
A Practical Guide to System Networks
Modelling Paradigmatic Relations for Language Description in Systemic Functional Linguistics
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 5. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
216 pages
978-1-350-52357-9 (ISBN)
Description
In Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), paradigmatic relations are formalised in system networks. This book provides a practical, step-by-step guide to designing system networks for language description, one of the key aspects of SFL theory and analysis.
Including examples from English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish, and exercises with answer keys for each of the main chapters, this book offers a broad coverage and guides learners through the process of designing system networks for the purpose of grammatical description in an accessible way.
Beginning with simple systems, the authors show how grammars involve a complex of relations, with some systems dependent on others and some working in parallel with simultaneous options. They introduce the reasoning involved in designing system networks, explaining how choices in grammatical systems are motivated in terms of their realisation in structure and how this relationship between the paradigmatic axis and the syntagmatic axis is formalised in SFL descriptions. In addition, the book helps readers to understand the theoretical architecture of SFL - including the dimensions of rank, metafunction and stratification.
With an introduction by Michael Alexander Kirkwood (M. A. K.) Halliday, who reviews the history of the development of his approach to system and structure and the use of system networks to formalise paradigmatic relations, this book is essential reading for all scholars of functional grammar and SFL. It will also appeal to researchers interested in theoretical linguistics from the perspective of the history of linguistics and different schools of linguistics.
Including examples from English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish, and exercises with answer keys for each of the main chapters, this book offers a broad coverage and guides learners through the process of designing system networks for the purpose of grammatical description in an accessible way.
Beginning with simple systems, the authors show how grammars involve a complex of relations, with some systems dependent on others and some working in parallel with simultaneous options. They introduce the reasoning involved in designing system networks, explaining how choices in grammatical systems are motivated in terms of their realisation in structure and how this relationship between the paradigmatic axis and the syntagmatic axis is formalised in SFL descriptions. In addition, the book helps readers to understand the theoretical architecture of SFL - including the dimensions of rank, metafunction and stratification.
With an introduction by Michael Alexander Kirkwood (M. A. K.) Halliday, who reviews the history of the development of his approach to system and structure and the use of system networks to formalise paradigmatic relations, this book is essential reading for all scholars of functional grammar and SFL. It will also appeal to researchers interested in theoretical linguistics from the perspective of the history of linguistics and different schools of linguistics.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 157 mm
Width: 234 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
264 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-52357-9 (9781350523579)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

J. R. Martin | Pin Wang
A Practical Guide to System Networks
Modelling Paradigmatic Relations for Language Description in Systemic Functional Linguistics
E-Book
02/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€30.99
Available for download

J. R. Martin | Pin Wang
A Practical Guide to System Networks
Modelling Paradigmatic Relations for Language Description in Systemic Functional Linguistics
E-Book
02/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€30.99
Available for download
Persons
J. R. Martin is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Pin Wang is Associate Professor at the Martin Centre for Appliable Linguistics of the School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Pin Wang is Associate Professor at the Martin Centre for Appliable Linguistics of the School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Author
University of Sydney, Australia
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Content
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Foreword
1. Axis
2. Basic Systems (for words)
3. More Systems (for structures)
4. System Networks: Metafunction and Rank
5. System Networks: Stratification
6. Beyond Grammar: Axial Perspectives
Glossary
Appendices
References
Index
List of Tables
Preface
Foreword
1. Axis
2. Basic Systems (for words)
3. More Systems (for structures)
4. System Networks: Metafunction and Rank
5. System Networks: Stratification
6. Beyond Grammar: Axial Perspectives
Glossary
Appendices
References
Index