Usually when people talk about what a word or a sentence ‘means’, it is this kind of meaning they have in mind - meaning in the sense of content.
In section 2 we were looking at the clause from the point of view of its interpersonal function, the part it plays as a form of exchange between speaker and listener. In this section, by contrast, we shall be concerned with the clause in its experiential function, its guise as a way of representing patterns of experience. Language enables human beings to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them. Here again the clause plays a central role, because it embodies a general principle for modeling experience - namely, the principle that reality is made up of processes.
What is the status of a process, as set up in the grammar of the clause? A Process consists, in principle, of 3 components
• The Process itself
• Participants in the process
• The circumstances associated in the process
Birds are flying in the sky.
These provide the frame of reference for interpreting our experience of what goes on.
The Process is typically realized by verbal group. The Participant is typically realized by nominal group.
The Circumstance is typically realized by adverbial group or prepositional phrase. The lion chased the tourist lazily through the bush.
1. Process
What are the different types of process, as construed by the transitivity system in the grammar?
Material process process of doing Mental process process of sensing Relational process process of being
Behavioral process process of physiological & psychological behavior Verbal process process of saying
Existential process represents something exist or happen
• Material process
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
• Mental process
Mary was pleased that she’s got a present.
phenomenon
Jane saw that the stars had come out.
phenomenon
Can you feel the love tonight?
phenomenon
It hurts my ears Phenomenon
• Relational process
Sarah is wise. / Your story sounds completely nonsense. - identifying: Tom is the leader.
- possessive: Tom owns a piano.
- circumstantial: My story concerns a poor shepherd boy.
• Behavioral process They cried in shame. He yawned loudly.
• Verbal process
John said he was very tired. • Existential
There was an old woman 2. Circumstantial elements
Extent distance, duration
Location place, time
Manner means, quality, comparison Cause reason, purpose, behalf
Contingency condition, concession, default Accompaniment comitation, addition
Role guise, product Matter
Angle
Jack was building a house - throughout the year extent: duration - near the river location: place - out of brick manner: means - for his retirement cause: purpose
- despite his illness contingency: concession
Jack occupied his house - with his dog Accompaniment: comitation Jack sold his house - as an investment Role: guise
Jack told his friend - about the sale Matter The price was good - according to Jack Angle
BESIDE THE CLAUSE
- the unit next above the syllable is called the FOOT. FOOT is a unit that consists of one or more syllables. Natural speech in all language is highly rhythmic. - two kinds of rhythm:
syllabic rhythm, or SYLLABLE-TIMING pedalian rhythm, or FOOT-TIMING
all FEET tend to be of roughly the same length One two three four five,
once I caught a fish alive. six seven eight nine ten, then I let him go again. why did you let him go? ‘cause he bit my finger, so. Which finger did he bite? The little finger on the right.
Above the foot there is one higher constituent, which is the melodic unit of the language. This is generally referred to as the TONE GROUP, i.e. a number of feet compose of a higher constituent unit referred to as the TONE GROUP.
Melody as linguistic feature is called INTONATION.
The tone group functions as the realization of a unit of information in the discourse. Spoken discourse takes the form of a sequence of INFORMATION UNITS, one following the other in unbroken succession with nopause or discontinuity between them.
The information unit is a process of interaction between what is already known or predictable or what is new or unpredictable. …
Hence, the information unit is a structure made up of two functions, the New and the Given. Information Unit Given New
Each Information Unit is realized as a PITCH CONTOUR, or TONE, which may be falling, rising or mixed.
Within the Tone Group, one foot carries the main pitch movement … This feature is known as TONIC PROMINENCE.
The element that have this Tonic prominence is said to be carrying INFORMATION FOCUS The typical sequence of informational elements is thus Given followed by the New. But whereas the end of the New element is marked by Tonic Prominence, there is nothing to mark where it begins …
In this job, Anne, we’re working with silver. Now silver needs to have love.
I’ll tell you about silver. It needs to have love.
I’ll tell you what silver needs to have. It needs to have love.
Given + New and Theme + Rheme
… a speaker will choose the Theme from within what is Given and locate the focus, the climax of the New, somewhere within the Rheme.
But although they are related, Given + New and Theme + Rheme are not the same thing … Theme + Rheme is speaker-oriented, while Given + New is listener-oriented.
Questions: