Misconstruing Ideational Metaphor

Martin (1992: 408):

Text [6:22] is further revised to highlight metaphorical internal conjunctions as [6:25] below.  Internal relations are realised four times as nouns (for a number of reasons, another example, as a final point, as a result of these factors) and once as a verb (to begin).

[6:25]	metaphorical internal conjunction
	a.	I think Governments are necessary at different levels for a number of reasons.
	b.	They make laws, without which people would be killing themselves,
	c.	and help keep our economic system in order.
	d.	To begin, the Federal Government fixes up problems that occur in the community.
	e.	Another example is that the State Government looks after schools,
	f.	preventing vandalism and fighting.
	g.	As a final point the Local Government is important to look after rubbish:
	h.	otherwise everyone would have diseases.
	i.	As a result of these factors, Governments at several administrative levels are necessary.

Blogger Comment:

From the perspective of SFL theory, of the five purported instances of internal conjunction, there are only two genuine instances (to begin 'firstly'; as a final point 'finally').

Of the three with no conjunctive relations, the first involves ideational metaphor: relator as Thing (reasons) within a circumstance of Cause: reason (for a number of reasons); the second involves anaphoric comparative reference (another); and the third involves anaphoric demonstrative reference (these) within a circumstance of Cause: reason (as a result of these factors).

The general confusion here — apart from misconstruing these as logical metaphors — is that of mistaking the textual manifestation of expansion in lexicogrammar, cohesive conjunction, for the semantic system of expansion — as explained in previous posts.

for	a number of reasons
minor Process	Range

a number of	reasons
Numerative	Thing

Another example	is	[[that the State Government looks after schools]]
Value/Identified	Process: relational	Token/Identifier

Another	example
Deictic (anaphoric comparative reference)	Thing

As a result of these factors	Governments at several administrative levels	are	necessary
Cause: reason	Carrier	Process: relational	Attribute

as a result of	these factors
minor Process	Range

these	factors
Deictic (anaphoric demonstrative reference)	Thing