Misconstruing Extension (Composition) As Elaboration

Martin (1992: 313-4):

With nominal groups, one further set of elaborations to consider are realised through Pre–Deictic, Pre–Numerative, Pre–Epithet and Pre–Classifier structures.  The first three of these code part/whole relations and the last class/subclass ones.  Like Classifier°Thing structures, from the point of view of field these function simply as grammatical resources for isolating particular parts or classes of people, places and things.

Pre–Deictic            the top of = the ridge, the back of = the garden

Pre–Numerative     a herd of = buffalo, a mouthful of = food

Pre–Epithet            the last of = the questions, the biggest of = the melons

Pre–Classifier        that kind of = beer, this sort of = thing

Blogger Comments:

[1] The part/whole relation — composition (meronymy) — is a type of extension, not elaboration.

[2] In SFL theory, these are now termed 'facet' expressions and classified as extended Numeratives.

[3] In SFL theory, these are now termed 'measure' expressions and classified as extended Numeratives.  The first example is an 'aggregate' expression, whereas the second is a 'portion 'expression.

[4] In SFL theory, this is an ordering Numerative or 'ordinative'.

[5] In SFL theory, these are now termed 'variety' expressions and classified as extended Numeratives.

[6] These are nominal group functions, not structures.

[7] Only the first two involve part/whole relations: 'last' is not part of the whole 'questions'; 'biggest' is not part of the whole 'melons'.

[8] The point of view of field is irrelevant to these grammatical functions.