Thursday 28 April 2016

Assigning Purpose To Theoretical Dimensions

Martin (1992: 502-3):
The register variables field, tenor and mode can then be interpreted as working together to achieve a text's goals, where goals are defined in terms of systems of social processes at the level of genre.

Blogger Comments:

[1] In SFL theory, field, tenor and mode are the metafunctional dimensions of context, not register.  A register realises the field, tenor and mode of a situation type.

[2] In SFL theory, field, tenor and mode do not "work" and texts do not have goals:
  • at the instance pole of the cline of instantiation, field, tenor and mode are dimensions of the situation that is realised by a text;
  • it is speakers and writers who have goals; see the next post.

the register variables field, tenor and mode
can
then
be interpreted
as
[[[working together || to achieve a text's goals]]]
Token/Identified
Process:

relational

Value/Identifier

Value realised by clause nexus of purpose:

working
together
to achieve
a text's goals
a
x b
Process: material
Accompaniment
Process: material
Goal



cf.
We
can interpret
the register variables field, tenor and mode 
as
[[[working together || to achieve a text's goals]]]
Assigner
Process: relational
Token/Identified

Value/Identifier