scholarly journals The Analysis of the Thematic Structure of the Standard Arabic Clause: A Special Focus on Verb-initial Structures

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 33-54
Author(s):  
Maha El Biadi
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Thematic Structure ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Detailed Presentation ◽  
Nominal Clauses

The objective of the present paper is to give a detailed presentation of how the thematic structure is expressed in Standard Arabic (SA) and how different it is from that of English language. SA is a language which displays different linguistic properties in comparison to English, the language around which the Systemic Functional Grammar theory (SFG) was first developed (Halliday, 1994). Very few studies have been carried out to study the thematic structure of SA and none of them deals with all types of sentence structures in this language. Abdul-Raof’s study is a case in point (Abdul-Raof, 1998); he is mainly concerned with studying the thematic structure of nominal clauses i.e. clauses starting with nouns, despite the fact that Arabic is a language where VSO structures are frequently used. It is precisely at the level of VSO structures that the analysis of thematic structure in Arabic becomes problematic.  Contrary to what previous studies in this area of enquiry say, I will mainly argue that the verb cannot be considered Theme in SA. It is also worth noting that the present work is part of a general endeavour to develop a Systemic Functional Grammar of SA.

scholarly journals The Role of Systemic Functional Grammar in the Expansion of Nominal Groups

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-112
Author(s):  
María Claudia Nieto-Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Public University ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Cognitive Framework ◽  
Nominal Groups

This study presents the expansion of nominal groups in a systemic functional grammar class of an English language teacher program in 2016 at a Colombian public university. The participants were six student teachers. Nominal groups were first considered in a document written by the students before being exposed to the principles of systemic functional grammar and then in a revised version after the exposure to it. The study shows initial improvements in the enlargement of nominal groups between the two written productions and provides insights into the enormous potential for structural and meaningful expansion and the complexity of nominal groups. The gained awareness may become a cognitive framework for students to produce complex nominal groups in academic productions demanded in their studies and in the exercise of their professional practice.

scholarly journals Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-five : a functional grammar perspective

2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Monika Kavalir
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Structure ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar

The paper tries to analyse the style of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five with the tool of Hallidayan systemic-functional grammar. Its aim is to explore in what way the syntactic and thematic structure helps construct the sentiment of fatalism  and simplicity, and how it reinforces the novel's concept of time.

ANALYZING THEMATIC STRUCTURE IN INDONESIAN FOLKTALES IN ENGLISH VERSION: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR (SFG)

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Efransyah Efransyah
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Prepositional Phrase ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Thematic Structure ◽  
English Version ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Descriptive Qualitative

This research is entitled “Analyzing Thematic Structure in Indonesian Folktales in English Version: A Systemic Functional Grammar Study (SFG)”.  The objectives of this study are analyzing and describing the themes, their elements and thematic progressions of Indonesian Folktales in English Version. The collected data, in this research, were taken from the book entitled “Indonesian Folktales” published in 1981 by Pustaka Media Publisher. One data, Princess Sumur Bandung which consists of 50 paragraphs and 221 clauses was chosen to be analyzed based on the theory of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) of Gerot and Wignell (1994). The method and technique used in this study are a descriptive qualitative method. The results of this research reveal that (1) there are two kinds of theme-rheme patterns are found; they are simple theme-rheme patterns and multiple theme-rheme patterns. In details, the simple theme-rheme patterns contain constant theme-rheme pattern, linear theme-theme rheme pattern, and derived theme-rheme pattern, while multiple ones contain a combination of constant and linear theme, a combination of linear and derived theme, and a combination of constant, linear and derived theme-rheme pattern. Besides, the combination of constant and linear theme-rheme pattern are the most frequently distributed.  While the elements of themes which found are textual, interpersonal and ideational elements. Textual elements cover continuative, structural conjunction, wh-relative and conjunctive adjunct. Interpersonal elements cover modal adjunct, vocative, wh-interrogative and finite verbal operator. Ideational elements cover nominal group, noun, adverbial group, prepositional phrase, process, complement, group complex and adverb.

scholarly journals A critical discourse approach to Benjamin Martin’s preface to An introduction to the English language and learning (1754)

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Dolores Fernández Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Discourse Community ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Potential Buyer

The purpose of the present paper is to contribute to the depiction of Martin’s role as a grammarian by analysing the preface to his grammar “An Introduction to the English Language and Learning” (1754). By using a Critical Discourse Analysis approach and a method based on systemic functional grammar, this study intends to describe the discourse structures used in the preface to fulfil its advertising function and persuade the addressee as a potential buyer or user of the grammar. Martin’s preface is characterised by a peculiarly exaggerated and aggressive tone and by a strong emphasis on the religious implications of education, all of which confer some distinction to Martin within the discourse community of eighteenth-century grammarians.

scholarly journals A Textual Meaning Analysis of Drama Script “Diversity” Performed by the Seventh Class Students of the University of PGRI Semarang in English Drama Performance in 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rina Martiana Fitri ◽  
Arso Setyaji ◽  
Rahmawati Sukmaningrum
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
English Drama ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Dominant Theme ◽  
The University ◽  
Textual Meaning ◽  
Meaning Analysis

The objectives of the research are: 1) to identify textual meaning realized in the dialogue of drama script “Diversity”. 2) to know the dominant theme realized and the reason of dominant theme realized in the dialogue of drama script “Diversity”. 3) to know the contribution of drama script on textual meaning analysis in English Language Teaching. This research is categorized as qualitative descriptive. The instrument of this research was using textual meaning analysis of drama script “Diversity” that was performed on January 6th, 2016 by the seventh students semester in English drama performance. To collect the data, the researcher found the clauses and identified the data. The clauses consist of 194 clauses. According to textual meaning analysis, the researcher found 92 clauses of topical theme, 50 clauses of interpersonal theme, 52 clauses and 50 clauses of textual theme. So, the topical theme is the dominant theme with 47,4% from all themes. This research can give a contribution to the English language teaching in learning systemic functional grammar especially in textual meaning analysis. The lecturer can use this media that is drama script as a media to explain the material about textual meaning analysis. Through this way, the students can learn easily without reading a thick book. On the basis of conclusion, several suggestions can be offered. The lecturer may use that drama script in learning systemic functional grammar especially in textual meaning analysis. The learners may use this drama script as other alternative reference in learning systemic functional grammar especially in textual meaning analysis to improve their analysis in modern grammar ability.

Thematic choice in English and Norwegian

2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde Hasselgård
Keyword(s):  
Great Majority ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Frequent Pattern ◽  
Original Text ◽  
Verb Second ◽  
Thematic Structure ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Source Language

Using material from a parallel corpus with originals and translations in both English and Norwegian, the present study sets out to explore the lexicogrammatical properties of Theme and thematic choice in the two languages. Theme is defined according to systemic-functional grammar as the first element that has a function in transitivity, plus any preceding element(s). The extent to which Themes are preserved or altered in the translation process is also studied. There are more similarities than differences between the two languages as regards thematic structure. Some differences are due to the verb-second constraint that applies to Norwegian, but most are due to differences in frequency. Norwegian allows non-subject participants to be thematic more often than English does, while multiple Themes are more frequent in English. Within multiple Themes, the logical relations expressed by textual Themes differ between the languages. Translators tend to preserve the topical Theme of the original in the great majority of cases. When changes are made this may be due to lexicogrammatical differences between the languages or they may represent ‘normalization’ to a more frequent pattern in the target language. Translations are found to differ from original text in the same language as they borrow features from the source language.

scholarly journals Towards a profile of the interpersonal organization of the portuguese clause

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. M. Gouveia
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
General Description ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar

This paper aims at contributing to the description of Portuguese from the point of view of Systemic Functional Grammar, particularly in relation to the description of the clause as an exchange. While assuming that the interpersonal organization of the Portuguese clause involves phenomena that are similar across different languages, such as Mood systems, for instance, the paper wants nevertheless to show that there are systemic options (and their structural realizations) that are specific to Portuguese, particularly if compared to the same options in English, a language whose descriptions have so often and too strongly been imposed on Portuguese. Starting with a general description of some aspects of the Portuguese language, the paper then proceeds to a description of Mood types and the system of choices associated with them. By raising some questions and doubts concerning the description of the elements that in Portuguese carry the negotiation forward, the paper ends up proposing a description that sees Portuguese as a Finite-less language, that is, a language that does not have Finite, a function that proved to be appropriate for the description of the English language but fails to be so when considered from the point of view of Portuguese.

scholarly journals Transitivity Analysis of Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address From the Perspective of Systemic Functional Grammar

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-169
Author(s):  
Qiujian Xiang
Keyword(s):  
Political Discourse ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
American People ◽  
Inaugural Address ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Political Purpose ◽  
Political Discourse Analysis ◽  
New Perspective

Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar provides a new perspective and method for political discourse analysis. This paper first introduces the research status of political discourse at home and abroad, and then elaborates three metafunctions of Systemic Functional Grammar, namely ideational function, interpersonal function as well as textual function. On this basis, this paper makes an in-depth transitivity analysis of the inaugural address of the 46th president of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden. Through profound research, this paper attempts to reveal how English language is applied to hide ideology in political speeches and how president Joe Biden uses various language features to persuade and inspire American people in order to reach his political purpose; at the same time, it also verifies the practicability of Systemic Functional Grammar in the analysis of political speech discourse.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document