Groups
What's a group?
A groups is an extended word, which means that it is made up of a nuclear word and pre or post modifications.
If the modifiers of the group are left out, it will still make sense and be whole unit.
What's a clause?
According to Systemic Functional Grammar, a clause is the highest ranking unit in the rank scale of grammatical units, which is made up of lower ranking units (groups and phrases) that perform different functions within it. A clause is capable of conveying a complete thought or idea.
How is systemic functional grammar different to traditional grammar?
Traditional grammar is focused on rules to produce correct sentences. Its purpose is to describe the grammar of standard English comparing it with Latin, so the aspects taught are names of parts of speech and how to correct the so-called "bad grammar". It is based on the language used by a small portion of English speakers and it only focuses on superficial aspects of writing.
SFG, on the other hand, is focused on meaning and how they are realized. This implies that all the aspects of language are taken into account, including how it is used, the contexts in which it is used, the purposes, the choices available for speakers, the grammatical resources used and even the way in which meaning are delivered.
What are obligatory and non-obligatory constituents of a clause?
Obligatory: Subject, Finite, Predicator, Objects (direct, indirect or prepositional) and Complements (subject complement, object complement or predicator complement). They are obligatory because they cannot be left out without affecting the meaning of the clause.
Non-obligatory: Adjuncts (Circumstantial, Conjunctive or Modal). They are non-obligatory elements because they can be left out without affecting the meaning of the clause.
What's the difference between a group and a phrase?
A group is an extended word, which means that it is made up of a nuclear word and pre or post modifications.
If you leave out the different modifiers, the nuclear word will still make sense by itself. Ex: a beautiful little princess / a little princess / a princess / princess
A phrase, on the other hand, is seen as a mini-clause. This implies that you cannot take out any of the elements in the phrase, since it would not have the same meaning without them. Ex: into the city / the city* / city*
What types of clauses can we find? Name them
Finite and Non-Finite
Major and Minor
Elliptical and Non-Elliptical
Ranking and Non-Ranking
Ranking: Single independent and Complexes
Complexes: Paratactic and Hypotactic
How many metafunctions are there? Name them
There are three metafunctions:
Ideational: Experiential and Logical
Textual
Interpersonal
Define subject and explain how it can be realized
The subject is the constituent of the clause that carries out the process expressed by the verb. It is the syntactic function which must be present in declarative and interrogative sentences in English. It is usually located before the verb in affirmative or negative clauses, and after the finite operator in questions.
It can be realized by:
-noun group
-a pronoun
-"prop" it
-anticipatory it
-existential "There"
-a finite/non-finite clause
How many types of groups are there? Give examples of each
There are 4 types of groups: Nominal (a beautiful princess), Adjective (very nice), Verbal (have done) and Adverbial (too quickly)
What's the difference between a non-ranking clause and a ranking clause?
A ranking clause functions at the level of clauses (the highest one) in the rank scale (i.e. they can convey a complete thought or idea and are made up of the units in all the lower levels such as groups, phrases, words and morphemes).
A non-ranking clause (also called down-ranked or embedded clause) functions at a lower level (that is, as a group or phrase or even as a constituent of them, becoming a part of a broader meaning). A non-ranking clause can be found inside another clause, phrase or group.
What does the textual metafunction deal with?
The textual metafunction focuses on how language is used to relate what is said to the rest of the text. That way, it deals with all the resources of the language offered for speakers to build up their meanings in context. It operated through 2 resources: structural (related to the clause) and cohesive (related to the text and its component)
What are adjuncts? How many types are there?
Adjuncts are non-obligatory elements of the clause, which means they can be left out without affecting the meaning of the clause. They provide additional information.
Moreover, as they are not required by the verb, there can be an indefinite number of adjuncts in a clause, and they do not have a fixed position, so they can be moved around.
There are three types of adjuncts:
-Circumstantial Adjuncts (providing circumstantial information such as location, time, manner, etc.)
-Conjunctive Adjuncts (providing information related to links between sentences and rhetorical organization)
-Modal Adjuncts (providing information about the speaker's attitude towards the message)
What are the possible constituents of each type of group? And the constituents of a phrase?
Nominal: Diectic, Numerative, Classifer, Epither, Thing and Qualifier
Verbal: Operator, Auxiliaries and verb
Adjective: modifier, head and qualifier
Adverbial: modifier, head and qualifier
Phrase: head and completive
What's the difference between a paratactic and a hypotactic clause complex? Illustrate
In a paratactic complex, the clauses are both independent and have the same grammatical status, which implies they both can make sense by themselves and can stand as single independent clauses. Ex: The students took the exam // and (they) went outside.
In a hypotactic complex, one of the clauses is dominant, that is, independent; and the other is dependent, which means it cannot stand alone and its mood, tense and person depends of the dominant clause. Ex: When the students finished, // they went outside.
What kind of elements are considered interpersonal? And textual?
Interpersonal elements: adverbs or expressions of frequency, possibility and probability. Modal verbs. Any expression or word that expresses a subjective point of view or an interaction with other people.
Textual elements: conjunctions, conjunctives (sequence, order, cause-consequence, etc.) and continuatives
Analyze the grammatical functions in the following clause:
First, I put my dictionary on the desk.
First: conjunctive adjunct
I: subject
Put: finite/predicator
My dictionary: direct object
On the desk: predicator complement
Extract and analyze the groups in the following clause:
The smartest student in the class had decided to answer the question in front of his classmates.
The / smartest / student / in the class: Nominal - Diectic, Epithet, Thing, Qualifier.
had / decided / to answer: Verbal - operator, v1, v2. Phase: inclination
the / question: Nominal - Diectic, Thing
in front of / his classmates: Prepositional phrase - preposition, completive
Divide the following sentence into clauses and analyze them:
Before I could answer her question, the teacher got up and walked towards my desk, frowning.
//Before I could answer her question//: finite, major, ranking, hypotactic complex (dependent clause)
//the teacher got up//: finite, major, ranking, hypotactic complex (dominant clause)
//and walked towards my desk//: finite, major, ranking, paratactic complex
//frowning//: non-finite clause, dependent
Decide which elements are interpersonal, textual and experiential in the following extract:
And maybe, he thought he could finish the exam. However, it was impossible.
He probably finished half of it, though.
And: textual
maybe: interpersonal
However: textual
though: textual
probably: interpersonal
Analyze the grammatical functions in the following clause. Specify how each of them is realized.
Calmly, the teacher gave each student a piece of paper.
Calmly: Circumstantial Adjunct, realized by an adverb
The teacher: subject, realized by a noun group
Gave: finite/predicator, realized by a verbal group
Each student: indirect object, realized by a noun group
A piece of paper: direct object, realized by a noun group