Every grammar has to a greater or lesser extent a functional aspect. In this book, Bondarko provides a comprehensive discourse on the theoretical foundations of grammar, concentrating on functional-semantic fields, with emphasis on the diversity of their structural types. Criteria for distinguishing between linguistically structured meaning and non-linguistic cognitive content is developed in a discussion on “the Category of Aspect and its Environment” which includes an analysis of aspectual opposition according to the Prague School. Special attention is also paid to analysing polycentric fields and, specifically, taxis in the Russian language. The book is divided into three sections: Functional Grammar: Subject Matter and Goals — Structural Types of Functional-Semantic Fields — Categorial Situations. This book is intended for those interested in the general theory of linguistics.

This book describes and evaluates alternative approaches within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to representing the structure of language at the level of form. It assumes no prior knowledge of SFL, and can therefore be read as an introduction to current issues within the theory. It will interest any linguist who takes a functional approach to understanding language.Part 1 summarizes the major developments in the forty years of SFL's history, including alternative approaches within Halliday's own writings and the emergence of the "Cardiff Grammar" as an alternative to the "Sydney Grammar." It questions the theoretical status of the 'multiple structure' representations in Halliday's influential "Introduction to Functional Grammar" (1994), demonstrating that Halliday's model additionally needs an integrating syntax such as that described in Part 2.Part 2 specifies and discusses the set of 'categories' and 'relationships' that are needed in a theory of syntax for a modern, computer-implementable systemic functional grammar. The theoretical concepts are exemplified at every point, usually from English but occasionally from other languages.The book is both a critique of Halliday's current theory of syntax and the presentation of an alternative version of SFL that is equally systemic and equally functional.

No detailed description available for "Complex and Derived Constructions".

Introduction When one takes a functional approach to the study of natural languages, the ultimate questions one is interested in can be formulated as: How does the natural language user (NLU) work? How do speakers and addressees succeed ...

Functional Grammar (FG) as set out by Simon Dik is the ambitious combination of a functionalist approach to the study of language with a consistent formalization of the underlying structures which it recognizes as relevant. The present volume represents the attempts made within the FG framework to expand the theory so as to cover a wider empirical domain than is usual for highly formalized linguistic theories, namely that of written and spoken discourse, while retaining its methodological precision. The book covers an array of phenomena, both from monologue and from dialogue material, relating to discourse structure, speaker aims and goals, action theory, the flow of information, illocutionary force, modality, etc. The central question underlying most of the contributions concerns the relation between, and the division of labour between the existing grammatical module of FG on the one hand, and a discourse or pragmatic module capable of handling such discourse phenomena on the other. What emerges are new proposals for the formal treatment of for instance illocutionary force and the informational status of constituents. Many of the data discussed are from ‘real’ language rather than being invented, and samples from various languages other than English (Spanish, Polish, Latin, French) are examined and used as illustrations of the theoretical problem to be solved. Readership: theoretical linguists and discourse and conversation analysts

Fully updated and revised, this fourth edition of Halliday's Introduction to Functional Grammar explains the principles of systemic functional grammar, enabling the reader to understand and apply them in any context. Halliday's innovative approach of engaging with grammar through discourse has become a worldwide phenomenon in linguistics. Updates to the new edition include: Recent uses of systemic functional linguistics to provide further guidance for students, scholars and researchers More on the ecology of grammar, illustrating how each major system serves to realise a semantic system A systematic indexing and classification of examples More from corpora, thus allowing for easy access to data Halliday's Introduction to Functional Grammar, Fourth Edition, is the standard reference text for systemic functional linguistics and an ideal introduction for students and scholars interested in the relation between grammar, meaning and discourse.

This is the first comprehensive presentation of Functional Discourse Grammar. The authors set out its nature and origins and show how it relates to contemporary linguistic theory. They demonstrate and test its explanatory power and descriptive utility against linguistic facts from over 150 languages across a full range of linguistic families.