1. Systemic-functional grammar 1: system
Topics in grammar
Systemic-functional grammar 1: system

2. Some prominent figures in functional grammar
Vilém Mathesius J.R. Firth M.A.K Halliday R. Hasan

3. Basic assumptions Langue = meaning potential
Meaning potential can be described as a system of choices, eg between active and passive voice.
What governs the choices made?
The doctor is seeing Lucy now.
Lucy’s being seen by the doctor now.
Who is more likely to speak these utterances, receptionist or parent?

4. Factors that influence the choices made…
Relationship between speakers
Purpose of utterance
Context of utterance (discourse)
What is important/given/new information…

5. Describing a linguistic system…
“A system is a list of things between which it is possible to choose.”
-- Margaret Berry (paraphrased)
Choose a point in the language where you can make a distinction between elements that are different in meaning
e.g. countable vs uncountable nouns

6. Describing a linguistic system…
“A system is a list of things between which it is possible to choose.”
-- Margaret Berry (paraphrased)
Choose a point in the language where you can make a distinction between elements that are different in meaning
e.g. countable vs uncountable nouns
three crayons vs *three chalks

7. Meaning + surface structure
NB Meanings have to
correspond to grammatical
signals. Concepts like
length or danger are not
expressed by grammatical
features in English;
they are in some languages.

8. Showing the set of options for countability of nouns
less delicate more delicate mass Noun singular countable plural

9. Building a more complex network (transitivity)
major clause minor Major clauses have VPs. Minor clauses don’t, eg ‘How about you?’ ‘OK, then?’

10. What kind of major clause types are there?
We’re building a house. (material)
She believes in fairies. (mental)
She told me a story. (verbal)
He is a fine cook. (relational)
She snores. (behavioural)
There’s a train at four o’clock. (existential)
This is the set of options at clause level in English. Notice the options are based on meaning and form.

11. Developing the transitivity system
material mental major verbal relational behavioural clause existential minor

12. Focusing on material processes
material mental major verbal relational behavioural clause existential minor

13. Material process types
Some material processes can have EITHER one or two participants, eg.
We crashed the car.
The car crashed.
‘Crash’ is therefore an unrestricted material process.
Some material processes can have ONLY one OR ONLY two participants, eg:
The car hit the wall. (*The car hit.)
I reacted. (*I reacted the car.)
‘Hit’ and ‘react’ are restricted material processes.

14. Material process types
Some material processes have an animate agent and are intentional, eg
We’re building a house.
These are ‘action’ processes.
Some material processes have an inanimate agent and are unintentional, eg.
The roof collapsed.
These are ‘event’ processes.

15. Untypical Material process types
Some material processes combine an inanimate agent with an action process, e.g.
The gun murdered the policeman.
These are ‘action’ processes with untypical animacy.
Some material processes combine an animate agent with an event process e.g.
We collapsed.
These are ‘event’ processes with untypical animacy.

16. Simultaneous choices
unrestricted restricted action material event typical = simultaneous choices untypical

17. Focus on unrestricted/restricted processes
unrestricted restricted action material event typical = simultaneous choices untypical

18. Types of unrestricted material process
Unrestricted material processes can have either one or two participants. What is the difference between them?
We crashed the car.
The car crashed.

19. Types of unrestricted material process
Unrestricted material processes can have either one or two participants. How do you distinguish between them?
We crashed the car. (causative)
The car crashed (non-causative)

20. Types of restricted material process
Restricted material processes are easy to distinguish – you either expect them to have one OR two participants, eg
I reacted. (middle – expect 1 participant)
The car hit the wall. (non-middle – expect 2)

21. Types of restricted material process
Restricted material processes are easy to distinguish – you either expect them to have one or two participants, eg
I reacted. (middle – expect 1 participant)
The car hit the wall. (non-middle – expect 2)
Note that it some non-middle processes can sometimes have 1 participant, ie they are intransitive options for a process that is normally non-middle: ‘The missile hit!’ We assume that it hit something…

22. Adding to the systemic network…
causative unrestricted non-causative material middle restricted transitive non-middle intransitive

23. From the transitivity system to the voice system
Note that entry to the voice system demands certain selections to be made from the transitivity system. Passive options are available when you choose…
Causative unrestricted material processes, eg
We crashed the car. > The car was crashed (by us).
Untypical middle processes, eg
She is walking the dog.> The dog is being walked…
Transitive non-middle processes, eg
The car hit the wall. > The wall was hit (by the car).

24. From transitivity to voice…
causative unrestricted non-causative active typical middle passive untypical restricted transitive non-middle intransitive

25. The transitivity and voice systems

26. And the point is?
The grammar of transitivity underlies much discourse or text analysis and critical discourse analysis, eg MAK Halliday on William Golding’s The Inheritors, Deirdre Burton on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar …etc.
Text analysts look at the distribution of material, mental, verbal, relational clauses, and they analyse instances of agency, typicality, non-typicality, etc.
All this analysis depends on having a robust underlying model of the clause.

27. Class activities
The class activities review these concepts. They take a little getting used to!
In groups, discuss the activities for this week’s session.