
Introducing Functional Grammar
Geoff Thompson(Author)
Hodder Arnold (Publisher)
Published on 27. September 1996
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-340-62535-4 (ISBN)
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Description
Closely based on Michael Halliday's 'Introduction to Functional Grammar', this book is an accessible introduction to the most fully developed functional approach to grammar currently available. It can be used in its own right or to prepare students for the more theoretical presentation of grammar in Halliday's book. It clearly explains why the functional approach is necessary in order to investigate how grammar is used as a resource for making meaning, and it describes each of the major grammatical systems in terms of the meaning that they contribute to messages.
Starting with simple procedures for identifying the choices in a particular system, each chapter discusses the function of the system in context. This involves analysing what it means to make one choice from the system rather than another, e.g. what are the choices open to a speaker in the Mood system of the clause (declarative, interrogative, imperative), and why does a speaker choose to ask a question (using an interrogative form) rather than make a question (using a declarative form)? The book examines how each system works in the construction of clauses - the basic units for conveying meanings - and also at how the meanings in clauses contribute to the overall meaning of a text.
Starting with simple procedures for identifying the choices in a particular system, each chapter discusses the function of the system in context. This involves analysing what it means to make one choice from the system rather than another, e.g. what are the choices open to a speaker in the Mood system of the clause (declarative, interrogative, imperative), and why does a speaker choose to ask a question (using an interrogative form) rather than make a question (using a declarative form)? The book examines how each system works in the construction of clauses - the basic units for conveying meanings - and also at how the meanings in clauses contribute to the overall meaning of a text.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
ISBN-13
978-0-340-62535-4 (9780340625354)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Geoff Thompson
Introducing Functional Grammar
Book
06/2004
2nd Edition
Hodder Education
€50.94
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Content
Foreword; acknowledgements; the purpose of linguistic analysis - starting points, language, context and function - a preliminary exploration, exercises; identifying clauses and clause constituents - breaking up the sentence - and labelling the parts, ranks, exercises; an overview of functional grammar - three kinds of meaning, register and genre; interaction in the clause - the interpersonal meta-function - introduction, roles of addressers and audience, mood, modality, evaluation, interaction and negotiation, interaction in text, exercises; representing the world - the experiental metafunction - introduction, transitivity, ergativity, exercises; organising the message - the textual metafunction - theme - introduction, theme, identifying theme, thematising structures, theme in clause complexes, multiple theme, some problems in theme analysis, theme in text, exercises; organising the message - the textual meta-function - cohesion, cohesion and coherence, reference and ellipsis, conjunction, cohesion in text, exercise; gram-matical metaphor - introduction, experiental and logical metaphors, interpersonal metaphors, textual metaphors, a cautionary note, exercises; groups and phrases - groups, prepositional phrases, group complexes, exercises; clauses in combination - units of analysis, types of relations be-tween clauses, expansion, projection, exercises; implications and applications of functional grammar - three-dimensional analysis of texts, a summary review of functional grammar, using functional grammar, closing, further reading, answers to exercises; references; index.