Saturday 8 August 2015

Misconstruing Types Of Adjunct As Types Of Continuity Item

Martin (1992: 231-2):
CONTINUITY items can be divided into three groups, those involving counterexpectation (e.g. already, finally, still, only and even), those involving parallel MOOD structure (e.g. too, also, as well) and again which codes experiential repetition.  The three types combine freely as in [4:170]:
[4:170]  Ben beat Lindley.
             And he's already beaten Carl again too.

Blogger Comments:

[1] Martin construes continuity as a logical system — though it's textual in SFL theory — whereas counterexpectation is interpersonal in function, like almost all of the adverbs misconstrued as continuity items.

[2] In SFL theory, only the adverbs only and even function as mood Adjuncts of counterexpectancy (limiting and exceeding); the adverbs already, finally and still function as mood Adjuncts of temporality, not counterexpectancy.

[3]  In SFL theory, Martin's three types of continuity items — his logical metafunction — are actually two types of mood Adjunct (interpersonal) and a circumstantial Adjunct (experiential):



and
he
’s
already
beaten
Carl
again
too

Subject
Finite
mood Adjunct: temporality
Predicator
Complement
circumstantial Adjunct
mood Adjunct: intensity

Mood
Residue
(Afterthought)