Invitation to Systemic Functional Linguistics through the Cardiff Grammar; An Extension and Simplification of Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar; Third Edition; Robin Fawcett

Robin Fawcett [+–]

Cardiff University, (Emeritus)

Robin Fawcett is Emeritus Professor in Linguistics and Director of the Computational Linguistics Unit, Centre for Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University. His research interests include general linguistics, systemic functional linguistics in a socio-cognitive framework, the computer modelling of language in both generation and understanding, and English and other languages for both of these purposes and for the analysis of texts. His most recent publications include Meaning and Form: Systemic Functional Interpretations (co-edited with M. Berry, C. Butler and G. Huang, 1996). He is also the series editor for Functional Linguistics and Discussions in Functional Approaches to Language, both published by Equinox.

This short book is intended for two groups of readers, and so is two books in one. First, it is a genuinely introductory introduction to Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) for the 21st century. Drawing on recent research, it focusses on the structure of the clause in English, bringing out clearly the ‘multifunctional’ nature of language, and the way in which structures are the result of ‘choices between meanings’. It is both an ‘extension’ of Halliday’s SFG (as in his Introduction to Functional Grammar), e.g. in describing elements of growing importance in the grammar of English, and a ‘simplification’ of it, e.g. in showing how the various ‘strands of meaning’ in a clause come to be expressed in a single structure.

But this is also a book for experienced linguists who are interested in a scholarly comparison of the two main current versions of SFG – the Sydney Grammar and the Cardiff Grammar (e.g. teachers of the first group of readers). For each difference between the two grammars, the book describes the Sydney analysis and then explains the reasons for preferring the analysis given here. This ‘book within a book’ is achieved through the use of extended footnotes.

Halliday has described developments in the Sydney Grammar since the 1970s as being mainly ‘expansions’ into new areas beyond the grammar itself, rather than ‘reworkings’ of the grammar. In the Cardiff Grammar, however, eight major advances in describing language over this period have led to significant improvements in the description of English (and other languages). Yet the current Cardiff Grammar is still as firmly based in the core principles of SFG as the Sydney Grammar – a powerful tribute to Halliday’s original insights of the 1970s.

Three major strengths of this book are:

– the clear way in which the key concepts are presented
– the explicit guidelines to help in the task of analyzing sentences
– the clear explanations of the reasons for using the analyses given here

Versions of this book are being published concurrently in Chinese (by Peking University Press) and Spanish (by University of Plata del Mar Press).

Series: Equinox Textbooks and Surveys in Linguistics

Prelims

Preface to the Third Edition 1 – 2

Preface to the Second Edition (updated) 3 – 5

Who this book is for, where it comes from, and how to read it [+–] 6 – 35

Target readers of the book

The place of syntax in an overall model of language [+–] 36 – 43

Contextualizing syntax

Introducing the syntax of TRANSITIVITY and MOOD: a simple example [+–] 44 – 59

Introduction to transitivity and mood

Developing reliable analysis skills: towards an adequate set of Guidelines [+–] 60 – 71

Developing analysis skills

A minimal theory of syntax: keeping things simple [+–] 72 – 82

Theory of syntax

The special case of ‘being’ as a Main Verb – and some related concepts [+–] 83 – 92

The case of ‘being’

Interlude: a systemic functional grammar for the structures introduced so far [+–] 93 – 103

Systemic functional grammar

Three types of Auxiliary Verb, one type of ‘Theme’ and one type of ‘Newness’ [+–] 104 – 124

Types of auxiliary verb

POLARITY, ‘Contrastive Newness’ and Preliminary Guidelines with an improved Mood Test [+–] 125 – 135

Polarity

An overview of the syntax of TRANSITIVITY: Participants as Subjects and Complements [+–] 136 – 149

Syntax of Transitivity

An overview of the syntax of MOOD [+–] 150 – 165

Syntax of mood

The syntax of Circumstances and other types of Adjunct [+–] 166 – 182

Syntax of circumstances and adjuncts

The syntax of TRANSITIVITY: five more concepts [+–] 183 – 197

Syntax of transitivity, continuation

Three new elements: Infinitive, Auxiliary Extension and Vocative [+–] 198 – 207

The new elements

Full Guidelines for clause analysis [+–] 208 – 231

Guidelines for clauses

A final analysis task [+–] 232 – 236

Final analysis

Beyond the simple clause: two further dimensions [+–] 237 – 247

The simple clause

Appendix

Appendix 1 [+–] 248 – 252

Appendix 1

Appendix 2 [+–] 253 – 258

Appendix 2

References

References 259 – 266

Index

Index [+–] 267 – 272

Index

Reviews

Robin Fawcett is a first rate linguist and one of the major figures in both systemic functional grammar and in the computer implementation of grammars… Publications from the Cardiff Grammar… for which Fawcett is largely responsible, are fascinating and rewarding: a fruitful fusion of theorizing and pragmatism – a pointer to important developments in the linguistics of the next millennium.
Michael Gregory, Emeritus Professor, York University, Toronto

There can be no doubt that Systemic Functional Grammar has lived up to its claim to be a text-oriented theory of language… it has achieved a much wider coverage of English grammar than other approaches, this being especially true of the Cardiff Grammar… In my view the Cardiff model represents a substantial improvement on the Sydney account.
Christopher Butler, Honorary Professor, Swansea University

I find it really tempting to use the book in my own teaching. Fawcett’s many suggestions deserve more attention, and the Sydney grammar would benefit from adjustments in the light of Fawcett’s arguments.
Carl Bache, University of Southern Denmark, Functions of Language, 17:2 (December 2010)

Fawcett, in his ‘Invitation,’ has provided a clear and accessible introduction to his version of SFL….
Edward McDonald, University of New South Wales, Linguist List 22.4122, October 2011

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Invitation to Systemic Functional Linguistics through the Cardiff Grammar

An Extension and Simplification of Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar (3/e)

Robin Fawcett [+–]

Cardiff University, (Emeritus)

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