only used with processes of perception. It is an embedded clause that is a participant in the mental clause (he saw [[him help the old lady/him helping the old lady]]; he heard [[him shout his name/him shouting his name]]).

Participants in mental processes explained

Metaphenomenon: fact: an abstract, non-material, semiotic entity that preexists the emotions it triggers; only used with processes of emotion and an embedded participant element in the clause.I regretted (the fact) [[that I had not had the courage to speak to her]].I liked (the fact) [[that she was black]].[[That she was so young]] surprised me.

Metaphenomenon: idea: abstract but not preexisting the process; rather brought into existence by it. Not really a participant in the clause but a separate clause:I understood that it was futile. I knew that it was of no use.

Participants in mental processes analyzed

He saw a bird. (perception)Senser Process Phenomenon

I saw [[him cross/crossing the street]]. (perception)

Senser Process Phenomenon (Macrophenomenon: act - Embedded )

He knows all the answers. (cognition)Senser Process Phenomenon

He believes || that you are to blame. (cognition)Senser Process Metaphenomenon (idea –

dependent clause)

Participants in mental processes analyzed

I like/fear him. Senser Process Phenomenon

bidirectionalHe pleases/scares me. Phenomenon Process Senser

He regrets (the fact ) [[that he was unable to help]].

Senser Process Phenomenon (metaphenomenon: fact)

[[That he was unable to help]] surprises me.Phenomenon (metaphenomenon: fact) Process

Senser

Nuclear transitivity: different process Nuclear transitivity: different process types described and illustrated - types described and illustrated -

BehavioralBehavioralProcess type

Participants

Subtypes Examples Reactances

Beha-vioural (physio-logical, mental and para-verbal beha-viour)

+Behaver (+Beha-viour)+ Range+ Matter+Target

Physiological

(Para)verbal

Mental behaviour

He slept soundly. He snored/ breathed.

He babbled/ grunted/sang a song. He cried/ laughed/ giggled. They talked about the problemHe pondered/ meditated over the matter. He watched the film. He listened to the news

-No substitution by do.

-Present in Present as unmarked tense in Present

-No projection

Participants in behavioral processes explained

Behaver: person or animal having the behavior, usually endowed with consciousness. Most behavioral processes ONLY have a single participant, and that’s the Behaver.

Behavior: found in very few cases in which the behavior usually repeats the behavioural process with some added attribute (he breathed a deep breath; he

dreamt a strange dream) Range: in very few cases in which the the process

takes a second participant that is not a behavior and that is different in nature from the process itself: he watched a movie; they observed the stranger; they discussed/debated the problem.

Participants in behavioral processes explained

Matter: used with verbal behavioral and mental behavioral processes (They talked about the problem; They reflected/pondered over the problem).

Target: used with verbal behavioral processes expressing insult, offence, criticism (They criticized his manners. He insulted him.) Both “his manners” and “him” in these sentences are the Target of the insult or the criticism.

Behavioral processes: a transition category

Behavioral processes are said to be located between material processes, on the one hand, and mental or verbal processes, on the other. This is particularly true of the verbal behavioral and the mental behavioral processes. They are not properly verbal or mental because THEY CANNOT PROJECT and, in the case of mental ones, because THEY INVOLVE VOLITION. So they are more “saying” and “thinking” or “perceiving” as BEHAVIOUR.

Behavioral processes: a transition category

Their transitional character can be perceived in the following examples:

He said that he was illHe thought that he was ill

are properly verbal and mental because they can project (a locution and an idea respectively).

He talked about his illnessHe reflected on/over his illness

are not properly verbal or mental because thereis no saying in the first one and no idea being brought into existence in the second one. They are saying and thinking as behaviour.

Nuclear transitivity: different Nuclear transitivity: different process types described and process types described and

illustrated - Verbalillustrated - Verbal

Process type

Participants


Verbal(saying)

+Sayer+Verbiage /+Receiver+Locution (Not a participant in verbal clause)

+ Locution:Quoting

Reporting

He told (us) a lie/a story.

“I’m tired” he said

He said (to me) he was tired.

-Presence of receiver -No substitution by “do”-S. Present as unmarked tense in Pr.-projection

Participants in verbal processes explained

Sayer: The person or thing (dictionary, sign, article, newspaper, etc.) that says sth.

Verbiage: the content of what is said, always expressed by a Ngp

Receiver: the adressee; the person to whom sth is said

Processes of saying or verbal processes can project another clause that expresses the content of what was said (locution). It can project it verbatim (quotation) or parapharse it in line with the here and now of the speaker (report). The “locution” IS NOT a Participant in the verbal clause but a separate clause projected by it

Participants in verbal processes analyzed

He told (us) a lie/a story.Sayer Process Verbiage

He said a few words to us.Sayer Process Verbiage

“I’m tired” he said/answered.Locution: Quotation Sayer Process

He said (to me) (that) he was tired.Sayer Process Receiver Locution: Report


illustrated - Existentialillustrated - Existential

Process type

Participants


Existential(existence)

+Existent

-Existential

-Existential plus (some other meaning)

There are different species of whales. On the sofa (there) was a cat.

Through the window there came the sounds of Sydney.

-No substitution by “do”--S. Present as unmarked tense--Presence of unstressed there in S position

Participants in verbal processes explained

Existent: it is the participant that the process introduces as existing, as having existence.

For some, the non-stressed “there” has no experiential role in the clause. It is just a dummy Subject, a place-holder for Subject. For others, it encodes the process together with “be”. When the clause starts with a Circumsatance it can be omitted. It can be marked together with the verb “be”

Participants in verbal processes analyzed

There are different species of whales. Process Existent

On the sofa (there) was a cat.Circ. of place Process Existent

Through the window (there) came the sounds of Sydney.Circ. of place Process Existent


illustrated - Relationalillustrated - Relational

Process type

Participants


Relational(being and having)

+ Carrier+ Attribute

+Token+Value

Attributive

Identifying

She is famous. She is a (famous) scientist. She has blue eyes.

She is the leader. The Aconcagua is the highest peak in America.

-Presence of “be” or verbs comparable in meaning.--No substitution by “do”--S Present as unmarked tense

Relational processes further Relational processes further describeddescribed

Process type

Participants


Relational attributive(being and having)Assigning sb to a class

Assigning sb a quality/an attribute

+ Carrier+Attribute

Intensive

Possessive

Circumstantial

She is famous. She is a (famous) scientist.

She has blue eyes. She has two siblings. She has a car.She is in high school. New York is in the States.

-Attribute realized by adjective, indefinite nominal group or circumstance (PP)

--Carrier and Attribute are non-reversible

Relational processes further Relational processes further describeddescribed

Process type

Participants


Relational identifying(being and having)Identifying an entity by reference to some other entityMeanings of symbolization

+Token+Value

intensive

possessive

circumstantial

America is the beacon of democracy. The Aconca-gua is the highest peak in America.This is Neil’s.This belongs to Neil.The time of the meeting is Friday. The cause of his illness is stress.

-Presence of definite nominal groups

-Reversible

Participants in relational processes explained

Carrier: The entity that is assigned to a class (She is a teacher; This is a chair) or that is assigned an attribute or quality (She is tall; This table is long)Attribute: The class an entity belongs to (She is a teacher; this is a chair) or the quality an entity is assigned (She is tall; This table is long)Token: The concrete entity that embodies/ represents/ symbolizes a value (Susan is the kindest salesperson in the shop; He is the leader).Value: A more abstract entity that can be perceived only if represented by a more concrete entity (Susan is the kindest salesperson in the shop; He is the leader).

Participants in verbal processes analyzed – Attributive processes

She is famous. (intensive)Carrier Process Attribute

She is a (famous) scientist. (intensive)Carrier Process Attribute

She has blue eyes/a car/two siblings. (possessive)Carrier Process Attribute

She is in high school/in the States. (circumstantial)

Carrier Process Attribute

Participants in verbal processes analyzed – Identifying processes

America is the beacon of democracy. (intensive)Token Process Value

The beacon of democracy is America.Value Process Token

The Aconcagua is the highest peak in America. (intensive)

Token Process Value

The highest peak in America is the Aconcagua.

Value Process Token

Participants in verbal processes analyzed – Identifying processes

This is Neil’s. Neil’s is this. (possessive)Token Process Value Value Process Token

This belongs to Neil. (possessive)Token Process Value

The time of the meeting is Friday. (circumstantial)

Value Process Token

The cause for his illness is stress (circumstantial)

Value Process Token

Reversibility of identifying processes- problems and criteria for identifying

Value and Token

Because Identifying processes are reversible, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between Token and Value. There are some criteria/tests we can apply to identify between the two:

Token Value

More concrete entity“America” in “America is the beacon of democracy”

Abstract notion, value“the beacon of democracy” in same clause

Subject in a clause with the verb “represent”“America represents the beacon of democracy”

Complement in clause with “represent”See “the beacon of democracy” in other box

Transitivity in Functional Grammar – Transitivity in Functional Grammar – its relation to context and meaningits relation to context and meaning

ContextContext Meaning Meaning Lexico-Lexico-grammatical grammatical (systems)(systems)

Field (what the text is about)

Experiential (meaning about the world or worlds perceived or imagined)

TRANSITIVITY

Tenor (the relationship between the interactants)

Interpersonal (meaning about the relationship between interactants)

MOOD

Mode (whether the text is spoken or written)

Textual (meaning about the text we construct in interaction)

THEME-RHEME

Where is transitivity to be placed in the model of language? In which level

or stratum?

Functional model of language in context. The language levels are in green

Ideology

Context of culture

Context of situation

Semantics

Léxico-grammar

Phonolog./Graphol.

Experienc. exper.

Textual mean.t.

Interpersonal

field

tenor

Mode

Moodo

Themeema

Transitivit.

Causation and Different Process types

Causation + Material

The devil made me do it.

I got the kids to tidy up their room.


Causation + Material Actor

The devil made me do itInitiator Material Goal

ActorI got the kids to tidy up their roomInitiator Material Goal


Causation + Mental/Verbal

She made me rethink my attitude

You make me say things I don’t mean to


Causation + Mental/Verbal Senser

She made me rethink my attitudeInducer MentalPhenomenon

Sayer

You make me say things I don’t mean to Inducer Verbal Verbiage


Causation + RelationalShe drives me crazy.

They consider him lazy.

They call me Bruce.

They made him their leader


Causation + RelationalShe drives me crazy.

Attributor Process CarrierAttribute

They consider him lazy.Attributor Process CarrierAttribute

They call me Bruce. Assigner Process Value Token

They made him their leaderAssigner Process Token Value

Differences between this and the traditional approach to verbs

Concern with meaning and with form only as a consequence of meaning

Concern with text (interested in establishing patterns of transitivity in text)

Concern with purpose (interested in explaining patterns in terms of purpose, or author’s intention or meanings being made in text)

unit ii the experiential meta-function and the transitivity of the clause [based on gerot &...

Documents

verb transitivity

clause transitivity

nuclear transitivity

processperipheral transitivity

clause verb

different process types

basic types

type of verb