Analysing English Grammar

Working with structures

Outline of the workshop

Describe the main structural units in SFG

Useful tests for identifying clause internal boundaries

Function and Form

In working with grammatical structures, the key is to:

recognise structural units and connect them to the functions they serve to express

recognise functions and connect them to the structural units which serve to express them

Structural units

“Describing a sentence as a construction of words is rather like describing a house as a construction of bricks, without recognizing the walls and the rooms as intermediate structural units”. – Halliday (1994:180)

Main elements of the clause:experiential ‘view’

Clause

Participant Process Participant

John might fix it

Circumstance

tomorrow

Main elements of the clause:interpersonal ‘view’

Clause

Subject Finite Complement

John might it

Predicator

fix

ResidueMood

Adjunct

tomorrow

Main elements of the clause:textual‘view’

Clause

John might itfix

RhemeTheme

tomorrow

What are the main structural units of the clause?

Clause

noundeterminer verb noundeterminer word level

clause level

idiotthat drove carthe

he drove carthe

carthe was driven the manby

group level

ENRAGED COW INJURES FARMER WITH AX

Clause

nounadjective verb prepositionnoun

cowenraged injures withfarmer axe

noun

group group group group group level

ENRAGED COW INJURES FARMER WITH AX

Clause

nounadjective verb

cowenraged injures withfarmer axe

group group group group level

Groups in SFG

Nouns nominal group (nice people)

Verbs verbal group (was eating)

Adverb adverbial group (so quickly)

Adjective adjectival group (very nice)

Conjunction conjunction group (even if)

...

Phrase: reduction of a clause Preposition prepositional phrase

• Lexical base• Expansion of the lexical base (word) • Head + Modifier

PostmodifierPremodifier Head

much more quickly than he could

Groups : expansions of a word – Logical Structure

as nice as you

very good

nice people

the five red books on my desk

right in

even if

Basic structure of the nominal group

ng

Thing

Nominal group:

[Deictic] [Numerative] [Epithet] [Classifier] [Thing] [Qualifier]

D Modifier Qualifier

womanthe old who thought she had bought a hand massager

in the shoe

Determiners Modifiers

PostmodifierPremodifier Head

ng

ThingD Mod. Qualifier

womanthe old who thought she had bought a hand massager

[Deictic] [Numerative] [Epithet] [Classifier]

[Thing] [Qualifier]Determiners

Modifiers

PP

pg ng

thd

shoethe

PP → pg ng

pg: preposition groupng: nominal group

Basic structure of the prepositional phrase

Prepositional phrase: [Process] [Range] (experiential structure)

Not a case of Head + Modifier

in

pg

They filmed [the scene in the hallway]

Clause

Participant Process Participant

They filmed

ng

thd

scenethe

pp

pg ng

thd

hallwaythe

q

in

pg

They filmed [the scene][in the hallway]

Clause

Participant Process Participant

They filmed

ng

thd

scenethe

pp

ng

thd

hallwaythe

Circumstance

pg

in

pg

Boundaries and ambiguities

Groucho Marx:

« One morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas…

... how he got into my pyjamas, I’ll never know »

Clause

Circumstance Process

shot anI

PP

in my pyjamas

One morning elephant

Circumstance

qualifier

Participant Participant

What function does this unit have?

Pronoun replacement test

The group acts as a single unit. Pronouns DO NOT replace nouns Pronouns replace a unit/group

One morning I shot an elephant in my pjs.

One morning I shot it.

One morning I shot an elephant in my pjs.

One morning I shot it in my pjs

Listener Comment from:RADIO 4 - SATURDAY LIVE

I thought the item on the old woman who thought she had bought a hand massager but actually bought a dildo was excellent

I thought

was excellentthe item on the old woman who thought she

had bought a hand massager but actually

bought a dildo

it was excellent

Movement tests

(Pronoun replacement test)

Cleft test Passive test Subject test

Cleft test

It was X that Y

e.g. I saw the man from the car

? It was the man I saw from the car? It was the man from the car that I saw? It was from the car that I saw the man? It was the man from the car that I saw

Passive test

X process Y Y was processed

e.g. I saw the man from the car

? The man was seen from the car? The man from the car was seen

Subject test: to determine Subject

1. Clause must be in declarative (statement) form

2. Reformulate the clause in the interrogative from (you may need to add an auxiliary verb)

3. The auxiliary will form a boundary around the Subject

e.g. The symptoms of early cataract can be improved with new eyeglasses.

Can the symptoms of early cataract be improved with new eyeglasses?

*Can the symptoms be improved of early cataract with new eyeglasses

‘the symptoms of early cataract’ is the Subject, and therefore one structural unit.

Basic structure of the verbal group

vg

Auxiliary3

Verbal group: [Finite] ([Polarity]) ([Auxiliary])* [Event]

Finite/Auxiliary1 Auxiliary2 Event

beenmight have tricked

I might[mod.] have[perf.] been[prog.] being[pass.]

tricked[lexical verb] by that guy.

Auxiliary4

being

3 ways for clauses to combine

– embedding (within) – [rankshifting]

• This is the house that Jack built

– co-ordinating (equal) – [parataxis]

• I like John and John likes me.

– subordinating (dependant) – [hypotaxis]

• I will like John if he likes me.

Recognizing (embedded) clauses

Each clause has only one main verb (Event)

Every independent clause must have a Finite element (whether expressed or not)

All non-finite clauses are embedded (and serve to express a function within the clause or a group)

In English, there are three types of non-finite clauses:

1. -ed (past participle)

The photograph faded by the sun could not be restored.

Destroyed by the rain, the sand castle left only traces.

2. -ing (progressive)

Having tried as hard as he could, John accepted defeat.

Quitting my job is not an option.

3. « to » (infinitival)

To win would be a great accomplishment.

She is happy to help.

3 types of NON-FINITE clause in English

How could we analyse these?

I dropped off some resumes and looked at a few places to rent for the winter months.

I didn’t get any information from the program head because I couldn't get through

How many clauses?

1. I dropped off some resumes

2. and (I) looked at a few places to rent for the winter months.

1. I didn’t get any information from the program head

2. because I couldn't get through

How many verbs ?

1. I dropped off some resumes

2. and (I) looked at a few places to rent for the winter months.

1. I didn’t get any information from the program head

2. because I couldn't get through

Any embedded clauses?

1. I dropped off some resumes

2. and (I) looked at a few places [to rent for the winter months]

1. I didn’t get any information from the program head

2. because I couldn't get through

Where are the group boundaries?

1. I | dropped off | some resumes ng vg ng

2. And | (I) | looked | at a few places [to rent for the winter months]

ng vg pp

1. I | didn’t get | any information | from the program head ng vg ng pp

2. Because | I | couldn't get through ng vg

I dropped off some resumes

Clause

ng

thd

resumessome

ng

th

I

vg

Finite/Event

dropped off

I looked at a few places to rent for the winer months

Clause

pp

ng

numd

fewa

pg

at

pg

ng vg

Finite/Event

looked

th

Ith

places

q

Clause

pp

ng

md

winterthe

pg

for

pg

vg

Event

to rentth

months