1. Systemic Functional Grammar –
Why have most Business English teachers never heard of it?
Chia Suan Chong

2. Label the parts in this sentence:
I can’t possibly cover all of Systemic Functional Grammar in half an hour!

3. Did you say: I can‘t possibly cover all of SFG in half an hour.
subject
auxiliary modal
adverb
verb
object
adverbial phrase

4. But if you used the part of speech ‘verb’, why not:
Parts of speech/ Class label:
nouns, verbs, adverbs, determiners etc...do not show the part it plays in a structure.
Only functions in pedagogic structures:
subjects & objects. I
can‘t
possibly
cover
all of SFG
in half an hour.
pronoun
aux modal
adverb
verb
noun phrase
adv phrase

5. What is SFG? Grammar: the organisation of language;
Chomsky: grammar hard-wired into brain; vs
Halliday: Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny; language acquisition is an interplay between nature & nurture;
Learning a language is learning how to mean (Halliday, 1975); a child learns structures that reflect the functions required to serve his/her life.

6. Halliday’s 3 metafunctions
What, then, are the functions of language?
Halliday’s 3 metafunctions
Interpersonal metafunction
Textual metafunction
Experiential metafunction

7. 1. Interpersonal Metafunction: The Clause as Exchange
Declaratives
Coursebook grammar
can
confuse
students.
subject
finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
Students
could
have been
confused.
subject
‘past’ finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
Coursebooks
do not
use
functional labels.
subject
‘negative’ finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue

8. Question tags/Mood tags
Interrogatives
Question tags/Mood tags
Imperatives
Can we
find
a solution?
finite
subject
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
SFG
can
inform
our teaching
can’t
it?
subject
finite
predicate
complement
Mood
Residue
Mood Tag
Think
about it!
No finite
No subject
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue

9. The subject carries the responsibility for the validity of the clause.
The finite carries the validity of the proposition.
Together, the subject and the finite (the mood) represent the point of view of the speaker while the residue carries the actual content.
Manipulating the mood enables us to
indicate polarity (negative or positive),
indicate time,
indicate modality,
make interrogatives and imperatives,
make question tags

10. In fact, the finite is the core bandied about in exchanges.
Boss: You didn’t teach the students any real grammar!
Chia: Yes, I did!
Boss: No, you didn’t!
Chia: Did!
Boss: Didn’t!

11. Understanding the mood element,...
...explains the appearance of the dummy auxiliary ‘do/did’.
The audience
looked (did look)
at me strangely.
subject
‘past’ finite
‘look’ predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
Did
the audience
look
at you strangely?
finite
subject
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue

12. It also explains the different meanings of...
...as in ‘you are not allowed to leave’...and...
...as in ‘you are allowed not to leave’.
You
may not
leave
this room.
subject
‘negative’ finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
You
may
not leave
this room.
subject
finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue

13. ...which perhaps clarifies the difference between...
and
You
must
not leave
this room.
subject
finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue
You
don ‘t
have to leave
this room.
subject
‘negative’ finite
predicator
complement
Mood
Residue

14. Name these tenses and aspects:
I am speaking at the BESIG conference.
I am going to be telling them about SFG.
When I decided to submit the proposal, I had already talked about this subject many times ...at the pub.
I will try not to get carried away with the theory.
I am going to have irritated a few people by the end of this talk because I will have shaken quite a few beliefs about language.

15. Using SFG,
We model ourselves into the past, present or future according to the finite.
The predicate gives the point of event as seen from that modelled self indicated by the finite.
Thus,
I am speaking – present-in-present
I am going to be telling – present-in-future
I had already talked – past-in-past
I am going to have irritated – past-in-future
I will have shaken – past-in-future

16. Complete the following with –ing or to-inf.
Deny ______ Agree + ______
Enjoy ______ Hope + ______
Imagine + ______ Want + ______
and... Remember + ? ; Hate + ? ; Regret + ?
Can you find a ‘rule’ that’s useful for students?
Perfective (to-inf): unreal – future, appearance, goal, intentions, proposal;
Imperfective (-ing): real – present, reality, happening, action, proposition.

17. Raymond Murphy probably owns an island in the Caribbean.
Why do we use the passive?
Raymond Murphy probably owns an
island in the Caribbean.
The island in the Caribbean is
probably owned by Raymond Murphy.

18. an island in the Caribbean. The island in the Caribbean
2. Textual Metafunction: The Clause as Message
Raymond Murphy
probably
owns
an island in the Caribbean.
Theme
Rheme
Given New
The island in the Caribbean is
probably
owned
by Raymond Murphy
Theme
Rheme
Given New

19. I cancelled the meeting. I called the meeting off.
What, therefore, is the difference between...
I cancelled the meeting.
I called the meeting off.
And why can’t we say, ‘I called off it’?

20. Compare: I cancelled the meeting Theme Rheme
Given New I
cancelled
the meeting
Theme
Rheme
Given New I
called
the meeting
off.
Theme
Rheme
Given New

21. ‘Today, happen something really strange
‘Today, happen something really strange.’ X Reformulation: ‘Today, something really strange happened.’ How can we leave ‘something really strange’ in the new position? What happened today was something really strange. The thing that happened today was really strange. Something happened today. It was really strange.

22. 3. Experiential Metafunction: The Clause as Representation
Who does what to whom?
The clause represents the content of our experiences
Grammatical system of transitivity
Different functional labels for
Participants (realised by nominal groups)
Processes (realised by verbal groups)
Circumstances (realised by prepositional phrases or adverbials)

23. Material processes (doing & happening)
e.g. build, chase, write, etc. I
gave
the audience
a bribe
during my talk.
Actor
Process:material
Beneficiary
Goal
Circumstance I
gave
a bribe
to the audience
during my talk.
Actor
Process:material
Goal
Beneficiary
Circumstance
The audience
was given
a bribe
during my talk.
Beneficiary
Process:material
Goal
Circumstance
A bribe
was given
to the audience
during my talk.
Goal
Process:material
Beneficiary
Circumstance

24. Mental processes (sensing)
Emotion e.g. like, hate, etc.
Cognition e.g. imagine, know, etc.
Perception e.g. hear, feel, etc.
Desideration e.g. want, desire, etc. I
love
this audience!
Sensor
Process: Mental: Emotion
Phenomenon

25. Circumstantial Adjunct
Existential processes (introducing) Relational processes (being & having) Verbal Processes with projections
There is
money
in my bag for everyone.
Process: Existential
Existent
Circumstantial Adjunct
The lady in the back row is
gorgeous.
Carrier
Process: Relational
Attribute
She
said,
“Your talk is
most intriguing!”
Sayer
Process: Verbal
Quoting
Quoted

26. Different process types have
different basic unmarked forms.
e.g. Unmarked present tense for
material processes is the present-in-present
relational and mental process is present simple.
Therefore,
‘I hate theoretical grammars but I’m loving this one.’

27. Thank you for listening!
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