TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF TWO TEXTS: AN ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE NUMBAT A TEXT FOR CHILDREN ON SOUNDS

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF TWO TEXTS:

“AN ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE NUMBAT”

“A TEXT FOR CHILDREN ON SOUNDS”

Instructions and preliminary comments

-The texts for analysis have been segmented into clauses and the clauses into their constituent parts to facilitate analysis. This is the usual practice. This does not mean you have to accept the segmentation proposed here. If you want to propose a different segmentation, feel free to ask in class or in office hours.- Remember that certain elements are not analyzed for transitivity, like conjunctions (and, but), conjunctive adjuncts (besides, moreover, however) modals (can) and modal adjuncts (unluckily, fortunately; always, sometimes; probably)

This is a numbat

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE

NUMBAT”

The numbat is a slender marsupial with … ears

Its coat is grey-brown to reddish brown

with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump.

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”

The numbat is an unmistakable slender marsupial with … ears

Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifyingclassifying

Attribute

Its coat is grey-brown to reddish brown

with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump.

Carrier Process: relat. attrib.: intensive: describingdescribing

Attribute Circ. of accompaniment: additive

Comments on analysis

One might wonder why the first relational process is said to be classifying, whereas all other intensive processes are said to be describing, especially since there is so much description in the first one (“unmistakeable” “slender” and “with a pointed muzzle and short erect ears”). Note that description in the first clause is to be found not at the level of the clause, but within the Ngp that makes up the Attribute of the clause (“an unmistakeable slender marsupial with …ears”). At the level of the clause the meaning is one of classification (the numbat is a member of a class of animals (= marsupials). The classification is thus foregrounded, and the description backgrounded by being made at a lower rank. To see this, compare the first clause with clauses such as “The numbat is slender/small”, “The numbat has short erect ears”, where description is foregrounded now by being made at the level of the clause.


“On the rump” in “with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump” is a Qualifier within the NGp that functions as completive of the preposition “with”, the head of which (Th) is “stripe”. There are several indication of this. If we pay attention to meaning, “on the rump” is specifying “stripes”, by telling us where the stripes are located. Given that this is its function it cannot be moved around in the clause as it would be in clauses like the following, where if is not a Qualifier :

“The numbat has 8 stripes on the rump” = “On the rump the numbat has eight stripes” “The numbat has, on the rump, eight stripes.”

“There are 8 stripes on the rump of the numbat” = “On the rump of the numbat there are 8 stripes”


The eye has a black stripe

through it

and the long bushy tail

is yellowish


The eye has a black stripe

through it

Carrier Process: relational: possessive: describingdescribing

Attribute Circumst. of location: spatial location

and the long bushy tail

is yellowish

Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: describingdescribing

Attribute


The PP “through it” has been analyzed as Circumstance because it is not specifying “stripe” but relating to the verb “have” and expressing the location of the process expressed by the verb. Evidence of this is the fact that it can be moved around (“The eye has, through it, a black stripe”)


The teeth are small.

The tongue is extensible as in all mammalian ant or termite-eaters


The teeth are small.

Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing

Attribute

The tongue is extensible as in all mammalian ant or termite-eaters, …


Attribute Circumstance of manner: comparison


and the forefeet

are stongly-clawed

for digging

Most marsupials

are active during the night


and the forefeet

are stongly-clawed

for digging


Attribute Circumstan-ce of cause: purpose

Most marsupials

are active during the night


Attribute Circumstance of extent: duration

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT “THE NUMBAT”

It shelters in hollow logs

The numbat is different in being active during the day

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT “THE NUMBAT”

It shelters in hollow logs

Actor Process: material middle

Circumstance of location: spatial location

The numbat

is different in being active during the day


Attribute


The PP “during the day” is also a “Circums-tance of extent: duration”, but it is somewhat different from the PP “during the night” in that it is not functioning as Circumstance to the verb “is”, but as Circumstance to “being” within the embedded clause functioning as completive of the preposition “in” (“being active during the day”). This is why in a first level of analysis it is shown as part of the attribute.


and (it) forages for termites


and (it) forages for termites

Actor Process: material middle

Circumstance of cause: purpose


This termite-eater

was once relatively common

but (it) now lives only in a small area of … Australia


This termite-eater

was once relatively common

Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: describing

Circumstance location: time

Attribute

but (it) now lives only in a small area of … Australia

Actor Circumst. of location: time

Process: material: middle

Circumst. of location: spatial


It is the offical animal emblem of Western Australia


It is the offical animal emblem of Western Australia

Token Process: relational: identifying: intensive

Value


Why identifying and not attributive? The main reactance and test showing it is “identifying” is the fact that the participants can be reversed, while all the other pocesses in the text with the verb “to be”, which are all attributive, cannot have their participants reversed. Another piece of evidence is the fact that “be” can be replaced by “represent”.

Transitivity patterns in “The numbat”

1 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./classifyingrelational/attrib./intens./classifying) ^ Attribute.

2 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describingrelational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of

accompaniment: additive.

3 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./possessive/describingrelational/attrib./possessive/describing) ^ Attribute ^

Circ. of location: spatial.

4 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute

5 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute

6 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^Circ. of

manner: comparison

7 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of

cause: purpose

8 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ.

of extent: duration

Transitivity patterns in “The numbat”

9 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^

Attribute

10 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of spatial location

11 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of cause: purpose

12 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^

Attribute ^ Circ. of temporal location

13 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of temporal

location ^ Circumst. of spatial location

14 Token ^ Process (relational identifying) ^ Value

What pattern of transitivity emerges in the text?

The process type that prevails/is dominant in the text is

the relational attributive process of the intensive

describing/descriptive type

Next in frequency are the material middle processes (3),

and less frequent are the relational attributive intensive

classifying processes (1 in first clause), the relational

attributive possessive processes (only 1) and the

relational identifying processes (1 in closing sentence).

The Circumstances that prevail are of spatial location,

followed by Circumstances of temporal location (2) and of

cause: purpose (2), and Circumstances of manner:

comparison (1), and extension: duration (1).

What does the pattern of transitivity identified tell us

about the text?

The prevalence of/high proportion of relational

attributive intensive processes can be

explained by, and reflects, the descriptive

character of the text. We could expect narrative

texts and instructional texts, for example, to

favor material processes. The presence of an

attributive possessive process reinforces this

descriptive character, as this also serves to

describe the animal or parts of its body.

What does the pattern of transitivity identified tell us

about the text?

The shifts in process type, from a relational attributive relational attributive

intensive classifyingintensive classifying process in the first clause to

relational attributive intensive relational attributive intensive

describing/descriptivedescribing/descriptive processes and relational relational

attributive possessive processesattributive possessive processes (also descriptive in

function) in the body and to material middlematerial middle processes

towards the end and a closing identifying process

reflects the structure of the text, the generic structure

(Classification ^ Description of animal ^ Description of

animal habits ^ Reference to animal’s value or

significance ).

What explains this pattern? Why this pattern?

The structure of the text can be accounted for by the

fact that every descriptive report, as one could find in an

encyclopedic entry, must necessarily start by placing the

unknown animal or plant that it provides information on

in a known class of entities (through the classifying

process) for the sake of those who do not know it, so

they can start to grasp the unknown through what’s

known to them, and only then proceed to describe the

animal or plant (through relational attributive processes)

and its habits/physiology (mainly through material

middle processes).

What do the Circumstances suggest?

The Circumstances of spatial location in the text

can be explained because in a descriptive report

o an animal for an encyclopedic entry one needs

to locate the animal for the sake of the readers

who do not know the animal and are looking for

information, though some circumstances of

spatial location relate to the physical

description of the animal and indicate where

certain features are to be found in the body.

What do Circumstances suggest?

Circumstances of manner:

comparison could be explained as a

way of facilitating the understanding

of the unknown (the numbat) by

comparing it to what’s known

(mamalians; marsupials)

Otherwise, circumstances in the text

are not so prominent

Conclusions on transitivity

Transitivity patterns reflect the nature of

the text (descriptive, narrative, etc)

Changes or shifts in transitivity along the

text reflect changes in function

(Classification, Physical description,

Description of habits, Appraisal of animal)

and thus the structure of the text, the

stages or sections that result from changes

in function


A perspective on verbs like this focuses on

semantics, and tells us more about what meanings

the verbs make and what meanings their

participants make. A Direct Object can now be a

Goal created, a Goal affected, a Range, a

Phenomenon, a Verbiage, where meaning of the

Direct Object is more explicit;

A perspective on verbs like this focuses on text and

patterns of verbs or processes in text, that is, it

does not attend to isolated sentences but seeks to

establish patterns in text;


A perspective like this is functional in that it seeks to

determine the function of patterns (what they tell us about the

nature of the text or the structure of the text)

A perspective like this helps us gain a better understanding of

the grammar involved in more traditional terms. Such is the

case of relational processes, where we realize, for example, that

saying only that the verb “to be” is a linking verb with S and SC

provides a very limited understanding of the grammar of this

verb that can take different structures (+ adjective groups, +

indefinite nominal groups, + definite nominal groups;

structures where S and C are reversible and structures where

they are not), which reflect different meanings ranging from

classification to symbolization and involving description also.

TEXT II

ANALYSING A TEXT ON

SOUNDS

Purpose of analysis

In analyzing this text we will also

seek to explore the advantages of

adopting a more semantic, textual

and functional approach to verbs

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Do … enjoy you [[making sounds]]

What sounds do ... make these things


Do … enjoy you [[making sounds]]

Process: mental: affection

Senser Phenomenon: Macrophenomenon

What sounds do … make these things

Goal Process: material: effective (“do” is not experiential)

Actor


If you bang them

What different sounds

can … make you with your body and your voice


If you bang them

Actor Process: material: effective

Goal

What different sounds

can … make you with your body and your voice

Goal Process: material: effective (“can” is not experiential)

Actor Circumstance: means/instrument


Put your fingers on your throat

as you talk


Put your fingers on your throat

Process: material: effective

Goal Circumstance of location: spatial location

as you talk

Behaver Process: behavioural: verbal


or as you sing

Behaver Process: behavioural: paraverbal

What can … feel you

Phenomenon Process: mental: perception

Senser

Why “talk” and “sing” behavioural

Processes like “talk” and “sing” are behavioral because, through there is sth verbal in them (talk) or paraverbal (sing, since it includes the voice), they do not involve direct saying, that is, they do not project another clause as locution (*He talked/sang that he had to leave, would not be grammatical). So verbs which have a verbal quality but do not ptoject, that is, do not introduce a locution (like chat, discuss, gossip, chant, recite, describe, etc.) are behavioural verbal/paraverbal


Hold a ruler on the edge of a table

Press down the end


Hold a ruler on the edge of a table


Goal Circumstance of location: spatial location

Press down the end


Goal


and let go

Can … hear you a sound


and let go

Process: material: middle

Can … hear you a sound?

Process: mental: perception

Senser Phenomenon


What can … see you?

Whenever you hear a sound


What can … see you?

Phenomenon Process: mental: perception

Senser

Whenever you hear a sound

Circumstance of location: temporal location (time)

Senser Process: mental: perception

Phenomenon


there is [[something moving]]

This movement is called a vibration


There is [[something moving]]

Process: existential Existent

This movement is called a vibration

Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifying: assigned (caused) Assigner not expressed

Attribute

Comments on processes

The process “This movement is a vibration”, would be a “relational attributive process, with “This movement” as Carrier and “a vibration” as Attribute. In the process we have in the text, however, there is a slight difference. The clause is a passive voice clause (“This movement is called a vibration”), still regarded as attributive, but as attributive assigned, because somebody assigns “the movement” to the class, as is obvious in what could be the corresponding active voice (“Scientists call this movement a vibration”). See the PPP on transitivity and you will find these processes there in the last few slides.

Comments on transitivity patterns in “Do you enjoy making sounds”

The first clause of the text has a mental process of emotion (enjoy) followed by a Phenomenon (Macrophenomenon). This is the only mental process of emotion in the whole text. It is interesting that it can be found in the first sentence, that could be seen as the section of the text enticing the reader (enticement), that is, trying to engage the reader’s interest.

Then there is an alternation of material processes effective (bang; hold; press down) and middle (let go) and mental processes of perception (hear, feel, see). There are also behavioural processes in dependent clauses indicating when to carry out a given action (as you talk, as you sing). Less frequent are the existential process (1) and the relational process assigned (1).


It is interesting to see that the material processes always occur in commands and the mental of perception in questions. The alternation of material processes (effective and middle) in commands and mental processes of perception in questions would seem to be reflecting an alternation in the text between instructions to perform certain actions (bang, hold, press down, let go) and questions to direct readers to reflect on the perceptions that are caused/brought about by such actions (Can you hear …? What can you see?).


The less frequent processes are behavioural ones (2), existential (1) and relational attributive (assigned) (1). The behavioural ones are found in dependent clauses that specify when a certain action is to be carried out (Put the fingers on your throat as you sing or as you talk). The existential and the relational ones are found at the end of the text, in statements, that provide information on sounds. It is interesting to note that information is only provided after the child has been induced to perform certain actions and reflect on the perceptions they induce.


The structure of the text that the process alternations would seem to reveal can be set out as follows, with the second and third stage forming cycles:

Enticement/Engaging the reader (mental emotion = enjoy)

Instructing the reader to perform certain actions that create sounds/Inducing the reader to action (material effective/middle)

Directing the reader to reflect on perceptions/Inducing reflection on perceptions (mental perception)

Informing the reader on sound (existential, relational)

What else does transitivity tell us about this text

Apart from letting us uncover the different functions being

performed by different sections of the text and thus the

structure of the text, transitivity lets us see that the ideas

about learning underlying the text are such as are associated

with the “learning by doing pedagogy”. If the author had a

different attitude to learning and the text was just an

exposition on sounds, the text would look very different, made

up only of material middle processses like “vibrate”, “move”

and exitential and relational processes, where the participants

would be sounds or aspects associated with them.

Concluding comments on transitivity

Again the analysis of this last text will have highlighted

the semantic, textual and functional character of the

approach to verbs we are following. Semantic, as we

have paid attention to the meanings the verbs and their

participants make; textual because we have looked t

patterns in the whole text rather than at isolated

sentences; and functional because we have looked at

the function of these patterns.

Documents

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF TWO TEXTS: AN ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE NUMBAT A TEXT FOR CHILDREN ON SOUNDS