TRANSITIVIY CHOICES

Experiential metafunction
offers us:
Resources to encode our

experience of the world

To convey a picture of
reality
 The Clause:
Gives information about:

What is happening
Who is taking part
Surrounding circumstances
(eg; where, when, how, etc. )
 Building up a Clause

Participant

John and Gladys

 Building up a Clause

Participant
+
process

John and Gladys are standing

 Building up a Clause

Participant
+
process
+
circumstance

John and Gladys are standing under the umbrella.

Functional constituents of
the clause
Realized by
nominal groups
PARTICIPANTS

Realized by
verbal groups
PROCESSES
Realized by
adverbial group,
prepositional
phrase or
CIRCUNSTANCES nominal group
Different kind of process:
MATERIAL
MENTAL
VERBAL
BEHAVIOURAL
EXISTENTIAL
RELATIONAL
Processes connect participants
and their circumstances
Mental Processes
Alice feels proud.

Material Processes
Harry bowls.

Verbal Processes
Relational Processes
Sisters chat.
Paul has a big belly.
 Material Processes
indicate physical actions

Children skip. Mike hit the ball.

The dog chased the cat under the fence.

Material verbs
 Participants roles in
material process
Actor
Diana went to Geneva
Goal She carried the bomb
Range They were playing tennis
Beneficiary They give me a car
 Mental Processes
express thoughts or feelings

The diver felt nervous. Mr Harris wondered

if the fish would bite.

He believed that she was telling the truth.

 Mental verbs
Think
Know Cognition Perception
Understand
Love
Hate
Affection
Like
Want
Participants roles mental
processes
Senser
Phenomenon

I saw Marisa this afternoon

Peter doesnt believe in God
 Projecting
Mental processes ( except those of
perception)allows projection :
Two ways of projecting:
By Quoting - I Thought I will go
and give Blood
By reporting - I Thought that Id go
and give the Blood

PROJECTED CLAUSES
 Verbal Processes
To talk about what was said

Gold ! Gold ! shouted The girls chat on

the prospector. the way home.

Randal screamed at the dog to be quiet.

 Verbal verbs
Ask
Tell
Say
Chat
Talk
Speak
Gossip
 Participants roles in
verbal processes
Sayer I tell him the truth
Receiver I made you a
Verbiage question
 Projecting
Verbal process allows projection:
By quoting ( Direct speech)
I said Can you avoid the scar tissue?
By reporting ( Indirect speech)
I asked them to avoid the scar tissue

PROJECTED CLAUSES
 Behavioural Processes
indicates psychological and
physiological activity

The baby cried for The woman was laughing

hours loudly. .
He smiled a broad smile
BEHAVIORUAL VERBS
Cry Look over
Laugh stare
Study Dream
Watch Taste
Listen Work out
Smile breathe
Sniff Scowl
 Participants roles in
behavioural processes
Behavier The baby cried for hours
He smiles a broad smile
Behaviour
Most behavioural processes have only one
participant ( behavier)

Behavoural processes often occur with

circumstantial elements of manner and cause.
 Existential Processes
indicates existence

There are two children There is snow in the

under the tree street
 Existential verbs

There is/ are

There was/ were
 Participants roles in
Existential processes
EXISTENT
This participant follows the there is/ are

There is snow in the street

Circumstances of location are common in

existential processes.
 Relational Processes
indicates states of being or having

It is windy today. Mr Taylor has a broken leg.

Those dogs have very sharp teeth !

 Relational verbs
Be
Have
Others replacing be or have
 Participants roles
Relational processes
FOR ATTRIBUTE PROCESSES
CARRIER ATTRIBUTE
EX: You are very skinny
I am not weak

FOR IDENTIFYING PROCESSES

TOKEN VALUE
Ex: You are the skinniest one here
 Participants
are the people, things, places or ideas participating
in a process being spoken or written about

banana
Ned Kelly greed

Sydney Opera House

Participants maybe categorised as
Human
Dad reads the paper.

or

Non Human
My birthday cake
is delicious.
Participants maybe categorised as
concrete
The jug was full.

or

abstract
Happiness is precious.
Participants maybe categorised as
specific
those children
are skipping.
or

Non specific
sharks are dangerous..
 Participants are represented by
Noun Groups

The five wonderful Yeppoon singers.

Determiner Numerative Describer Classifier Thing
The Five Wonderful Yeppoon singers
 Noun Groups
can contain the following elements

Determiners Numeratives
the children two children
her children a couple of children
those children some children

Describers Classifiers
attractive children school children
tall children primary children
naughty children Australian children
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative

thing
describer classifier
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative

thing
describer classifier
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative
his kitten

thing
describer classifier
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative
his kitten his three
kittens

thing
describer classifier
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative
his kitten his three
kittens

his three cute

kittens
thing
describer classifier
Building a Noun Group
determiner numerative
his kitten his three
kittens

his three cute

his three cute
kittens
thing Siamese kittens

describer classifier
 Circumstances refer
to how, how far,
how long, how often,
when, where, with whom
and as what in a clause.
 when ? where ? with what ?
why ? how far ? how far ?
how long ? with whom ? about what ?
as what ? how ? how often ?
 Circumstances are realized
through

Adverbial Groups
 Circumstances give
information about
how, when, where
or why a process
takes place and can
be reported by
prepositional phrases
 Prepositions are parts
of speech that indicate
relationships between words.
Usually this relationship
is expressed in terms of
time and space
 Prepositions of Place
in inside onto from
over below before with
at past in front of across
amid of throughout out
outside upon up under
beside behind without near
after along against among
for out of off to
down above beneath beyond
within by next to around
through except between into
 Prepositions of Time
before after
by since
in on
soon later
during at
til until
from for
 A phrase is a small
group of words that
makes some sense
but does not
contain a finite verb.
Many phrases begin
with a preposition.
There was a stone in my boot.
That dog with the black
tail belongs to Mikarla.
Craig left the field after
the bowlers appeal.
 When ? Where ?
Dave arrived for Dave works
work after Jan. in his office.

Why ? With what ?

Dave couldnt work Dave works
because of the storm. with a computer.
 As what ?
Dave works as
an accountant.

How long ? How far ?

Dave has worked Dave travels to work
for many years. for three kilometres.

With whom ? About what ?

Dave works with his Dave spoke to Gloria
secretary Gloria. about her work.
 Circumstances give
information about
how, when, where
how often and to what
degree a process takes
place and can be reported
by adverbial groups
 Adverbs are modifiers
that say something extra
about a verb, adjective or
another adverb. When one
or more adverb is used
to describe a process it is
called an adverbial group.
 How often ?
Stella rarely pins
the fabric.

Degree ?
Stella almost had When ?
the dress ready. Stella arrived for
work very early.
How ?
Stella cuts the fabric Where ?
very carefully. Stella was working
there.
 Circumstances give
information about
where and when a process
takes place and can be
reported by noun groups
 Where ? When ?
Elvis practices the Elvis has a concert
piano downstairs. next week.
 How long ?
Elvis practices the
piano all day long.
 Across the water
Circumstances Over the bridge
Through the tunnel
At midnight
Before breakfast
With my pushbike
Carefully
Because of the mud
For a long time
With my little brother
About the flat tyre
As a pilot
Quickly
Last night
Nominalisation
is the changing
of a process into
a participant
 The rain fell heavily.
Can be changed to
The falling of the rain was heavy.