TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF TWO TEXTS: AN ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE NUMBAT A TEXT FOR CHILDREN ON SOUNDS

Instructions and preliminary comments -The texts for analysis have been segmented into clauses and the clauses into their constituent parts to facilitate analysis. This is the usual practice. This does not mean you have to accept the segmentation proposed here. If you want to propose a different segmentation, feel free to ask in class or in office hours. - Remember that certain elements are not analyzed for transitivity, like conjunctions (and, but), conjunctive adjuncts (besides, moreover, however) modals (can) and modal adjuncts (unluckily, fortunately; always, sometimes; probably)

This is a numbat

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE ENCYCLOPAEDIC REPORT ON THE NUMBAT The numbatisa slender marsupial with … ears Its coatisgrey-brown to reddish brown with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump.

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT The numbatisan unmistakable slender marsupial with … ears Carrier classifying Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifying Attribute Its coatisgrey-brown to reddish brown with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump. Carrier describing Process: relat. attrib.: intensive: describing AttributeCirc. of accompaniment: additive

Comments on analysis One might wonder why the first relational process is said to be classifying, whereas all other intensive processes are said to be describing, especially since there is so much description in the first one (unmistakeable slender and with a pointed muzzle and short erect ears). Note that description in the first clause is to be found not at the level of the clause, but within the Ngp that makes up the Attribute of the clause (an unmistakeable slender marsupial with …ears). At the level of the clause the meaning is one of classification (the numbat is a member of a class of animals (= marsupials). The classification is thus foregrounded, and the description backgrounded by being made at a lower rank. To see this, compare the first clause with clauses such as The numbat is slender/small, The numbat has short erect ears, where description is foregrounded now by being made at the level of the clause.

Comments on analysis On the rump in with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump is a Qualifier within the NGp that functions as completive of the preposition with, the head of which (Th) is stripe. There are several indication of this. If we pay attention to meaning, on the rump is specifying stripes, by telling us where the stripes are located. Given that this is its function it cannot be moved around in the clause as it would be in clauses like the following, where if is not a Qualifier : The numbat has 8 stripes on the rump = On the rump the numbat has eight stripes The numbat has, on the rump, eight stripes. There are 8 stripes on the rump of the numbat = On the rump of the numbat there are 8 stripes

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT The eyehasa black stripethrough it andthe long bushy tail isyellowish

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT The eyehasa black stripethrough it Carrier describing Process: relational: possessive: describing AttributeCircumst. of location: spatial location andthe long bushy tail isyellowish Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive: describing Attribute

Comments on analysis The PP through it has been analyzed as Circumstance because it is not specifying stripe but relating to the verb have and expressing the location of the process expressed by the verb. Evidence of this is the fact that it can be moved around (The eye has, through it, a black stripe)

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT The teetharesmall. The tongueisextensibleas in all mammalian ant or termite-eaters

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT The teetharesmall. Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive describing Attribute The tongueisextensibleas in all mammalian ant or termite- eaters, … Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive describing AttributeCircumstance of manner: comparison

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT andthe forefeetarestongly- clawed for digging Most marsupials areactiveduring the night

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT andthe forefeetarestongly- clawed for digging Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive describing AttributeCircumstan- ce of cause: purpose Most marsupials areactiveduring the night Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive describing AttributeCircumstance of extent: duration

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT THE NUMBAT Itsheltersin hollow logs The numbatisdifferent in being active during the day

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT THE NUMBAT Itsheltersin hollow logs ActorProcess: material middle Circumstance of location: spatial location The numbatisdifferent in being active during the day Carrier describing Process: relational: attributive: intensive describing Attribute

Comments on analysis The PP during the day is also a Circums- tance of extent: duration, but it is somewhat different from the PP during the night in that it is not functioning as Circumstance to the verb is, but as Circumstance to being within the embedded clause functioning as completive of the preposition in (being active during the day). This is why in a first level of analysis it is shown as part of the attribute.

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT and(it)foragesfor termites

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT and(it)foragesfor termites ActorProcess: material middle Circumstance of cause: purpose

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT This termite- eater wasoncerelatively common but(it)nowlivesonlyin a small area of … Australia

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT This termite- eater wasoncerelatively common CarrierProcess: relational: attributive: intensive: describing Circumstance location: time Attribute but(it)nowlivesonlyin a small area of … Australia ActorCircumst. of location: time Process: material: middle Circumst. of location: spatial

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT Itisthe offical animal emblem of Western Australia

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBAT Itisthe offical animal emblem of Western Australia TokenProcess: relational: identifying: intensive Value

Comments on analysis Why identifying and not attributive? The main reactance and test showing it is identifying is the fact that the participants can be reversed, while all the other pocesses in the text with the verb to be, which are all attributive, cannot have their participants reversed. Another piece of evidence is the fact that be can be replaced by represent.

Transitivity patterns in The numbat relational/attrib./intens./classifying 1 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./classifying) ^ Attribute. relational/attrib./intens./describing 2 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of accompaniment: additive. relational/attrib./possessive/describing 3 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./possessive/describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of location: spatial. elational/attrib./intensive/describing 4 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute elational/attrib./intensive/describing 5 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute 6 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^Circ. of manner: comparison 7 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of cause: purpose 8 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of extent: duration

Transitivity patterns in The numbat elational/attrib./intensive/describing 9 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute 10 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of spatial location 11 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of cause: purpose 12 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of temporal location 13 Actor ^ Process (material middle) ^ Circumst. of temporal location ^ Circumst. of spatial location 14 Token ^ Process (relational identifying) ^ Value

What pattern of transitivity emerges in the text? The process type that prevails/is dominant in the text is the relational attributive process of the intensive describing/descriptive type Next in frequency are the material middle processes (3), and less frequent are the relational attributive intensive classifying processes (1 in first clause), the relational attributive possessive processes (only 1) and the relational identifying processes (1 in closing sentence). The Circumstances that prevail are of spatial location, followed by Circumstances of temporal location (2) and of cause: purpose (2), and Circumstances of manner: comparison (1), and extension: duration (1).

What does the pattern of transitivity identified tell us about the text? The prevalence of/high proportion of relational attributive intensive processes can be explained by, and reflects, the descriptive character of the text. We could expect narrative texts and instructional texts, for example, to favor material processes. The presence of an attributive possessive process reinforces this descriptive character, as this also serves to describe the animal or parts of its body.

What does the pattern of transitivity identified tell us about the text? relational attributive intensive classifyingrelational attributive intensive describing/descriptiverelational attributive possessive processes material middle The shifts in process type, from a relational attributive intensive classifying process in the first clause to relational attributive intensive describing/descriptive processes and relational attributive possessive processes (also descriptive in function) in the body and to material middle processes towards the end and a closing identifying process reflects the structure of the text, the generic structure (Classification ^ Description of animal ^ Description of animal habits ^ Reference to animals value or significance ).

What explains this pattern? Why this pattern? The structure of the text can be accounted for by the fact that every descriptive report, as one could find in an encyclopedic entry, must necessarily start by placing the unknown animal or plant that it provides information on in a known class of entities (through the classifying process) for the sake of those who do not know it, so they can start to grasp the unknown through whats known to them, and only then proceed to describe the animal or plant (through relational attributive processes) and its habits/physiology (mainly through material middle processes).

What do the Circumstances suggest? The Circumstances of spatial location in the text can be explained because in a descriptive report o an animal for an encyclopedic entry one needs to locate the animal for the sake of the readers who do not know the animal and are looking for information, though some circumstances of spatial location relate to the physical description of the animal and indicate where certain features are to be found in the body.

What do Circumstances suggest? Circumstances of manner: comparison could be explained as a way of facilitating the understanding of the unknown (the numbat) by comparing it to whats known (mamalians; marsupials) Otherwise, circumstances in the text are not so prominent

Conclusions on transitivity Transitivity patterns reflect the nature of the text (descriptive, narrative, etc) Changes or shifts in transitivity along the text reflect changes in function (Classification, Physical description, Description of habits, Appraisal of animal) and thus the structure of the text, the stages or sections that result from changes in function

Conclusions on transitivity A perspective on verbs like this focuses on semantics, and tells us more about what meanings the verbs make and what meanings their participants make. A Direct Object can now be a Goal created, a Goal affected, a Range, a Phenomenon, a Verbiage, where meaning of the Direct Object is more explicit; A perspective on verbs like this focuses on text and patterns of verbs or processes in text, that is, it does not attend to isolated sentences but seeks to establish patterns in text;

Conclusions on transitivity A perspective like this is functional in that it seeks to determine the function of patterns (what they tell us about the nature of the text or the structure of the text) A perspective like this helps us gain a better understanding of the grammar involved in more traditional terms. Such is the case of relational processes, where we realize, for example, that saying only that the verb to be is a linking verb with S and SC provides a very limited understanding of the grammar of this verb that can take different structures (+ adjective groups, + indefinite nominal groups, + definite nominal groups; structures where S and C are reversible and structures where they are not), which reflect different meanings ranging from classification to symbolization and involving description also.

TEXT II ANALYSING A TEXT ON SOUNDS

Purpose of analysis In analyzing this text we will also seek to explore the advantages of adopting a more semantic, textual and functional approach to verbs

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Do … enjoyyou[[making sounds]] What soundsdo... makethese things

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Do … enjoyyou[[making sounds]] Process: mental: affection SenserPhenomenon: Macrophenomenon What soundsdo … makethese things GoalProcess: material: effective (do is not experiential) Actor

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Ifyoubangthem What different sounds can … makeyouwith your body and your voice

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Ifyoubangthem ActorProcess: material: effective Goal What different sounds can … makeyouwith your body and your voice GoalProcess: material: effective (can is not experiential) ActorCircumstance: means/ instrument

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Putyour fingerson your throat asyoutalk

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Putyour fingerson your throat Process: material: effective GoalCircumstance of location: spatial location asyoutalk BehaverProcess: behavioural: verbal

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN orasyousing BehaverProcess: behavioural: paraverbal Whatcan … feelyou PhenomenonProcess: mental: perception Senser

Why talk and sing behavioural Processes like talk and sing are behavioral because, through there is sth verbal in them (talk) or paraverbal (sing, since it includes the voice), they do not involve direct saying, that is, they do not project another clause as locution (*He talked/sang that he had to leave, would not be grammatical). So verbs which have a verbal quality but do not ptoject, that is, do not introduce a locution (like chat, discuss, gossip, chant, recite, describe, etc.) are behavioural verbal/paraverbal

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Holda ruleron the edge of a table Press downthe end

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Holda ruleron the edge of a table Process: material: effective GoalCircumstance of location: spatial location Press downthe end Process: material: effectiveGoal

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN andlet go Can … hearyoua sound

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN andlet go Process: material: middle Can … hearyoua sound? Process: mental: perception SenserPhenomenon

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Whatcan … seeyou? Wheneveryouheara sound

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Whatcan … seeyou? PhenomenonProcess: mental: perception Senser Wheneveryouheara sound Circumstance of location: temporal location (time) SenserProcess: mental: perception Phenomenon

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN there is[[something moving]] This movementis calleda vibration

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN There is[[something moving]] Process: existentialExistent This movementis calleda vibration CarrierProcess: relational: attributive: intensive: classifying: assigned (caused) Assigner not expressed Attribute

Comments on processes The process This movement is a vibration, would be a relational attributive process, with This movement as Carrier and a vibration as Attribute. In the process we have in the text, however, there is a slight difference. The clause is a passive voice clause (This movement is called a vibration), still regarded as attributive, but as attributive assigned, because somebody assigns the movement to the class, as is obvious in what could be the corresponding active voice (Scientists call this movement a vibration). See the PPP on transitivity and you will find these processes there in the last few slides.

Comments on transitivity patterns in Do you enjoy making sounds The first clause of the text has a mental process of emotion (enjoy) followed by a Phenomenon (Macrophenomenon). This is the only mental process of emotion in the whole text. It is interesting that it can be found in the first sentence, that could be seen as the section of the text enticing the reader (enticement), that is, trying to engage the readers interest. Then there is an alternation of material processes effective (bang; hold; press down) and middle (let go) and mental processes of perception (hear, feel, see). There are also behavioural processes in dependent clauses indicating when to carry out a given action (as you talk, as you sing). Less frequent are the existential process (1) and the relational process assigned (1).

Comments on transitivity patterns in Do you enjoy making sounds It is interesting to see that the material processes always occur in commands and the mental of perception in questions. The alternation of material processes (effective and middle) in commands and mental processes of perception in questions would seem to be reflecting an alternation in the text between instructions to perform certain actions (bang, hold, press down, let go) and questions to direct readers to reflect on the perceptions that are caused/brought about by such actions (Can you hear …? What can you see?).

Comments on transitivity patterns in Do you enjoy making sounds The less frequent processes are behavioural ones (2), existential (1) and relational attributive (assigned) (1). The behavioural ones are found in dependent clauses that specify when a certain action is to be carried out (Put the fingers on your throat as you sing or as you talk). The existential and the relational ones are found at the end of the text, in statements, that provide information on sounds. It is interesting to note that information is only provided after the child has been induced to perform certain actions and reflect on the perceptions they induce.

Comments on transitivity patterns in Do you enjoy making sounds The structure of the text that the process alternations would seem to reveal can be set out as follows, with the second and third stage forming cycles: Enticement/Engaging the reader (mental emotion = enjoy) Instructing the reader to perform certain actions that create sounds/Inducing the reader to action (material effective/middle) Directing the reader to reflect on perceptions/Inducing reflection on perceptions (mental perception) Informing the reader on sound (existential, relational)

What else does transitivity tell us about this text Apart from letting us uncover the different functions being performed by different sections of the text and thus the structure of the text, transitivity lets us see that the ideas about learning underlying the text are such as are associated with the learning by doing pedagogy. If the author had a different attitude to learning and the text was just an exposition on sounds, the text would look very different, made up only of material middle processses like vibrate, move and exitential and relational processes, where the participants would be sounds or aspects associated with them.

Concluding comments on transitivity Again the analysis of this last text will have highlighted the semantic, textual and functional character of the approach to verbs we are following. Semantic, as we have paid attention to the meanings the verbs and their participants make; textual because we have looked t patterns in the whole text rather than at isolated sentences; and functional because we have looked at the function of these patterns.