The transitivity of relational

and existential processes

 01
Attributive relational processes

02
Table of contents Identifying relational processes

03
Possessive relational processes

04
Existential processes
 Relational processes

• Relational processes (the process of being) are processes about

what things are, what they are like and what they possess.

• 3 types of relational processes: attribute, identifying and

possessive.
 1. Attribute relational processes
- A process of giving attribute to a thing
- Two participants : Carrier and Attribute
E.g:
My mother is very kind
Carrier Relational process verb Attribute

John is an intelligent boy

Carrier Relational process verb Attribute

Linda was in London

Carrier Relational process verb Attribute

- Carrier & Attribute are linked by a relational process verb =>Linking verb

Types of Attribute:
3 types: Quality type , Class type,
Circumstance
Xám : quality type
+) Attribute is expressed by adj or AG (adj
group) : “kind”
Vàng : class type
+) Attribute is expressed by Noun or NG
“intelligent boy”
Xanh : circumstance
+) Attribute is expressed by prepositional
phrases : “in London”
• Linking Verbs:
- Forms of “be”, some exceptions :
+ Perception-type linking verbs: “look” , “seem”, “sound”, “smell”, “taste”,….
E.g: He looks fine.
This cake tasted weird.
+ Change-type linking verbs: “become” , “turn into”, “get”, “go”,……
E.g: The sky are getting dark now.
He grows exhausted.
+ Circumstance-type linking verbs:
- Is the linking verb expressing time, matter or quantity.
E.g: The business course lasts 1 or 2 months. (time)
This error concerns government systems. (matter)
My sister stands one meter high. (quantity)
This dress costs 10 dollars.
•Expansion of Attributes:
(Adjective functioning)
- Attribute can expand into Adj Group
Eg:
She acted very well.
( Adv + Attribute => adj Group)
The coffee beans are dark brown.
(adj+ attribute => adj Group)
• Attribute can be post-modified
(that clause, to +V or V-ing clause, Prepositional phrases)
E.g:
This geometry is difficult that nobody in my class can
problem solve it.
Carrier Relational process Attribute (that clause)
verb

I am very exciting to read your letter.

Carrier Relational process verb Attribute (to + V clause)

She are very pleased with the performances on

the stage.
(pre phrase)
Carrier Relational process verb Attribute
 +) “more” or “suffix-er”
Eg: The geometry problem becomes a little more
• Attribute can be difficult.
expanded for She looks a little happier.
comparison +) than + N group, Prepositional phrase & finite or
non-finite clause:
Eg: Playing guitar on the stage is more stressful than I
imagine. ( finite clause)
The fact that being a student is easier than being
a CEO. (non-finite clause)
Everyone thinks that luxury brands are better than
ordinary brands in the same price.
(Noun group)
I think the view is better than in the basement.
(pre phrase)
• Attribute can be expanded for
comparison of equality
Eg: John is not as heavy as I thought.
Postponed STT Type Examples
1 Attributes express It’s difficult that you becomes a CEO after
Carriers: evaluation graduating university.
“It is + Adj +
that clause) 2 Attributes express It is certain that they getting better after
judgment psychological shock.

3 Attributes express It is possible to leave our faults behind.

potentiality

4 Attributes express It is compulsory for all staffs to wear

obligation or uniforms.
necessity It is necessity to lose weight after days of
eating too mục fast food.
 MENTAL PROCESS, ATTRIBUTIVE PROCESS
AND ACTION

Eg:
[MEN] : I can hear the unique melody.
[ACTION] : I am listening the unique melody.
[ATTRIBUTE] : This melody sounds unique.
 
[MEN] : I can see the view.
[ACTION] : I am looking the view.
[ATTRIBUTE] : The view looks wonderful.
 Learning and teaching
Attributive clauses

- Some languages have no verbs linking Carriers and Attributes in some

types of attributive clauses
Eg: This question difficult.
** She told me she a lovely cat (ERROR)
-Many learners have difficulty with the expansion of Attributes for
comparison
Eg: He is more better than me
No one beautiful than my mum
 2. Identifying relational
processes

A process of Participants: The identifying

giving a value to identified and can be reversed
a thing identifier
Example:

Lan Is The teacher

identified process identifier

The teacher Is Lan

identifier process identified

Linking verbs

Perception, change and circumstance

Eg:
Danny had realized all his ambitions -> perception
The villagers grow coffee and corn -> change
Matters of pollution and the environment concern us all
-> circumstance
 - Possessive processes include
relationship of part to whole and of
ownership.

3. Possessive
relational - Participants: Possessor and Possessed

processes Eg:
He has a car
Possessor Possessed
The car has a wing-view mirror each side
Possessor Possessed
- Negative possession is in the sense of
inclusion
Eg: The exhibition consists of a series of Note:
photographs taken in 1915. • The extends to cases of have as
- Possessive process clauses normally select
a delexical verb where the
simple present for now references and meaning of possession is not
continuous tense in general are seldom used. present at all.
Eg: The gallery possesses a number of the • This can present problem for
artist's early works. learners if the are no
Not ‘is possessing’ comparable metaphorical uses
- Possessive processes are very common in
in the mother tounge.
English, often involving nominalization
Eg: She has a bad stomachache (“My stomach
aches badly”)
 3. Existential processess
• One participant: Existent
Eg: There's a restaurant around the corner
Existent

• In informal spoken English, people tend to use there’s and there was with both singular and
plural Existents.
Eg: There’s two people waiting outside.

• It is quite common for the Existent to be an event or situation, usually involving some kind of
nominalization.
Eg: There is an increasing number of people using social networking sites.

• Occasionally, A verb rather than be is use in existential clauses

Eg: There remains the problem of finance.
• It is difficult to differ between possessive and
existential processes

Eg: There are many schools teaching English here.

Có rất nhiều trường dạy Tiếng Anh ở đây.
They have another opportunity to work at this
company.
Họ có thêm một cơ hội nữa để được làm việc ở Note for learning and
công ty này.
teaching Possessive and
• The two processes can be very close. Existential processes
Eg: Every house has a separate swimming pool.
There is a separate swimming pool in every house.

• The speaker also can move the Circumstantial

Adjunct to the front of the existential process
clause:
Eg: In every house is a separate swimming pool.
-> We cannot use “In every house has a separate
swimming pool”
 Tense

01 02
Tense and Tenses in
process type context
01
Tense and process type

The typical or unmarked tense selection in now reference is present

continuous for action process (including mental-action processess)
and simple present for mental and relational processess.

Eg: What are you doing? (action process)

I need her to buy some bread. (mental process)
• Simple present with action process
- Expresses habitual actions (actions which are repeated regularly over period of
time including now) and timeless actions (actions which are presented as
general or universal)
Eg: I always go to school by bus.
The heavy rain washes away all the trees on the hill.

- Much less common is the use of simple tense with action processes for future
time reference (sentence 1), where the event is fixed of scheduled (sometimes
called timetabled future), now reference in commentaries of demonstrations
(sentence 2), past time actions within (usually spoken) narrative (sentence 3).
Eg: We have a meeting at 3 p.m. (1)
John tells Marry about your mistakes and Marry gets angry. (2)
I open the box, but unfortunately Nancy sees that. (3)
• Continuous tenses with mental processes
- The combination of present continuous and other continuous tense
or processive tense with mental processes often call carries the sense
of beginning
Eg: I can see that you’re feeling bad.

- Continuous (relative present) tenses also carry an implication that the

mental process is temporary. This sometimes exploited to express a
certain tentativeness in polite suggestions and requests.
Eg: I was wondering that we could swap place.

=> The two uses of continuous tense with mental processes would
probably not be of high priority for most learners.
• Continuous tenses with relational process
- The linking verb is “be”, continuous tenses often suggest a kind of
temporary behavior (the process is much more like an action process).
Eg: She is being a silly girl.

- The unmarked tense selection of the change type of relation process.

In addition, some of the reality-type linking combine with either
simple present or present continuous with very little different
meaning (although it suggests a kind of temporary thing)
Eg: You are doing all the homework correctly today.

=> These usages would not be of high priority for most learners.
02. Tenses in context

Tense selection in
narratives:

Verbs in story line usually action process verbs,

sometime mental process verbs
(perception types taste, see, hear, …)
Simple past tense - the story
line consists of a Eg: We were in a department store,
chronological sequence of and I was so excited to see such a huge
events. place.

Past perfect tense - used to Eg: My day was a disaster. First, it had
introduce background events snowed during the night, which meant
previous to a point in the I had to shovel before I could leave for
story/ the reference work.

A modal + (relative) past –

reference to earlier potential Eg: My dad said that plane would
events which did not take have taken off on 11th October.
place. (should have done)
Past continuous with action processes
and Simple past with relational Eg: I was traveling with my parents
processes – provide some descriptive during summer vacation.
background to the story line.

Past continuous – events simultaneous

to a point in the story line.

Future in past was/were going to, Eg: These landers were able to send
would, and was/ were to - locate hack important data about the
events later than that point in story atmosphere of the planet.
line, anticipate events

Simple present tense- scene setting Eg: Tien Hoi is a small village in the
section, to make story more vivid (not outskirt of Ha Noi.
typical, and a high priority for learners)
 • Simple present in generic description
(description of people, places, and things) and in
Tense specific description (description of specific
selection in individuals rather than classes of people, places,
descriptions things) - with mainly relational process clause
and sometime with action process (to delineate
what is being described).

Eg: The movie theater is an exciting place where

people can relax and enjoy the experience.
Present perfect- give some depth to descriptions
• + Action processes: events took place in unspecific time before the present but whose
results are relevant to the present description.
• Eg: My bag has been my “weapon” in a friendly flight. We have together been to
college, work and through all ups and downs of life.
• + Relational process: change type to present Attributes or Identifiers which are part of
a description but are the result of earlier changes.
• Eg: It has now become a source of inspiration for me. (My bag)
• + Relational and existential process: backdate the description, extend a present
situation back in time
• Eg: There have been a place of worship for a thousand years.

Simple present - description of both manufacturing and natural process

• Eg: The snacks are first packed in the factory.
Present perfect- sometimes in process description for event that either is not an important stage
in the process or is providing some kind of restatement of previous stage.
• Eg: After the olives have been washed in water, they are put in …
 Simple future-expresses the primary
location in future time

Future perfect- change prior to the

Tenses selection absolute time (will have changed)

in prediction
Future continuous- locates events
simultaneous with the absolute time (will
be changing)

Will- often alternates with modal

auxiliaries which express degrees of
likelihood.
 Present continuous- with Eg: Are you playing
action process for now
references games?

Simple present-with mental Eg: Do you know

process
Emma’s phone
number?
Tenses Whole range Going to (Gonna) – future Eg: Lila is gonna
selection in of tenses can events to predict a future
occur in situation
become prettier after
learning a makeup
conversation conversation
course.
Future present- expresses
intention (when the speaker Eg: I am gonna taking
is I/We) the ielts test.
Present continuous-future Eg: Are you doing ielts
process associated more with
conversation than other sample reading test,
contexts (Specified time) this evening?
THANKS!