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 numbat is a slender marsupial with … ears
Its coat is grey-brown to reddish brown
with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump.
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
The numbat is an unmistakable slender marsupial with … ears
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifyingclassifying
Attribute
Its coat is grey-brown to reddish brown
with about eight transverse white stripes on the rump.
Carrier Process: relat. attrib.: intensive: describingdescribing
Attribute Circ. 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 eye has a black stripe
through it
and the long bushy tail
is yellowish
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
The eye has a black stripe
through it
Carrier Process: relational: possessive: describingdescribing
Attribute Circumst. of location: spatial location
and the long bushy tail
is yellowish
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: describingdescribing
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 teeth are small.
The tongue is extensible as in all mammalian ant or termite-eaters
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
The teeth are small.
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing
Attribute
The tongue is extensible as in all mammalian ant or termite-eaters, …
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing
Attribute Circumstance of manner: comparison
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
and the forefeet
are stongly-clawed
for digging
Most marsupials
are active during the night
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
and the forefeet
are stongly-clawed
for digging
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing
Attribute Circumstan-ce of cause: purpose
Most marsupials
are active during the night
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing
Attribute Circumstance of extent: duration
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT “THE NUMBAT”
It shelters in hollow logs
The numbat is different in being active during the day
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT “THE NUMBAT”
It shelters in hollow logs
Actor Process: material middle
Circumstance of location: spatial location
The numbat
is different in being active during the day
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive describingdescribing
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) forages for termites
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
and (it) forages for termites
Actor Process: material middle
Circumstance of cause: purpose
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
This termite-eater
was once relatively common
but (it) now lives only in a small area of … Australia
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
This termite-eater
was once relatively common
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: describing
Circumstance location: time
Attribute
but (it) now lives only in a small area of … Australia
Actor Circumst. of location: time
Process: material: middle
Circumst. of location: spatial
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
It is the offical animal emblem of Western Australia
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF “THE NUMBAT”
It is the offical animal emblem of Western Australia
Token Process: 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”
1 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./classifyingrelational/attrib./intens./classifying) ^ Attribute.
2 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intens./describingrelational/attrib./intens./describing) ^ Attribute ^ Circ. of
accompaniment: additive.
3 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./possessive/describingrelational/attrib./possessive/describing) ^ Attribute ^
Circ. of location: spatial.
4 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/attrib./intensive/describing) ^ Attribute
5 Carrier ^Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/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”
9 Carrier ^ Process (relational/attrib./intensive/describingelational/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?
The shifts in process type, from a relational attributive relational attributive
intensive classifyingintensive classifying process in the first clause to
relational attributive intensive relational attributive intensive
describing/descriptivedescribing/descriptive processes and relational relational
attributive possessive processesattributive possessive processes (also descriptive in
function) in the body and to material middlematerial 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 animal’s 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 what’s
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 what’s 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 … enjoy you [[making sounds]]
What sounds do ... make these things
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Do … enjoy you [[making sounds]]
Process: mental: affection
Senser Phenomenon: Macrophenomenon
What sounds do … make these things
Goal Process: material: effective (“do” is not experiential)
Actor
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
If you bang them
What different sounds
can … make you with your body and your voice
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
If you bang them
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal
What different sounds
can … make you with your body and your voice
Goal Process: material: effective (“can” is not experiential)
Actor Circumstance: means/instrument
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Put your fingers on your throat
as you talk
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Put your fingers on your throat
Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance of location: spatial location
as you talk
Behaver Process: behavioural: verbal
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
or as you sing
Behaver Process: behavioural: paraverbal
What can … feel you
Phenomenon Process: 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
Hold a ruler on the edge of a table
Press down the end
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Hold a ruler on the edge of a table
Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance of location: spatial location
Press down the end
Process: material: effective
Goal
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
and let go
Can … hear you a sound
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
and let go
Process: material: middle
Can … hear you a sound?
Process: mental: perception
Senser Phenomenon
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
What can … see you?
Whenever you hear a sound
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
What can … see you?
Phenomenon Process: mental: perception
Senser
Whenever you hear a sound
Circumstance of location: temporal location (time)
Senser Process: mental: perception
Phenomenon
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
there is [[something moving]]
This movement is called a vibration
TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN A TEXT ON SOUNDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
There is [[something moving]]
Process: existential Existent
This movement is called a vibration
Carrier Process: 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 reader’s 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.
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