FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
For Internal Use Only
Experiential meaning
• One of the functions of language is to
construe or represent experience. Realization
of language as experience is seen in a clause.
This is because a clause is considered as a unit
of experience, which is constituted by three
elements, namely process, participant(s) and
circumstance.
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 1
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
Transitivity
• The representation of experience language is
grammatically structured in a configuration
known as transitivity.
For Internal Use Only
3 elements of experiential
meaning
• A process refers to activity done which is
equivalent to verb in traditional terminology.
• Participants are persons or things, which are
involved in a process.
• A circumstance indicates situations or
surroundings in which the process occurs. The
notion of circumstance is equivalent to adverbs
in traditional terminology.
The man bought a book yesterday,
Bought – process; the man & a book – participants; yesterday -
circumstance.
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 2
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
3 elements of experiential
meaning
• The process is the core of experience in that it
determines the participants.
• The key role of participant lies in the degree of
involvement in the process: bringing it about,
being affected by it, benefiting from it.
• Meanwhile, circumstances are associated
with(or attendant) rather than involved.
• On this basis, the participants are labeled with
reference to the process types whereas
circumstances are all across process types.
For Internal Use Only
Systems of Choice
Subject Matter Roles & Relationships Mode & Medium
determines the affects the influences the
representation (field) exchange (tenor) message (mode)
through through through
Participants Mood Theme
(people, places, things (statements, questions (prominent part of
and ideas) and commands) the message)
Processes Modality Cohesion
(doing, thinking, (degree of probability (the links between
saying and being) or obligation) messages)
Circumstances
(how, when, where
and why ?)
Clauses in the Text
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 3
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
Circumstances
For Internal Use Only
Transitivity analysis
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 4
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
Transitivity analysis
For Internal Use Only
Transitivity analysis
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 5
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
Transitivity analysis
For Internal Use Only
Transitivity analysis
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 6
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR - T09 -
TRANSITIVITY 2
Transitivity analysis
For Internal Use Only
Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of
English speaking countries/ ULIS - VNU 7
