OUTLINE

I. Introduction By Mai Văn Trọng

II. Transitivity system

1. Material processes
By Mai Văn Trọng
2. Mental processes

3. Relational processes By Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang

4. Other processes types

5. Other participant functions By Trần Thị Minh Yến

6. Circumstances

III. References

I. INTRODUCTION

1. Metafunctions

1
  SFL is concerned with how the speakers generate utterances and texts to convey
their intended meanings through the generalized metafunctions that relate
language to the outside world where interactants and their social roles matter.

 According to SFL, language has 3 metafunctions of ideational, interpersonal, and

textual reflected in a huge system network of meaning potentials including
subnetworks of Transitivity, Thing, and Quality with specific set of semantic
features for an utterance introduction.

 Metafunctions can be paralleled to grammatical categories of context of situation

like:

 Ideational Transitivity Field

 Interpersonal Mood Tenor

 Textual Theme Mode

(Haratyan, 2011:260)

2. Ideational metafunction

 Ideational metafunction focuses on the “content” of a discourse: what kinds of

activities are undertaken, and how the participants in these activities are
described, how they are classified & what they are composed of. (Martin and
Rose, 2003:66)

 Ideational metafunction provides grammatical resources at clause rank to

construe the inner and outer experience or “goings-on” of the world as the domain
of functions and meanings of the world through the systems of transitivity.
(Haratyan, 2011:261)

 Ideational metafunction as two components: logical & experiential functions.

(Haratyan, 2011:261)

3. The representational meaning

2
According to Halliday, the experiential component of the representational meaning
provides an account of the underlying content of a sentence of utterance. It handles
within its scope:

a. Processes: actions, events, states, relations

b. Participating entities: persons, objects, abstractions
c. Circumstances: time, place, reasons, conditions, results…which are associated
with the process.

The relationship between processes, participants, and their circumstances are expressed
through what Halliday terms “transitivity network”
Transitivity really means “going through” or “extending to another entity”
E.g. The participant “Mary” performs a doing “kicking”, which is directed at the goal
“the dog” under the circumstances “this morning”
In terms of transitivity, clauses may be organized into two types:
 Transitivity (sentence) pattern: the most prominent roles are “actor” and “goal”,
which correspond to “agentive subject” and “affected object” in traditional grammar
E.g. The storm destroyed the house
Or “attributor” and “attributant” if the process is one of ascription (attribution)
E.g. Bill is a successful businessman
 The ergative (sentence) pattern: the central roles are the “causer” of the process, and
the “affected”, i.e. the participant affected by the process.
E.g. Everyone likes the play
It is possible to rephrase it into “The play pleased everyone”, or “The play causes
everyone to like it”.
In term of complementation, sentences may be organized into two types:
 Intensive sentences: are those concerned with ascription (attribution)
E.g. John is smart
Mary is the most beautiful girl
 Extensive transitive sentences: concerned with action process
a. Effective: the action is goal-directed or targeted at another object called GOAL.

3
This means that the sentence has to involve at least two participants
E.g. I bought a car (Actor I. Process- buy. Goal-car)
Some sentences may have three participants
E.g. I gave her a flower
b. Descriptive: involving a non-directed action since the sentence is associated with just
one participant (called intransitive)
E.g. The recruits marched (Actor- the recruits. Process- march)
c. Nuclear: associated with either one or two participants
E.g. John opened the door
The door opened
The door was opened by John

4. Process, participant, and circumstance

Our most powerful impression of experience is that it consists of ‘goings-on’ –

happening, doing, sensing, meaning, and being and becoming. All these goings-on are
sorted out in the grammar of the clause. Thus as well as being a mode of action, of giving
and demanding goods-&-services and information, the clause is also a mode of reflection,
of imposing order on the endless variation and flow of events. The grammatical system
by which this is achieved is TRANSITIVITY. The transitivity system construes the
world of experience into a manageable set of PROCESS TYPES. (Halliday, 1994:106)

a. The process
Process is a powerful concept which represents the possible worlds as consisting of
goings-on: of doing, happening, feeling, and being. Halliday (1994: 106-107) states that
the processes in a language like English are construed by the transitivity system. These
goings-on are expressed through the grammar of the sentence (or clause). Apart from the
structural meaning, the meaning of the sentence also expresses the experiential aspect,
called transitivity.
Processes can be classified into: material, relational, mental, verbal, behavioral, and
existential processes.

4
b. Participants

 Can be a person, place or object.

 Usually realized by NOMINAL GROUP.

 Answers the questions: Who? Which? What? To Whom? For Whom? about the
process.

 Example: I played football. (I and football are the participants)

c. Circumstances

 Is the background against which the process takes place.

 Is usually realized through a prepositional phrase, adverbial group, or even noun

group.

 Example: I played football in the garden.

II. TRANSITIVITY SYSTEM

1. Material process

a. Definitions
According to Halliday, 1985:110, material processes are those that express our outer
experiences. Material processes are processes of “doing”. "Doing here means action".
They express the notion that some entity “does” something which may be done “to” other
entity.
b. Characteristics
Material processes may involve one or two entities. It means that there are 2 participants:
an ACTOR + a GOAL.
 If there is only one entity, it is the ACTOR.
E.g. The lion sprang  The doing was confined to the lion.
Jack fell down
 If there are two entities, they are the ACTOR and the GOAL. In this case:

5
 + The actor can do something to the goal.
E.g. 1a. The lion caught the tourist.
Actor process goal
1b. The mechanic repaired my car.
Actor process goal
+ The actor can create or bring about the goal
E.g. 2a. They are building a new house.
Actor process goal

2b. Jane is writing a letter.

In e.g 1a, it was direct at, or extended to, the tourist. The term GOAL implies "direct at".
The concept of extension is in fact the one that is embodies in the classical terminology
of "Transitive and "Intransitive", from which the term "Transitivity" is derived.
According to this theory, the verb spring is said to be Intransitive (not going through) and
the verb catch I said to be Transitive (going through- That is extending to some other
entity). This is an accurate interpretation of the different between them.
Clause with two participants: ACTOR and GOAL are known as Transitive clause while
clauses with the single participant ACTOR are known as Intransitive clause.

 Material processes are not necessarily concrete, but can be abstract

E.g. The mayor resigned

The chairman dissolved the Parliament

 We can ask about or “probe” material processes by using the verb “do”

2. Mental processes

a. Definition
Mental processes are those that express our inner experiences. Mental processes involve
two entities - two participants: a SENSER (the conscious being that feels, sees or thinks)
and a PHENOMENON (that which is “sensed”, felts, thought or seen).

6
E.g. Mary liked the gift
senser process phenomenon
No-one believed his story
b. Characteristics
 In a clause of mental processes, there is always one participant who is human or
human-like. This is the SENSER, the one who senses, feels, thinks or perceives.
 On the contrary, in material process, no participant is required to be human, and the
distinction between conscious and non-conscious beings simply plays no part.
 With regards to the other main elements, namely the one that is felt, though or
perceived, it may be a person, a thing or a fact
E.g. Peter saw the stars
Peter saw that the stars had come out
 The verb in a mental process clause is usually used in the present simple tense.
E.g. She likes the gift
Do you know the city?
 Mental processes can usually be realized in either direction with either the senser or
the phenomenon that is being sensed being the subject.
Like type Please type
I like it It pleases me
I fear it It frightens me
It wonder at it It amazes me
It don’t understand it It puzzles me
I enjoy it It delights me
I mind it It upsets me
I admire it It impresses me

 Mental processes are processes of feeling, thinking and seeing. They are not kinds of
doing, and cannot be probed or substituted by “do”.
E.g. John ran away. What did John do? (material)
Mary sold the gift. What did Mary do with the gift?

7
But John knew the answer.
(not: What John did was know the answer)
Mary liked the gift.
(not: What did Mary do with the gift)
c. Classification of mental process
Mental processes can be categorized into four principle sub-types:
 Perception (includes processes such as seeing, hearing, noticing, feeling, tasting and
smelling…)
E.g.: He notices that cat.
 Affection( includes processes such as liking, loving, admiring, missing, fearing,
hating, etc)
E.g. I hate curly underarm hair.
 Cognition (includes processes such as thinking, knowing, realizing, believing,
doubting, remembering, forgetting etc)
E.g. I knew it a long time ago.
d. Phenomenon and the relationship with 4sub-types of mental process
+In perception processes, the phenomenon is mostly typically a thing realized by a noun
group, or an event realized by a nonfinite V-ing or V clause.
E.g: I don’t get a chance to notice things very much. (thing)
I saw someone leave the gate open. (event)-finished process
I saw someone leaving the gate open. (event)- unfinished process
I saw that someone had left the gate open. (fact)
+In affection processes, the phenomenon is mostly typically a thing, situation or fact.
E.g. I love flower. (thing)
I hate him leaving. (situation)
I hate the fact that they are leaving. (fact)
+In cognition processes, the phenomenon is mostly typically a thing, a fact or thought.
E.g: My husband believes my love. (thing)

8
 We tend to forget that Andrei is a very noble man indeed. (fact)
I wondered why there were so many tuis in one place. (thought)
3. Relational processes
a. Definition
Relational processes are those that connect our experiences. They are processes of
“being”.
b. Characteristics:
In relational clauses, there are two parts of ‘being”: something is said to “be” something
else. In other words, a relation is being set up between two entities.
E.g. Jane is beautiful.
Tomorrow is my birthday
Peter has a piano.
c. Principle types of relational process:
The English system operates with three main types:
+ (1) intensive: “x is a”
+ (2) circumstantial: “x is at a” (Where “is at” stands for is at, in, on, for, with,
about, along…)
+ (3) possessive “x has a”
Each of these comes in to distinct modes:
+ (a) attributive “a is an attribute of x”
+ (b) identifying “a is the identity of x”
This gives six categories of relational processes:

Mode (i) Attributive (ii) Identifying

Type
(1) Intensive Sarah is wise Tom is the leader
The leader is Tom
(2) Circumstantial The fair is on a Tomorrow is the tenth
Monday The tenth is tomorrow

9
 (3) Possessive Peter has a piano The piano is Peter’s
Peter’s is the piano

3.1. Intensive processes: attribute

a. Definition
In attribute mode, an entity has some quality ascribed or attributed to it. Structurally, we
label this quality the Attribute, and the entity to which it is ascribed is the Carrier. We can
interpret this as “x is a member of the class a”. In the example “Paula is a poet”, poet is
the name of a class ( a common noun), Paula is a member of the class of poets. In “Sarah
is wise”, Sarah is a member of wise ones.
Paula is a poet
Sarah is wise
Carrier Process: intensive Attribute

b. Characteristics
 The nominal group functioning as Attribute is typically indefinite - it has Adj or
common Noun as a head. It cannot be a proper noun or a pronoun.
 The verb realizing the process is one of the “ascriptive” class:
+ [phase: inceptive] become, turn (into), grow (into), get, go
+ [phase: duration] remain, stay (as), keep
+ [phase: appearance] seem, appear, qualify as, turn out, end up (as)
+ [phase: sense-perception] look, sound, smell, feel, taste (like)
+ [neutral] be, feel
 The probe for such clauses is What? How? Or what….like?
 The clauses are not reversible, there is no passive form
3.2. Intensive processes: identifying
a. Definition
In the identifying mode, something has an identity assigned to it. One identity is being
used to identified another: “ x is identified by a”. Structurally, we label x- element, which

10
is to be identified, as the Identified, and the a-element, which serves as identity, as the
Identifier.
Examples:
Mr. Garrick played Hamlet
The one in the back row must be you
Alice is the clever one
Identified Process: intensive Identifier

b. Characteristics
 The nominal group realizing the function Identifier is definite
 The verb realizing the process one from “ equative” classes:
[role] play, act as, function as, serve as
[sign] mean, indicate, suggest, imply, show, mark, reflect
[equation] equal, add up to, make
[kind/ part] comprise, feature, include
[significance] represent, constitute, form
[example] exemplify, illustrate
[symbol] express, signify, realize, spell, stand for, mean
[neutral] be, become, remain

 The probe: Which? who? which/ who….as?

 These clauses are reversible
Identified and identifier can come in either order
(1)Which is Alice?
Alice is the clever one
Identified identifier

The clever one is Alice

Identifier Identified

(2) Which is the clever one?

11
Alice is the clever one
Identifier identified

Alice is the clever one

Identifier identified

3.3. Token and Value

a. Definition
In any identifying clause, the two halves refer to the same thing, but the clause is not a
tautology, so there must be some difference between them. The difference is one of form
and function, or in terms of their generalized labels in grammar, of TOKEN AND
VALUE – and either can be used to identify the other. If we say,“ Tom is the richest, we
are identifying Tom by assigning him to a value, if we say “ Tom is the tall one”, we are
identifying “Tom” by assigning a Token to him. Every identifying clause faces either one
way or the other.
In other word, Identifying select for voice. The different is entirely systematic, once we
recognize the structure of Token and Value: the active voice is one in which the Subject is
the Token, the passive voice is one in which the Subject is the Value.
It is the directionality that determines the voice of the clause:

Which am I
Identified/ value Identifier/ token
Compliment/ WH- Subject

I am (= play) the villain

Identified/ token Process ( active) Identifier/ value
S C

The villain is (= is played by) me

Identifier/ Value Process ( passive) Identified/ Token
S C

12
3.4. Circumstantial processes
In circumstance processes, the relationship between two terms is one of time, place,
manner, cause, accompaniment, role, matter or angle.
3.4.1. Attribute
3.4.1.1. Circumstance as attribute
Attribute is a prepositional phrase and circumstance relation is expressed by the
preposition, e.g. about, in, like, with in “My story is about a poor boy”, “Pussy’s in the
well” “My love is like a red rose”, “ Fred is with the doctor”.
3.4.1.2. Circumstance as a process
The attribute is a nominal group and the circumstance relation is expressed by the verb
( concern, last, weigh, cost).
E.g. My story concerns a poor boy.
The last fair lasted all night.
The fish weighs 2 pounds.
Your ticket cost fifty dollars.

My story is about a poor boy

Carrier Process: intensive Attribute:
circumstantial

My story concerns a poor boy

Carrier Process: Attribute
circumstantial

3.4.2. Identifying
3.4.2.1. Circumstance as participants
The participants- identified and identified are circumstantial elements of time, place and
so on. The relation between the participants is simply one of sameness. It can be
reversible.

13
E.g. Tomorrow is the tenth.
The best way to go there is by train.
The real reason is that you are scared.
3.4.2.2. Circumstance as a process
The participants are the expression of time, place or other circumstance feature, but
process.
E.g. The fair takes up the whole day.
Applause followed her act.
Fred accompanied his wife.
3.5. Possessive Processes
The relationship between two terms is ownership, one entity possesses another
3.5.1. In the Attribute mode.
 The possessive relationship may be encoded as the Attribute. In this case the Attribute
takes the form of a possessive nominal group. e.g. Peter’s in “ The piano is Peter’s.
 The possessive relationship may be encoded as the Process. In this case, either the
Possessor is the Carrier and the possessed is the attribute as in “Peter has a piano” or the
possessed is the carrier and the possessor is the attribute as in “The piano belongs to
Peter”.
The piano Is Peter’s
Carrier Process: Attribute:
intensive Possession

Peter Has A piano

Carrier: Process: Attribute:
Possessor Possession Possessed

The piano Belongs to Peter

Carrier: Process: Attribute:
Possessed Possession Possessor

14
3.5.2. In the Identifying mode
- Possession as participants: Here the participants embody the notion of possession, one
signifying property of the possessor, the other signifying the thing possessed.
E.g. The piano is Peter’s.
- Possession as process: Here the possession is encoded as a process, typically realised by
the verb “to own”.
E.g. Peter owns the piano.

The piano Is Peter’s

Identified/ Token Process: intensive Identifier/ Value
Possessed Possessor

Peter’s Is The piano

Identified/ value Process: intensive Identifier/ Token
Possessor Possessed

Peter Owns The piano

Identified/ Token Process: Identifier/ Value
Possession

The piano Is owned By Peter

Identified/ Value Process: Identifier/ Token
Possession

4. Other processes
4.1. Behavioral Processes
a. Definition
Behavioral processes are those describing physiological and psychological behavior
like coughing, breathing, smiling, dreaming, and staring. They are partly like the
material and the mental processes

15
b. Characteristics
The participant who is behaving, labeled BEHAVER, is typically a conscious being –
SENSER, but the process is grammatically more like one of doing
E.g. She is smiling
c. Classification
a. Process of consciousness (near mental processes) represented as forms of
behavior: watch, stare, listen, think, dream
b. Verbal processes as behavior (near verbal processes): chatter, grumble, talk
c. Physiological processes manifesting states of consciousness: cry, smile, frown,
sigh, snarl, whine
d. Other physiological processes: cough, sleep
e. Bodily postures and pastimes (near material processes): sing, dance, lie down, sit
(down/ up)
4.2. Verbal Processes
a. Definition
Verb processes are processes of saying. They are representing symbolic relationships
constructed in human consciousness and enacted in the form language.
b. Characteristics
Verbal processes are processes of saying (tell, insult, praise, slander, abuse, flatter,
promise)
They involving four entities: a sayer, a verbiage, a target, a receiver
E.g. They complained about Peggy to the principal
sayer process target receiver

4.3. Existential Processes

a. Definition
Existential processes are those that concerned with existence
b. Characteristics

16
Existential processes represent something that exists or happens. They are intermediate
between material and relational processes, and involve 2 entities: the EXISTENT and the
process
E.g. There comes a huge man
process existent

5. Other participant functions

The participant functions above are those that are directly involved in the process: the one
that does, behaves, senses, says, is or exists, together with the complementary function
where there is one- the one that is done to, sensed etc. There are other participant
functions in English clause, also specific to each particular process type. However, it is
possible to group these together into two general functions common to all clauses: the
Beneficiary and the Range.
5.1. Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the one to whom or for whom the process is said to take place. It
appears in Material and Verbal Processes, and occasionally in Relational
 In a material process
The beneficiary is either Recipient or Client. The Recipient is one that goods are given to;
the Client is one that services are done for. The preposition is “to” with Recipient and
“for” with Client
E.g. She gave the parcel to John
He painted a picture for John
 In a verbal process
The Beneficiary is the one who is being addressed (the Receiver)
E.g. John told Mary a story
 In a relational processes
There are also few relational processes (attribute) containing a Beneficiary. We shall just
refer to this a Beneficiary.
E.g. She makes him a good wife
17
 It cost him a pretty penny
5.2. Range
The range is the element that specifies the range of the processes
E.g. She played tennis
She sang a song
“Tennis, song” not as goals of the process, but rather they are an essential part of the
process of playing, singing.
The range may occur in material, behavioral, mental and verbal process
E.g.

Types of processes Range occurrences

1. Material processes Mary built her own house
2. Verbal processes She told a story
3. Behavioral processes She smiled a lovely smile
4. Mental processes I enjoyed the play very much

6. Circumstances
Circumstantial in Halliday’s view

Type Sub-types Examples

Location Temporal (when?) Get up at six o’clock
Spatial (where?) Work in the kitchen
Extent Temporal (for how long?) Stay (for) two hours
Spatial (how far?) Walk (for) seven miles
Manner Means/quality/comparison The pig was beaten with a stick
(how? what with? in what It was snowing heavily
way? like what?) It went through my head like an
earthquake
Cause Reason (why?) I love her because she is rich
Purpose (what for?) She went out for lunch
Behalf (who for?) I am writing on behalf of Aunt Jane
Contingency Condition/ concession/ Despite the rain, the excursion was a great
default success

18
 (under what conditions?)
Accompaniment (Who/what with? Who/what Fred came with/ without Tom
else?) Fred came instead of Tom
Role Guise (what as?) I came here as a friend
Product (what into?) Aren’t you growing into a big girl?
Matter (what about?) They talked of many things
Angle (from what point of view?) They are guilty in the eyes of the law

REFERENCES

Halliday, M. A. K. (1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Second edition.

London: Edward Arnold.
19
Halliday, M. A. K. (2004) Dẫn luận Ngữ pháp chức năng. (Hoàng Văn Vân dịch). Hà
Nội: ĐHQGHN.

Thompson, G. (1999) Introducing Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold

Halliday. M, Functional Grammar, Oxford University Press, 1994.

Haratyan, F. (2011). Halliday’s SFL and Social Meaning. 2011 2 nd International

Conference on Humanities, Historical and Social Sciences. IPEDR vol.17 (2011) ©
(2011) IACSIT Press, Singapore.

Martin, J.R and Rose, D. Working with discourse: Meaning beyond the clause. 2003,
London: Continuum

20