The Idea of Transitivity: Analyzing Clause by Halliday’s Transitivity System Presented by: Ivy J. Antonio and Angelica Chilos M.A. English Studies: Language

 According to Halliday (1985a), there are three major functions of language  ideational  textual  interpersonal Background

 The ideational function is the use of language to express content and to communicate information.  The ideational function involves two main system  transitivity  ergativity Background

 The textual function  use of language to signify discourse  Can be classified into two structures  thematic structure  information structure Background

 Interpersonal function  Use of language to establish and maintain social relations Background

 Transitivity is normally understood as the grammatical feature, which indicates if a verb takes a direct object; and we know some of the terms below:  If the verb takes a direct object, then it is described as transitive, and  It is called intransitive if it does not  An extension of this concept is the ditransitive verb, which takes both a direct and an indirect object Background

Grammatical transitivity - concerned with the relations between elements in a clause I walked INTRANSITIVE CLAUSE I walked the dog TRANSITIVE CLAUSE Halliday’s transitivity: a brief introduction

 In his Introduction to Functional Grammar, whether the verb takes or does not take a direct object is not a prime consideration. Halliday: The system of transitivity in language is concerned with representing patterns of experience, “of goings on” and “happenings” in the world….It construes the world into a manageable set of PROCESS types and of PARTICIPANTS. Halliday’s transitivity: a brief introduction

PARTICIPANT PROCESS Material Verbal Mental etc. PARTICIPANT

 There are three components of what Halliday calls a “transitivity process”  The process itself  Participants in the process  Circumstances associated with the process Halliday’s transitivity: a brief introduction

 Halliday, however, found the new concept of transitivity. In traditional grammar: I walked the dog SUBJECT VERB OBJECT In systemic functional grammar: I walked the dog PARTICIPANT PROCESS PARTICIPANT Halliday’s transitivity: a brief introduction

 In connection with the transitivity, let us see the definition of clause below:  “A clause in English is the simultaneous realization of ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings.” (Halliday, 1981:42)  A clause is the product of three simultaneous semantic processes. It is at one and the same time a representation of experience (ideational), an interactive exchange (interpersonal), and a message (textual) (Halliday, 1985: 53) Halliday’s transitivity: a brief introduction

 There are three kinds of grammar  Theme is the grammar of discourse  Mood is the grammar of speech function  Transitivity is the grammar of experience Halliday also defines transitivity as “the grammar of the clause” as a “structural units” for “expressing a particular range of ideational meanings.” Theoretical Review

 In the transitivity system, there are six types of process, namely: material, mental, relational, verbal, existential and behavioral. Theoretical Review

 Material (‘doing’ ): kick, run, paint, repair, send, burn)  Mental (‘experiencing’ or ‘sensing’): see, hear, know, like  Verbal (‘saying’): say, tell, warn, argue, ask, …  Relational (‘being’ or ‘becoming’): be, have, become,... Sometime also recognized:  Behavioral (laugh, talk, cry, breath),  Existential (‘exist’. “there is…”) Theoretical Review

 Material Processes: physical actions in the real world. Participants:  Actor: the one who does the action  Goal: The one who is affected by the action  Recipient: the one who receives something  Beneficiary: the one for whom something is done A. Material Process: Processes of Doing

ActorProcessGoal Apparently, when Vice President Jejomar Binay negotiated with his college classmates Nur Misuari last Friday, to try to end the fighting in Zamboanga City, he did so on his own behalf. Hedid not representPresident Aquino but acted as his own principal....his next sentencesplacesthe President of the Philippines outside the framework of discussion -- as though Binaynegotiatedwith Misuari without the President's objectives or conditions in mind. In the first place, his statementsuggeststhat President Aquino was a third party, rather than the person Binay was representing

 Mental Processes: processes of perception, cognition, affection  Senser: the one who does the mental action  Phenomenon: The thing that is perceived, thought, appreciated B. Mental Processes: Process of Sensing

SenserProcessPhenomenon Wewishto make an important distinction But Iknowthe president Hewould not likethat B. Mental Processes: Process of Sensing

 Relational Processes: expressing possession, equivalence, attributes... C. Relational Processes: Processes of Being

CarrierProcessAttribute Therewasa good start Botharefor peaceful settlement

 physiological and psychological behaviour  borderline between material and mental processes  Behavioral processes “represent outer manifestations of inner workings, the acting out of processes of consciousness and physiological states”  least salient of Halliday’s six process types  the boundaries of behavioral processes are indefinite  Behaver - the participant who is behaving, conscious being  intransitive D. Behaviorial Processes

Behaverprocess Binaydid right (in offering to talk to Misuari) Hedid not represent Pres. Aquino Binaynegotiated (with Nur Misuari) Binay and his communication team erred (in crafting their message)

 process of saying  borderline between mental and relational processes  expresses the relationship between ideas constructed in human consciousness and the ideas enacted in the form of language  Sayer - The participant who is speaking  Target - addressee to whom the process is directed is  Verbiage - what is said is E. Verbal Processes

SayerProcessReceiverVerbiage Binaytoldhim“What if we talk about a ceasefire?” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said“But I know the President, he will not like that” Hetoldthe worldan agreement had been reached between the two college classmates

 processes of existing and happening  Existential sentences typically have the verb be, and the word there is necessary as a Subject although it has no representational function.  Existent- The object or event that is being said to exist F. Existential processes

Processexistent Therewasa good start President Aquinowasa third party One of Misuari’s conditionswassafe passage for all his followers involved in the adventurist incursion in Zamboanga

 Si Malakas at si Maganda  Retold by: Teofilo del Castillo Analyzing “Si Malakas at Si Maganda” using the Transitivity System

Material processes ActorProcessGoal A birdwas then flyingin the sky Shemade the seathrow rocks up at the sky And the skyturned very darkand poured down water Now the wavesbreak on the shoreand can never rise up as high as the sky again …the birdflew awayas fast as he could Shesawthe land that was created Shecould seetropical tress, throwing up their naked shoulders Shecould notquench her thirst with the salty water She, therefore,lookedfor rivulets Shealighted and startedto peek on the bamboo clumps

Material processes ActorProcessGoal Shewantedto know that voice really was. Shesnatched and dropped a piece of rock nearby it on the bamboo The bamboowas broken andsplit in two. A man and a womanstepped outof the bamboo joint The womangaverecognition to the man The appearance of the human beings frightenedthe bird. Sheforgother thirst

CarrierProcessAttribute These green thingsweremerely bamboos. The birdwasextremely frightened As shewassmart… Shebecamethirsty The birdbecamemore curious Realizing that some waterwas storedin the bamboo joints Relational process

Verbal Processes SayerProcessVerbiage A weak voicecried“Peck harder, peck harder,” The weak voicecomplained again“Peck harder, peck harder,”

Behavioral Processes Behaverprocess Sherestrained herself. Shepecked, pecked, and pecked. Shepecked and pecked (with all her might.) Theywalked away (hand in hand.) Shecould not Sheflew away

Existential Processes Processexistent Therewasno land Therewereonly the sea and the sky ThatwasHow the island came about Unfortunately, therewasnone