Systemic functional grammar

(SFG) and discourse

by Riyadi Santosa
 4 competence tests: mood and theme,
transitivity, clause complex, verbal group and
nominal group, the whole analysis (all of them
are take-home tests
Halliday, 1985, 1994
Martin, et al 1997
Thompson, 2004
Hewings and Hewings , 2004
ILC materials
 Why SFG?
To understand language as it is
SFG sees society explains language, as
opposed to formal linguistics which seeks the
explanation from neurological context.
The relation between social context and
language is not cause and effect but rather
realization/ representation / symbolization.
Thus, society is resources of meaning and
language is the meaning maker.
Stratum, rank and meta-function

Social Context

Language as
text
Meta-functional solidarity across
planes

Mode
Field

Ideational
Textual

Tenor Interper-
sonal
Stratification: Levels of abstraction in
language

Discourse Semantics

Content plane
Lexicogrammar

Phonology/
Graphology Expression plane
Strata cross-classified by meta-
function

Ideational

Interpersonal Textual
 Meta-function, reality, and work done

Metafunction Reality construal Work done

Ideational (experiential & logical) reality observer
Interpersonal Social reality intruder
Textual semiotic reality relevance
 Constituents

Constituency in formal linguistics

My son likes candies very much

 Constituency (continued)

Constituency in SFG
happening

process nuclear participant other participant circumstance

likes candies my son very much

 Clause as exchange
To construe social reality and realize
interpersonal meaning
To explore clause resources for participating
in exchanges.
Exchanges: to give and to demand
information and goods or services
MOOD system is system of clauses as
interpersonal resources.
 MOOD system

MOOD System

declarative
Subject ^ Finite
Indicative polar
+ Subject
Major + Finite interrogative
Predicator Finite ^ Subject
CLAUSE imperative Wh
+ pred ^ (com/adj)
Minor
no predicator
 Exchange

goods and services information

giving Heres the small bear This is the small bear

demanding Find me the small bear Is this the small bear?

proposal proposition
 Mood structure
Mood structure is a structure where the meaning of
proposal or proposition of a clause can be found.
Mood structure consists of 2 constituents: mood and
residue.
Mood is built from the relation between subject and
finite, whereas residue is the rest.
Subject is grammatical doer; finite consists of tense,
modality, and polarity; complement is potential
subject in passive; adjunct cant be subject;
predicator is verbal group excluding finite;
continuative and conjunction connect the previous
clause; vocative is used to summon.
 Example of mood structure

Mood structure in indicative declarative

We sang a song
S F/P C
Mood Residue
Indicative:declarative; proposition

We will sing this song for you

S F P C Adj.
Mood Residue
Indicative:declarative; proposal
 Example of mood structure
(continued)
Mood structure in Wh interrogative

How long must we sing this song?

Wh/Adj. F S P C
Re- Mood -sidue
Indicative: wh interrogative; proposition

What will we Sing?

Wh/C F S P
Re- Mood -sidue
Indicative: wh interrogative; proposition
 Example of mood structure
(continued)
Mood structure in polar interrogative
Is this the bear?
F S C
Mood Residue
Indicative: polar interrogative; proposition

Mood structure in imperative

Be patient!
P C
Residue
Imperative; proposal
 Example of mood structure
(continued)
Mood structure in embedded clause and projection
They belived that they had won the
match
S F/P C
Mood Residue
Indicative:declarative; proposition

Mood structure in tag question

You dont understand do you?
S F P F S
Mood Residue Mood tag
Indicative:declarative; proposition
 CLAUSE AS MESSAGE
To explore clauses as semiotic resources to
express message.
Principles:
- language including clause is linear
- so message is structured linearly
- linearity means it is like a line which has a
start and an end
This principles implies that message is structured
from beginning to an end.
There are two points of views in looking at clause
as message: readers and listeners point of view
and speakers and writers point of view.
 Message from readers and listeners
point of view
Message is For example:
expected to be
structured from My uncle visited me last week
known to
unknown. Old New
Or message is
structured from
old information He stayed in my house for 2 days
and moves to Old New
new
information.
 Patterns of old-new information in
different genres

Patterns of old-new information in report

Algae is a single-celled or simple multiple organism.

Old New

It can conduct the process of photosynthesis.

Old New

It is generally found in water

Old New

but it can also be found elswhere such as in rocks and trees.

Old New
 Patterns of old-new information in
different genres (continued)
Patterns of old-new information in explanation

Medical bill in US have risen outrageously

Old New

and steps need to be taken to reverse this trend.

Old New

Or the American will not be able to afford medical care.

Old New

The major factor of the case has been the dramatic increase of hospital services.
Old New

But the rise in the cost of hospitalization can only be partly blamed on inflation
Old New

since the hospital bill in the last two decdes have risen at a considerable rate.
Old New
 Message from speakers and writers
point of view
The beginning is a For example:
stepping stone to
develop a message My uncle visited me last week
Message is structured Theme Rheme
from theme (topic) and
moves to rheme (tail). Last week my uncle visited me.
It is used as strategy to Theme Rheme
develop the message
based on the theme or Luckily, we got the right bus.
topic they think it is Theme Rheme
important
 Types of theme
There are three types of themes in English:
topical, textual, and interpersonal.
Topical theme is the theme that develop the
topic of discourse.
Textual theme is used to connect the
previous clause.
Interpersonal theme is used to interact and
transact socially.
 Topical theme
There are two types of For example:
topical theme: unmarked and
marked. My uncle visited me last week
The unmarked topical theme
Theme Rheme
is the typical theme in
English clauses that are Unmarked
usually started with subject.
The marked topical theme is Last week my uncle visited me
non-typical theme that is Theme Rheme
characterized by other than Marked
subject such as:
complement, adjunct, or
predicator
 Textual theme
To connect logically the For example:
first and second clause
Mostly in the forms of But he doesnt understand
conjunction such: and, Theme Rheme
then, after, although Text Top
etc., and continuative
such as: Errr,
Err he did it
Emm, Well
Theme Rheme
Text Top
 Interpersonal theme
To realize the For example:
interpersonal meaning
of the theme. John, will you be the chairman?
Interactional Theme Rheme
interpersonal theme is Int Int top
realized in vocative
Transactional
interpersonal (giving
and demanding
information and goods
and services) theme is
realized in finite and wh.
 Example of combination analysis of
mood and theme of English clauses
We sang a song
S F/P C
Mood Residue
Theme: Top Rheme
Unmarked

How long must we sing this song?

Wh/Adj. F S P C
Re- Mood -sidue
Theme: Rheme
Int/Top
Marked
 Example of combination analysis of
mood and theme of English clauses
What will we Sing?
Wh/C F S P
Re- Mood -sidue
Theme: Rheme
Int/Top
Marked

Be patient!
P C
Residue
Top Marked Theme

Well Darling I will take a rest for a

while
Con Voc S F P C Adj
Re- Mood -sidue
Theme Rheme
Text Int Top
Unm
Night watch with Catriona Thornton:
Officers hurt in wild brawl:
4 charged in touch and go fight
Four policemen made. brawl on the corner of
received minor injuries Four were charged Marrickville and
when they broke up a with a number of Illawarra roads.
brawl involving 10 men offences, including About 40 people were
in western Sydney early assaulting police and involved in the fight but
yesterday. resisting arrest. no one was injued.
The officers were At King Cross, police At Balmain, police
called to a service station arrested two men after a arrested two people for
at Minto at 3 am after a car chase through the attemped break-and-enter
report that people were suburbs narrow strrets at a newsagency on
causing a disturbance. early yesterday. Victoria Rd. They were
A police spokesman The chase began on taken to Balmain police
said that when officers Bayswater Rd and station and later charged.
from Cambletown continued through streets In the inner west,
confronted the men, the and laneways but ended Leichhardt police were
group allegedly turned on on Victoria Rd after the called to break up a brawl
them. offenders surrendered to involving about 30
It was a touch-and-go police. people.
situation for a while but The men were later In Sydneys south, a
the police managed to get charged in connection 31-year-old woman
things under control, he with a stolen motor suffered minor head
said. vehicle. injuries after she was
Although the offciers Police at Marrickville assaulted at the bexley
were outnumbered were called to break up a North shopping centre.
several arrets were
 Clause as representation: transitivity
Clause also represents experience (ideational
meaning: experiential)
Basically experience consists of three constituents:
- process or the event / happening, realized in
verbal groups.
- participants, realized in nominal groups, and
- circumstance, realized in nominal groups or
prepositional phrase.
In English, there are 6 types of processes: material,
mental, verbal, behavioral, relational, and existential
processes.
 Material process
A process of doing, physical action.
There are two types of material process:
happening and doing. Happening material
process is characterized by the absence of
goal, while doing material process is
characterized with the presence of goal.
Participants in material process involves:
actor (the doer), goal (affected participant),
beneficiary (client and recipient), and range.
 Material process (continued)
doing happening
(transitive) (intransitive)

John is cooking pizza John is cooking

actor process goal actor process

doing: actor process goal

- creative (making goal): create, make, build, develop, etc.
- dispositive (affecting goal): send, throw, strew, pour, disolve, etc.

happening: actor process

- move, fall, rise, come, go, soften, harden, melt, etc.
 Material process (continued)
1. Material process in passive
The pizza is being cooked by John
goal process actor

Agentless passive
The pizza is being cooked
goal process

2. Material process with dispositive recipient

- give, hand, throw, deliver, send, etc.

John sent Mac a table

actor process recipient goal

John sent a table to Mac

actor process goal recipient
 Material process (continued)
3. Material process with dispositive client
- buy, make, get, do, cook, bake, etc.

John baked Mac pizza

actor process client goal

John baked pizza for Mac

actor process goal client

4. Material process with range:

- range can be an extension of process and a scope of process
- range is not an entity.

John play guitar

sang a song
actor process range (extension of
process

John climbed the hill

actor process range (scope of
process
 Mental Process
A process of sensing: perception, cognition, and
affection.
Perception: perceive, see, notice, obserbe, feel,
smell, taste, hear, etc.
Cognition: assume, believe, conclude, consider,
discover, doubt, etc.
Affection: enjoy, relish, regret, like, fear, dread.
Favor, love, prefer, etc.
Participants: senser and phenomenon
Three types of phenomena: micro (thing), macro
(thing with embedded process), meta (an idea)
 Mental process (continued)
John likes pizza (micro)
saw him selecting a shirt (macro)
wondered why he was chosen (meta)
senser process phenomenon

To test:
1. at the moment of speaking: simple
- No one sees him.
- * No one is seeing him
2. bi-directional:
- I fear that man / that man frightens me
- I like it / It pleases me
- I dont understand it / It puzzles me
- grieve / sadden, belive / convince, forget / escape, recall / remind
3. Mental process does not work with a question: What di he do?
-* What did he do? He liked the man.
 Verbal process
A process of saying
Participants: sayer, verbiage, receiver

John asked him a question

told them a story
said hes sick
sayer process receiver verbiage
 Behavioral process
Process of behaving
2 types: verbal behavior and mental behavior
Verbal behavior: talk, chat, converse, speak,
call, discuss, abuse, flatter, etc. The
participants: behaver, receiver, verbiage.
Mental behavior: look at, watch, listen to,
experience, survey, smile, laugh, cry,
memorize, concentrate, mediate, etc. The
participants include behaver, and
phenomenon.
 For example:

John Talked to her about the test

They chatted each other about the game
behaver process receiver verbiage

He looked at the carving

studied the opera
behaver process phenomenon
 To test behavioral from mental

Behavioral Mental
1. Unmarked present present in present present
He is mediating He thinks so
2. Directionality 1 way 2 ways
She laughed She likes it / It pleases
her
3. Phenomenality No metaphenomena OK
*He mediated he would He belives he can do it
eat it
4. Proverb Works with proverb do Does not work with
What is he doing? proverb do.
He is mediating *What is he doing?
He is seeing.
 Relational process
Two types: attributive and identifying
Attributive relational process:
- a process of giving attribute to a thing
- participants: carrier and attribute
- types of attributives:
- appearance: be, seem, appear, sound,
look, taste, smell, feel, etc.
- phase: become, remain, turn, grow, run,
come, keep, stay, etc.
- measure: weight, cost, measure, number
 For example:

He is at home
She becomes an engineer
They grew wild
It costs Rp 5.000,-
carrier process attribute

With have
He Has a piano
carrier process attribute
 For example (continued)

To test:
Ben is a farmer
* A farmer is Ben

Attributive with conflated procees and attribute:

- matter, suffice, differ, dominate, smell, pong

It matters
It suffices
They dominate
carrier process/attribute
 Identifying relational process
A process of giving a value to athing
Participants: token and value
Types:
- Be: is, am, are, was, were, been
- Equality: equal, add up to, make, come out
as/at, amount to, translate, render,
paraphrase, reformulate, transliterate
- Signification: signify, expound, code, encode,
express, realize, spell, write, transcribe, read, mean,
denote, connote, define, call, name
 Identifying relational process
(continued)
- Representation: symbolize, represent,
stand for, refer to, imply, index, express,
reflect, personify
- Indication: indicate, suggest, betoken,
connote, smack of, evoke, reveal
- Role: play/act as, function, portray,
typify, personify
For example:
 Identifying relational process
(continued)

Ben is the farmer

This reflects the crisis
token process value

To test:
1. reversable
2. Token takes subject in active
3. Token is more concrete than value

The farmer is Ben

The crisis is reflected by this
value process token
 Existential process
A process of projecting that something exists
Participant: existent
For example:

There is a book on the table

process existent circumstance

Ebola existed in Ethiopia

existent process circumstance
 Circumstance
There are 8 types of circumstances: angle, extent,
location, manner, cause, accompaniment, matter,
and role.
Angle: - verbal source
- who says?
- for example:

According to Xian cooking is easy

Cir: angle
 Circumstances (continued)
2. Extent:- nominal group with quantifier + unit of measure (yards, laps, rounds,
years ) + preposition
- How far/ long/many rounds/times

Xian cooked the rice for 15 minutes

Cir: extent

3. Location: - prepositional phrase, adveribial group

- place and time
- where and when
- place: space place or direction (source, passage, destination)

Xian cooked the rice in the microwave

Cir: location: place

Xian cooked the rice in the morning

Cir: location: time
 Circumstances (continued)

4. Manner: - means, quality, comparison

a. means: how, what with?
Xian cooked the rice with microwave
Cir: manner: means

b. Quality: adverbial group (inway/manner)

How?
Xian cooked the rice quickly/ in the following way
Cir: manner: quality

c. comparison: like, unlike (+adverbials: like, likewise, similarly differently )

What like?
Xian cooked the rice Like Nan
Cir: manner: comparison
 Circumstances (continued)

Cause: reason, purpose, condition, concession, behalf

a. Reason: through, because of, as a result of, due to, thanks to
Why, how
Xian cooked the pizza thanks to the microwave
Cir: cause: reason

b. purpose: for, in the hope of, for the purpose of

what for?
Xian prepared the table for his lecture
Cir: cause: purpose

c. condition: in the case of, in case

What if?
In the case of token we apply subject in the active
Cir: cause: condition
 Circumstances (continued)
d. concession: inspite of, despite
Inspite of his cold Xian prepared his lecture
Cir: cause: concession

e. behalf: for, for the sake of, on behalf of

who for?
Xian spoke on behalf of his students
Cir: cause: behalf

6. Accompaniment: with, without, beside, instead of

Xian cooked pizza instead of rice
Cir: accompaniment
 Circumstances (continued)

7. Matter: about, concerning, with reference to, etc.

Xian saw his supervisors in relation to his study
Cir: matter

8. Role: as, by way of, in the role/shape/guise/form/ of

Xian came as a vampire
Cir: role
 Extra causer

Extra
Causer participant

parti-
process
 Extra causer: example
1. Initiator: make, let, get (X) do
The surgeont made the trrop march
Intiator pro- actor -cess

2. Inducer: persuade, convinve, assure, satsfy

Nan convinced Xian the pizza was cooked
inducer process senser phenomenon

3. Attributor: make, keep, leave, drive

The ranger drove the students crazy
attributor process carrier attribute

4. Assigner: elect, name, vote, call, make

They elected him Premier
assigner process token value
 ENGLISH CLAUSE COMPLEX

paratactic (1,2,3): and, but, so (that), or

, (,), (;), direct speech
eg: His mother is a doctor and his mother
is a lawyer
inter- Take it or leave it
dependence He is clever, but a bit selfish
Simplex
(1 process)
hypotactic (,,,): after, before, as,
major when, if, etc., indirect speech
(process) e.g: After having locked the door, she
Complex rushed hurrily.
clause (more than They went to the party although
1 processes) were tired

minor locution (): verbal projection

(no process) eg: They said: Were tired
They said that they were tired
projection
logico-
semantics idea (): mental projection
eg: They believed that they
were right

expansion elaboration (=)

eg: He is clever, he can do it.
Shes good, whichs how
she won.
extension (+): add, alter,
oppose
e.g: Shes clever, but a bit
selfish.
He spoke well, except that
he ignored the press
enhancement (x):time, reason,
purpose, condition, concession
eg: He finished, and then he
shooked her hand.
After he had finished, he
Shooked her hand.
 Procedure of analysis
Cut the clause complex into simplexes.
If the clause contains only two clauses, then identify
the interdependence: paratactic or hypotactic and
provide the symbol. After that, identify the logico-
semantic or the meaning of the relation: projection or
expansion.
If the clause contains more than two clauses, then
find the main logico-semantics: projection or
expansion. Then analyze the interdependence and
the logico-semantic relation. After that, analyze the
rest of the clauses by doing the same analysis.
 Example of analysis
1. They said: Were tired.
1 1a. They said:
2 1b. Were tired

2. he spoke well except that he ignored the press.

2a. He spoke well,
+ 2b. except that he ignored the press

3. Shes good, whichs how she won

3a. Shes good, whichs how
= 3b. she won

4. Marian said: It could be dangerous if it id not managed wisely.

1 4a. Marian said:
2 4b. it could be dangerous
x 4c. if it isnt managed wisely.
 Possibility of English nominal group

Pre-modifier Post-modifier

D ^ Num ^ E ^ C ^ T [ Q ]

Article: ord. num adj. N N Adj. clause

a, the car. Num pres. part adj. Pr present part phr
poss. adj. past. part gerund inf. phr past part. phr
ger. Hr inf. phr
N. Cl. adj. phr
prep. phr
car / ord number
 For example:

Notes:
^ : comes before
: is realized by

T (Thing): thing, idea, or nominalized process or quality

N (Noun) common and proper noun: table, crisis, Jack
Pr (Pronoun): he, she, him, her, etc.
Inf. phr (Infinitive phrase): to swim on the beach, to say
Ger. Phr (genrund phrase): swimming on the beach, writing novel.
N. Cl. (Noun clause): that hes sick, what they wanted to say, how to do
C (classifier): pre-modifier that classifies thing in terms of types: function or origin
N: stone house, rubber boat, Javenese architecture
Adj: black hair, modern achitecture, blue eyes
Ger: swimming pool, dining table, sailing boat
 For example

E (Ephitet): pre-modifier that describes things in terms of its size, shape, color, and condition
(physical, psychological)
Adj: long hair, red boat, beautiful lady
Present participle: running water, crying baby
Past participle: one-eyed man, stolen car, broken heart

Num (numeric): pre-modifier that tells the number or the order of thing
Ordinal: the first fliht, the fourth building
Cardinal: two books, many countries

The 3 beautiful sailing boats

D Num E C T
 For example
Q (Qualifier): post-modifier that adds information about the thing.
Adjective clause: a man who is wearing a black jacket
the car that will be sold
Present participle phrase: a man wearing a black jacket
the crowds passing by
Past participle phrase: the car stolen in the park
the model modified for the reasearch
Infinitive phrase: the car to sell
the problems to solve
Adjective phrase: a topic interesting to discuss
the boats available in the harbour
Prepositional phrase: a man with glasses
a woamn in red
a mansion below the hill
Ordinal/Cardinal number: King Henry IV, Elizabeth II
Filght 4, room 7
 English verbal group
Perfective V (to beat)

Non- finite Imperfective V-ing (beating)

Neutral V-en (beaten)

Modal can, may, must, shall, will etc. (can beat)

Finite
Past V-ed (took)
Temporal
Present V,V-s (takes)

Future will^V (will take)

Verbal group
Past have ^ V-en (to have taken)

Secondary tense Present be ^ V-ing (to be taking)

Future be going to ^ V (tobe going to take)

Active

Passive be^V-en (beaten)

 For example
Notes:
: tense, modal (-): past; ( o ): present (+): future
, , : secondary tense, non- finite, or event

1. She is clever. 2. They will go hoe 3. She is singing 4. We have passed the exam

event mod event event - event

2. They considered stepping down 2. They were thought to be the best

- event imp event - passive event perf event