Participants As Expansions Of Things

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 183-4):

There is the same range of types of ascription as are found in ascriptive figures, and these can be interpreted in terms of the different categories of expansion. These are exemplified in the following table: 

The table illustrates how participants are interpretable as expansions of things — they are things, with added qualities. It also shows how things can be construed into highly elaborate taxonomies (e.g. this extremely desirable two-storey double-brick executive residence) which are categorised by ascriptive figures of these different types — elaborating, extending and enhancing. The Thing in these examples corresponds to the Carrier of the agnate figure of ascription: 

these nutritious swedes : these swedes are nutritious :: 

these vases from the 18th century : these vases are from the 18th century ::

my aunt's teapot : the teapot is my aunt's/belongs to my aunt. 

Note that with extension, there may be a reversal of the Carrier-Attribute correspondence: the Thing may correspond most naturally to the Attribute, as in 

my aunt has a teapot : the leek has a stem.

Blogger Comments:

Note that 'circumstantial' includes 'projection' as well as 'enhancement': a book about teapots.