CLAUSE AS REPRESENTATION

5.1 Processes, Participant and Circumstance

5.1.1 Modelling Experience
Usually when people talk about what a word or a sentence means, it is this
kind of meaning they have in mind-meaning in the sense of contact.
The grammatical system by which this is achieved is TRANSTIVITY. The
transitivity system construes the world of experience into a manageable set of process
types. Material, mental and relational are the three main types of processes un the
English transitivity system. On the borderline between material and mental are the
BEHAVIOURAL processes. On the borderline of mental and relational is the category
of VERBAL processes.
5.1.2 Process, Participants and Circumstance
A process consist, in principle, of three component:
(i) The process it self
(ii) Participants in the process
(iii) Circumstances associated with the process
An example is given in figure 5-1.
Table 5(1) Typical Functions Of Group And Phrase Classes.
Type of element
Typically realized by
(i) process
Verbal group
(ii) participant
Nominal group
(iii) circumstance
Adverbial group or prepositional phrase
Figure 5-1 Clause As Process, Participant And Circumstances
The lion
chase
The tourist
Lazy
Participant
Nominal group

process
Verbal group

Participant
Nominal group

circumstance
Adverbial
group

Through the
bush
circumstance
Prepositional
group

5.2 Material Processes: Processes of Doing

A logical element (in this sense) is a function in transitivity structure. The
traditional view f transitivity in western linguistics is as follow.(1) every process has
an actor . (2) some processes, but not all, also have a second participant, which we
shall call a goal. An example is given in figure 5-2.
a.
The lion
Sprang
actor
process
b.
The lion
Caught
The tourist
Actor
Process
Goal
Figure 5-2 One Participant And Two Participant
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Consequently if there is a goal of the process, as well as an actor, the

representation may come in either of two forms: either active, the lion caught the
tourist, or passive, the tourist was caught by the lion.
Material process are not necessarily concrete, physical events; they may be
abstract doings and happenings, as in this figure
The
mayor
Actor

Resig
ned
Proce
ssed

The mayor
Actor

Dissolved
Process

The committee
goal

5.3. Mental process: processes of sensing

It might be argued that the terms actor and goal are just conventional labels;
and that since grammatical and semantics categories are not in one-to-one
correspondence, then if we use grammatical terms that are semantic in import we
cannot expect them to be appropriate for all instances.
Jack and Jill
Actor

went
Process material

To fetch
Process material

Up the hill
Circumstance

A pail of water
Goal

Figure 5-6 A text consisting entirely of material processes

Mary liked
the gift
Goal process Actor
goal

----is to-------as----

The gift
Actor

pleased
process

Mary.

Figure 5-7 Verbs like an place interpreted as active/passive pair

Mental process, on the others hand, all processes of feeling, thinking and seeing. They
are not kinds of doing, and cannot be probed or substituted by do.
For the two participants in a mental process we shall use the terms Senser and
Phenomenom. The Senser is the conscious being that is feeling, thinking or seeing.
The Phenomenon is that which isSensed-felt thought or seen.
I
Senser in mental

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Believe
Process cognition

You
Phenomenon

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It
hard
my ears
Phenomenon
Process affection
Senser
Figure 5-8 A text illustrating mental process
5.4
5.4.1

Relational Processes ; Processes Of Being

Relational Processes

If material process are those of doing, and mental processes are those of
sensing, the third main process type, that of relational processes could be said to be
those of being.
Table 5(4) The principal types of relational process
Mode
(i)
Attributive
Type
(1) Intensive

(ii)

Sarah is wise

(2) Circumstantial

The fair is on Teusday

(3) possesive

Peter has a piano

Identifying

Tom is the leader;

The leader is Tom
Tomorrow is the 10th
The 10th is tomorrow
The piano is Peters
Peters is the piano

5.4.2

Intensive Processes : Attributive

In the attributive 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.
Todays weather the
Is going to be didnt seem Warm and sunny sure of
minister your story the
sounds turned are
himself complete nonsense
baby mice.
into a pig timid creatures
Carrier
Process : Intensive
Attribute
Figure 5-9 Some examples of intensive attributive clauses
5.4.3

Intensive Process Identifying

In the identifying mode, something has an identity assigned to it.

[ Which is Alice ? ]
Alice
is
The clever one
Identified
Identifier

[ which is the clever one?]

Alice
Identifier

Figure 5-11

is

The clever one

Identified

Two Analyses of Alice is the clever one

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5.4.4

Token and Value

What is happening here is this. In any identifying clause the two halves refer
to the same thing, but the clause is not tautology, so there must be some difference
between them.
which
Identified/ value
Complement/ WHI
Identified/ token
subject
Figure 5-13

am

I
Identifier/ token
subject
am(=play)

the villain
Identifier/ value
Complement

Subject-complement, identified-identifier, and Token-Value.

5.4.5

Summary of Attributive and Identifying (Intensive) Clauses

Let us now look back over the distinction between the attributive and the
identifying, and try to see it as something rather move continous.

Circumstantial

Possessive

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Attribute
- Circumstance as Attribute
- Circumstance as Process
- Circumstance as Attribute
Possessor as carrier
Possessed as carrier
- Circumstance as Process

Identifying
- Circumstance as Participant
- Circumstance as Process
- Circumstance as Participant
- Circumstance as Process

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