An Overview of Functional Grammar

2. It is the way in
which a language is
organized; theory
of how language is
put together and
how it works.also known as
the study of
wording.
Folk terminology
meaning
Wording
Letters/sounds
Linguistic terminology
Semantics
Lexicogrammar
Orthography/phonology

3. It is to
understand how
texts work.
In language teaching
For teachers,
it is helpful to understand texts through
studying the pattern of language use
For the students or learners
Helping the students, learners, and of
course the teachers themselves to
understand and produce texts
appropriately.

4. Traditional
Grammar
• Prescriptive
• Focuses on rules for producing sentences
• Effectiveness in written communication is not guaranteed.
Formal
Grammar
• Aims to describe the structure of individual sentences
• Views language as a set of rules
• Central question: “How is this sentence structured?”
Functional
Grammar
• Aims to describe language in actual use
• Focuses on texts and their contexts
• Views language as a resource for making meaning
FromTraditional Grammar to Functional
Grammar

5. There are significant differences between Traditional &
Formal grammar and Functional Grammar.
Towards a FunctionalGrammar
Formal (+
Traditional) Functional
Language is
A set of rules for sentence
construction; Something we know
A resource for meaning making;
Something we do
Language level of concern
Syntax Semantics
Unit of analysis
Sentence Whole texts
Primary concern
How is (should) this sentence be
structured?
How are the meanings of this text
realized

6. According to Halliday (1994), language can be
described in terms of RANK SCALE.
The Rank Scale and Logical Meaning
Clause Complex
Clause
Group
Word
consists of
one or more clauses
consists of
one or more groups
or phrases
consists of
one or more words
consists of
one or more
morphemes

7. The Rank Scale and Logical Meaning
CLAUSE
COMPLEX
a language structure that consists of
one clause working by itself, or a group
of clauses that work together through
some kind of logical relationship.
Group
Two different entities added to
make group complex (marked by
+)
Two different groups referring to
the same entities to make group
complex (marked by =)
Clause
Dependent
• The clauses joint are dependent
on another. Conjunctions :
Although, Because, Since, If, so
on
Independent
• The clauses joints are of equal
value. Conjunctions but, and, or,
comma, colon, semi-colon, so on

8. Clauses and Their Constituent Parts
The way to see the constituent parts of the clause is to break
any one clause up into its discrete units or component parts.
To know how the clause constituency works, here is an
example of text cited from story of Start and Finish in “English
Folktales” book by Keding and Douglas (2005)
1. A long time ago, two farmers
were neighbors.
2. Each had a son,
3. and the boys were called Alpha
and Omega.
4. As they grew up,
5. they were known as Start and
Finish.
6. After their fathers died,
7. the two lads took over the
farms
8. and stayed good friends all their
lives.
A long time ago, two farmers were neighbors. Each had a son, and the
boys were called Alpha and Omega. As they grew up, they were
known as Start and Finish. After their fathers died, the two lads took
over the farms and stayed good friends all their lives.
Clauses from the text above

9. The following abbreviations are used to label the constituents of the
clauses here:
A long time ago two farmers were neighbors
ng ng vg ng
and the boys were called Alpha and Omegs
conj.g ng vg Ng
After their fathers died
conj.g Ng vg
The two lads took over the farm
ng vg pp
The two lads took over the farm
ng vg pp
Clauses 1, 3 each have 4 constituents
Clauses 6 has 3 constituents
Clause 7 has 3 constituents, yet the division can be either in (a) with took as verbal
group or (b) took over as the verbal group. The division of text into clauses and
clauses into constituent parts is not always straightforward.
ng = nominal group
vg = verbal group
conj.g = conjunction group
pp = prepositional phrase

10. In Functional Grammar, elements of the clause are labeled
in terms of the function each is playing in that clause.
The kid sighed heavily
Noun Verb Adverb
The kid sighed heavily
Participant Process Circumstance
Behaver Behavioral Manner
Participant
the entities
involved in the
process,
expressed by
noun groups
Process
the one
obligatory
constituent of a
clause,
expressed by a
verbal group
Circumstance
expressed by
adverbials,
including adverbs,
adverbial group,
and prepositional
phrase
In traditional and
formal grammar
In Functional
Grammar, analyzed
by function

11. •to encode our experience of the world
•to convey a picture of reality
•to give ideational meaning, about phenomena and things, about
goings on, and the circumstances
Representational Function
•to encode interaction
•to give interpersonal meaning, expressing a speaker’s attitude
and judgments
Interpersonal Function
•to organize our experiential and interpersonal meaning into a
linear and coherent whole.
• to give textual meaning, expressing the relation of language to
its environment.
Textual Function
Functionsof Language

12. Implication on Language Teaching
Functional Grammar gives a light to more effective grammar
teaching for the teachers who are put in paradoxical situation in
regard of teaching grammar in language teaching.
• allow students and teacher to talk about the forms that
language elements take and work that language elements do.
A set of functional labels which identify what a
word does or its function
• allows for a more detailed exploration of clause structure at all
levels (morphemes, word, group, phrase, clause, and clause
complex).
The clause in terms of its rank scale
• teachers can show students how an event takes central role in
constructing message of a clause
The clause with constituent part playing a
functional role in the message
• (1) represent experience, (2) interact with someone, (3)
organize the message so it makes sense
Three meanings made by every clause