Friday 30 March 2018

Distinguishing ‘Attributive’ Clauses From ‘Identifying’ Clauses: Reversibility

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 268)
The ['attributive'] clauses are not reversible: there are no ‘receptive’ forms, such as complete nonsense is sounded by your story; while clauses such as a poet is Paula, wise is Sarah, are archaic or literary variants, not systemically agnate forms.

Blogger Comments:

[1] Note that, in the case of ASSIGNMENT, there are ‘receptive’ forms in attributive mode:

the crocodiles
thought
the tourists
edible
Attributor
Process: attributive
Carrier
Attribute

the tourists
were thought
edible
by the crocodiles
Carrier
Process: attributive
Attribute
Attributor


[2] Note the 'Hamlet Factor' of such thematically motivated agnates as:

Blessed
are
the cheesemakers
Attribute
Process: attributive
Carrier