Wednesday 17 October 2018

Difficulties In Identifying Circumstantial Elements: Preposition Attached To Verb


Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 330):
This also involves prepositional phrases functioning as participants; but here there is no alternation between prepositional phrase and nominal group. Instead, the preposition is closely bonded with a verb, so that it is functioning as part of the Process, as with turn into; similarly look at the sky consists of Process look at + Phenomenon the sky. There is no simple diagnostic criterion for deciding every instance; but a useful pointer is provided by the thematic structure, which gives an indication of how the clause is organised as a representation of the process.

Blogger Comment:

To be clear, it is not the prepositional phrase that functions as participant, but the nominal group that serves as the Range of the prepositional phrase.

look
at
the sky
Process: mental: perception
Phenomenon
Predicator
 Adjunct
verbal group
prepositional phrase

minor Process
Range


nominal group