Lesson Four Functional Grammar

(meta) functions Ideational Interpersonal Textual

Ideational Function processes, participants circumstances John kissed Mary in the cinema. Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few

Interpersonal Function Speakers intentions or expectations Relations between speaker and hearer Mood selection – indicative, interrogative, imperative

Passato Prossimo Carola:Beh… mi ha chiamato per chiedermi cosa facevo questo weekend, però gli ho detto che venivo qua. Claudia:Ma chiamalo! Carola:Adesso? Ma sono le due! ClaudiaVabbé domani. Però domani lo chiami! Carola: Vabbé

Present Perfect Carola:Well… he called to ask me what I was doing this weekend, but I had to tell him I was coming here. Claudia:So call him now! Carola:Now? Its two in the morning! ClaudiaAlright tomorrow. But call him tomorrow. Carola: Alright.

Textual Function Makes language cohesive and coherent –links –reference –etc. Theme and Rheme Given information and New information

Cohesion Reference Substitution Ellipsis Conjunction Lexical cohesion

Reference Anaphoric reference James Bond came into the room and the woman shot him. Cataphoric reference He came into the room and said The name is Bond, James Bond.

Substitution for nouns – one, ones –Ill have the big one, You can have the little ones. for verbs – do –I like Mars bars. So do I. –John speaks Italian and so does Mary. for clauses – so, not, modality (perhaps) –Is this the end of the lesson? I hope so. –Will it rain? Maybe.

Ellipsis Substitution by zero Are you tired? Yes, I am. Did you vote Labour? Yes.

Conjunction And –Fish and chips But –I tried but I failed. Therefore I think, therefore I am. etc.

Lexical cohesion Repetition Synonymy Hyponymy Metaphor/Simile Collocation Semantic field (chains) Figures of speech

Dancing Girls (M. Attwood) The first sign of the new man was the knock on the door. It was the landlady, knocking not at Anns door, as shed thought, but on the other door, the one east of the bathroom. Knock, knock, knock; then a pause, soft footsteps, the sound of unlocking. Ann, who had been reading a book on canals, put it down and lit herself a cigarette. It wasnt that she tried to overhear: in the house you couldnt help it.

Dancing Girls (cohesion) Anaphoric reference: she, the one, who, it Cataphoric reference: It Repetition: knock, door Semantic field via chains: landlady –door- unlocking-house; house-bathroom-door Collocation: knock - door

Theme and Rheme Mary kicked John in the cinema. John was kicked by Mary in the cinema. In the cinema Mary kicked John.

Given & New Information Paris was lively in those days. The city never slept. The city = Given information … never slept = New information