Beatriz Quiroz Correctly Identifying A Descriptive Inconsistency Introduced Into IFG3 & IFG4

Beatriz Quiroz wrote to SYSFLING on 27 Dec 2024, at 07:23:

As far as I could recall when I was a grammar tutor un Sydney, both demonstratives and possessives are described as realising the Deictic function (whether they function as Head or as Modifier) in the English nominal group.

In IFG4 this is the case, certainly. The Thing, on the other hand, it's said to be realised by common nouns, proper nouns and personal pronouns (p. 383).

However, on Table 9.9, on reference expressions in English, it's suggested demonstrative 'pronouns' realise the 'Thing/Head' as well (p. 626). Would this mean pronominal uses of demonstratives realise the Thing, not Deictic? Why possessive pronouns would still be analysed as Deictic, according to this table?

Martin et al (2010) (DFG) suggest pronouns could be analysed as Deictic/Thing (although they don't mention pronominal uses of demonstratives and possessives) (p. 167). According to p. 169, however, cases in which demonstratives realise the Head would be treated as elliptical nominal groups without a Thing. This is consistent with how IFG4 treats elliptical nominal groups (p. 390) in the chapter on groups and phrases.

Blogger Comments:

[1] This is all unproblematic.

[2] To be clear, Table 9.9 in IFG4 does analyse a demonstrative pronoun as Thing/Head and not Deictic:

However, this is a theoretical inconsistency introduced into IFG3 and IFG4 by Matthiessen. The source of the inconsistency can be identified by comparing IFG1/2 with IFG3/4. In Halliday (1985: 295; 1994: 313), demonstrative pronouns are characterised as Head, but not Thing:

However, in Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 556) and Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 629), Halliday's table has been altered so that demonstrative pronouns serve as Thing, as well as Head:

and it is this misreading of Halliday (1994) that informs Table 9.9 in IFG4.

[3] To be clear, Table 9.9 suggests that possessive pronouns — like mine — would be analysed as Thing/Head, and possessive adjectives — like my — would be analysed as Deictic/Premodifier or Head.

Deixis Vs Reference

Personal and demonstrative DEIXIS is a system of the nominal group, personal and demonstrative REFERENCE is not a system of the nominal group.

Personal and demonstrative DEIXIS serves an interpersonal function, personal and demonstrative REFERENCE serves a textual function.

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 367):

Many languages embody these two forms of deixis in the structure of the nominal group. The two are closely related, both being (as indicated by the term ‘deixis’) a form of orientation by reference to the speaker – or more accurately, to the ‘speaker-now’; the temporal-modal complex that constitutes the point of reference of the speech event.

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 623):

The textual status at issue in the system of reference is that of identifiability: does the speaker judge that a given element can be recovered or identified by the listener at the relevant point in the discourse or not? If it is presented as identifiable, then the listener will have to recover the identity from somewhere else. If it is presented as non-identifiable, then the listener will have to establish it as a new element of meaning in the interpretation of the text.