(e) Verbal Process: process of saying
Verbal process is a process of saying. “Saying” has to be interpreted in a rather broad sense; it covers any kind of symbolic exchange of meaning. The verbal words are “tell, say, talk, describe, boast, praise”. The verbalization itself is called the verbiage.
The teacher Telled The student “Don’t disturb others.”
Sayer Process Receiver Verbiage
(f) Existential Process: process of existing
Existential process is a process of existing. In every existential process, it must have an “Existent”. “There” has no representational function.
There Is An apple On the tree.
Process Existent Circumstance
Generally speaking, most of the processes representing descriptive meaning are the relational, existential process and the mental processes. However, most of the processes representing narrative meaning are material processes.
“Voice is the ways in which a language expresses the relationship between a verb and the noun phrases which are associated with it. Two sentences can differ in voice and yet have the same basic meaning. However, there may be a change in emphasis and one type of sentence may be more appropriate.”[17] It is represented commonly by active voice and passive voice.In order to make the structure of the text reasonable and the context consistent, speakers need to do an appropriate choice to the voice.
II. Logical Function
Logical function mainly refers to the language function, which represents the co-ordinate or subordinate logical relations of language. Halliday researches the function from interdependency and logical-semantic relation. Using the two functions simultaneously to research the language, the language can be analyzed completely.
4.2.2 Interpersonal Metafunction
Interpersonal metafunction serves to make full use of language to express the relationship between the society and the person. With the use of language, people communicate with others, establish and keep interpersonal relationships, affect people’s behaviors and express the view about the world. Interpersonal metafunction is realized by mood and modality.
(I.) Mood
According to Huzhuanglin, “Mood shows what role the speaker selects in the speech situation and what role he assigns to the addressee.”[18] Mood includes the” subject” and the “Finite” element. The function of the “Finite” element is to provide the reference with the proposition. The “subject” is the element of effective and successful propositions.
(II). Modality
Modality specifies if the speaker is expressing his judgment or making a prediction. Halliday classified modality into two major types: modalization (probability, usuality) and modulation (obligation/inclination).
For example: (1) Mary will come back tomorrow.
(2) He usually goes to the park.
4.2.3 Textual Metafunction
“Textual metafuncton is concerned with the creation of text---the resources for presenting information as text in context.” [19] “The textual function fulfils the requirement that the language can be related in real use, having certain structures in a real context that distinguishes a single item from a grammar or a dictionary in a living passage.”[20] It includes thematic structure, information structure and cohesion.
(I). Thematic structure
“Thematic structure relates to the structuring of the clause itself---the order in which elements appear in the clause.” [21] The theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message; it is that with which the clause is concerned. And the rest of the clause is called rheme.
Following Geoff Thompson assumes that theme has four main functions: (a) Signaling the maintenance or procession of “what the text is about” at that point. (b) Specifying or changing the framework for the interpretation of the following clause. (c) Signaling the boundaries of section in the text. (d) Signaling what the speaker thinks is a viable/useful/important starting-point. [22]
According to the syntactic structure of the initial constituents of a sentence, Halliday divides theme into three main kinds: simple theme, multiple theme and clausal theme. In a clause, theme is conflated with subject is called unmarked theme. A theme that is something other than the subject is called marked theme.
(II) Information structure
Information structure is to organize language organization as information unit. It is formed the structure of information unit from the interaction of given information and new information.
A clause as an information structure consists of a given element accompanied by a new element. The “unmarked” sequencing of information structure is given-new. Information structure is chiefly embodied by “intonation”.
(III) Cohesion
In Halliday’s words “The concept of cohesion is a semantic one; it refers to relations of meaning that exist with the text, and that define it as a text.”[23] There is five ways by which cohesion is created in English: reference, ellipsis, substitution, conjunction and lexical organization.
(a) Reference: A participant or circumstantial element introduced at one place in the text can be taking as a reference point for another.
(b) Ellipsis: Some elements can be omitted in the text. It can avoid repeating and highlight the new information. It is a grammatical way to make the text well knit.
(c) Substitution: It means replacing. So the superseded words are the form and its semantic meaning will be found in the replaced elements.
(d) Conjunction: It is to use conducted elements to embody all kinds of logical relations in the text. The conducted elements generally are some transitional words, showing logic relations such as time, cause and effect, condition.
(e) Lexical organization: It includes repetition, synonymy/antonym, hyponymy/metonymy and collocation.
5. Analysis of the English advertisement
Discourse analysis is paid more and more attention to the linguists. The aim of SFG is to construct a grammar for purposes of text analysis. Functional grammar can analyze not only spoken English but also written English.Hoping it is proved that discourse analysis can only be guided by the theory in terms of analyzing some English advertisements, and the functional grammar is of usefulness and serviceability.
The following is the insurance advertisement.
Insured by Allianz
(1) Wouldn’t it be nice to grow old with a few more laugh lines? (2) it’s easy if you have proper protection and a long term savings plan with the right company. (3) Established over100 years ago, The Allianz Group is trusted by over 60 million customers worldwide. (4) For personal insurance solutions covering the different stages in your life, backed by the finanicial security of a global leader, turn to Allianz in Asia. (5) Because wherever life takes you, we provide peace of mind along the way.
Allianz. The Power on Your Side. (Newsweek, Oct 2017)
5.1Analyzing the transitivity of the advertising
Sentence Process type Process Participant Circumstance
1 relational Wouldn’t be it To grow old with a few more laugh lines
2 relational is it If you have proper protection and a long term savings plan with the right company
relational have You, proper protection and a long term savings plan With the right company
3 material Is trusted The Allianz Group 60million customers Established over 100 years ago
material established (the Allianz Groups) Over 100years ago (non-finite)
4 material Turn to Allianz in Asia For personal insurance solutions covering the different stages in your life, backed by the financial security of a global leader material covering Personal insurance, different stages in your life (non-finite)
material backed (Personal insurance)financial security of a global leader (non-finite)
5 material provide We, peace of mind Along the way, because wherever life takes you
material takes Life, you In this advertisement, there are altogether ten processes, among which there are three relational processes and seven material processes. According to what the author has said just now, the three relational processes must have served description. That is these three processes first confirm, “it would be nice to grow old with a few more laugh lines.” then they continue to describe how you can do. The three processes are included in sentence (1) and (2) of the advertisement. The following sentences include seven material processes. Thus, these sentences must serve to narrate. Generally speaking, most of the processes representing descriptive meaning are the relational, existential process and the mental processes. However, most of the processes representing narrative meaning are material processes. Analyzing the processes one by one, this purpose of the copywriter is clearly represented. In sentence (4), the copywriter asks readers to turn to the Allianz in Asia if they want personal insurance solutions covering the different stages in life. Also, the copywriter states the fact that a global leader of financial security backs the Allianz.
From all these statements about the power and credit of the Allianz Group, readers just cannot escape the temptation. In addition, the material processes take up nearly 3/5 of the processes. Thus the copywriter puts his emphasis on stating the qualities of the Allianz Group.
The process pattern of this advertisement is relational processes (sentence (1), (2)) ---material processes (sentence (3), (4), (5)).
5.2 Analyzing the mood of the advertising
Sentence Subject Finite Mood
1 It Wouldn’t be Interrogative
2 It is Declarative
You have Declarative
3 The Allianz Group is Declarative
4 (you) turn Imperative
5 We provide Declarative
Life takes Declarative |
