Verbal Group Structure Analysed For The More Common Secondary Tenses

Textual Meaning In The Nominal Group

Halliday (1985: 170):

Textual meaning is embodied throughout the entire structure, since it determines the order in which the elements are arranged*, as well as patterns of information structure just as in the clause (note, for example, that the unmarked focus of information in a nominal group is on the word that comes last, not the word that functions as Thing: on pantographs, not on trains [in those two splendid old electric trains with pantographs]). 

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 387-8) add to the foregoing as follows: 

This means that there is a certain potential for assigning experientially similar meanings different textual statuses within the structure of the nominal group. In particular, they may be presented either as Classifier or as Qualifier (e.g. wooden table ~ table of wood) and as either Deictic or as Qualifier (e.g. my brother’s house ~ house of my brother), with the Qualifier having the greater potential as news.

* On the order in which the elements are arranged, Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 381) explain:

So there is a progression in the nominal group from the kind of element that has the greatest specifying potential to that which has the least; and this is the principle of ordering that we have already recognised in the clause. In the clause, the Theme comes first. We begin by establishing relevance: stating what it is that we are using to introduce this clause into the discourse, as ‘this is where I’m starting from’ – typically, though by no means necessarily, something that is already ‘given’ in the context. In the nominal group, we begin with the Deictic: ‘first I’ll tell you which I mean’, your, these, any, a, etc. So the principle that puts the Theme first in the clause is the same as that which puts the Deictic first in the nominal group: start by locating the Thing in relation to the here-&-now – in the space-time context of the ongoing speech event. From there we proceed to elements that have successively less identifying potential – which, by the same token, are increasingly permanent as attributes. By and large, the more permanent the attribute of a Thing, the less likely it is to identify it in a particular context.

'Fail To Do' vs 'Forget To Do'

 'fail to do' is (trying but) not succeeding (Halliday & Matthiessen 2014: 572)

whereas

'forget to do' is not doing according to intention (Halliday & Matthiessen 2014: 574).

The Postmodifier

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 390):

But the Postmodifier does not itself enter into the logical structure, because it is not construed as a word complex.

Comparison Of Nominal And Verbal Group Structures

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 180):

Projecting Verbal Group Complex Or Projecting Clause Complex?

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 586):

Fig. 8-14 Projecting verbal group/clause nexuses: 

(a) Mary wanted to go (i) as verbal group complex [preferred], (ii) as clause complex; 

(b) Mary wanted John to go (i) as verbal group complex, (ii) [preferred] as clause nexus

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 588):

A verbal group nexus is intermediate between a clause nexus and a verbal group: a verbal group construes a single event, and a clause nexus construes two distinct processes; but a verbal group nexus construes a single process consisting of two events. These different options are available to speakers and writers when they construe their experience of the flow of events. They choose whether they construe a given experience as a process consisting of a single event, as a process consisting of a chain of two (or more) events, or as a chain of two (or more) processes.

Martin's Rebranding Of Halliday's 'Extended Numerative' As "Focus"

From Deploying Functional Grammar (Martin et al 2010: 169):

However, there is one type of structure where the two types of structure [logical and experiential] are out of phase with one another … .  This happens when the Head is a noun that does not represent a thing in its own right but rather an elaboration or extension of another thing, as in the side of the house, two metres of fabric, another cup of coffee. … we'll suggest an analysis here that treats these structures as having an embedded nominal group with the multivariate function Focus …

	two	metres	of	fabric
multivariate	Focus			Thing
univariate	β	Head	β

Blogger Comments:

To be clear, this is merely a rebranding of Halliday's 'complex Numerative' (IFG2: 195-6) or 'extended Numerative' (IFG3: 332-5; IFG4: 394-6) as "Focus".  The analysis above is merely a rebranding of:

	two	metres	of	fabric
experiential	extended Numerative: quantum			Thing
logical	Premodifier	Head	Postmodifier

No argument is provided in support of the change of terminology, which fails to acknowledge its Numerative function, and the term itself is textual, not experiential, in orientation, and is already in use in SFL theory for the focus of New information.

For other examples of Martin rebranding other people's ideas, see here.

The Transitivity Of Bamboozlement

John Bateman wrote to sysfling on 2 November 2017 at 19:10:

One of the main points of these papers (derived from our 12 year collaborative research center on space ...) is to open up the 'space' (ha ha) between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions so that the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation is both made visible and constrained sufficiently so that it can be worked with productively.

This is a hypotactically elaborating clause complex, with the dependent clause enclosed within the main clause:

One of the main points of these papers	<< derived from our 12 year collaborative research center on space >>	is to open up the 'space' between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions so that the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation is both made visible and constrained sufficiently so that it can be worked with productively
	= β
α

Ranking α Clause

The ranking α clause has a lexical density of about 23, depending how it it measured.  It metaphorically construes an identity of purpose, wherein the Value (one of the main points of these papers) is encoded by reference to the Token (to open up the 'space' between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions so that the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation is both made visible and constrained sufficiently so that it can be worked with productively):

One of the main points of these papers	is	to open up the 'space' between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions so that the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation is both made visible and constrained sufficiently so that it can be worked with productively
Identified Value	Process	Identifier Token

The clause is marked for both voice (receptive) and direction of coding (encoding).

Identifier Token

The Identifier Token in this relation is realised as an embedded clause complex in which the main clause is hypotactically enhanced, first in terms of result — and this includes a nested paratactic extending nexus — and then in terms of purpose:

to open up the 'space' between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions	so that the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation is both made visible	and constrained sufficiently	so that it can be worked with productively
α	x β cause: result		x γ cause: purpose
	1	+ 2

Embedded α Clause

The α clause in the embedded complex serving as Identifier Token is a non-finite abstract material clause:

to open up	the 'space' between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions
Process	Goal

The Goal of this clause is realised by a nominal group in which the Thing is both metaphorical (circumstantial) and abstract:

the	'space'	between a grammatically-induced semantics and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions
Deictic	Thing	Qualifier

The Qualifier of this nominal group is realised by a prepositional phrase whose Range is realised by a paratactically extending nominal group complex:

between	a grammatically-induced semantics	and any contextualised use of involved grammatical constructions
Process	Range
	1	+ 2

The first nominal group construes a semantic theory as Thing and sub-classifies it as grammatically-induced:

a	grammatically-induced	semantics
Deictic	Classifier	Thing

The second nominal group metaphorically construes a process ('use') as Thing, which it sub-classifies as contextualised, and metaphorically construes the congruent medium of the process involved grammatical constructions as Qualifier:

any	contextualised	use	of involved grammatical constructions
Deictic	Classifier	Thing	Qualifier

The Qualifier of this nominal group is realised by a prepositional phrase:

of	involved grammatical constructions
Process	Range

The Range of this prepositional phrase is realised by a nominal group that sub-classifies constructions as grammatical, and identifies them as involved:

involved	grammatical	constructions
post-Deictic	Classifier	Thing

Embedded β1 Clause

The β1 clause in the embedded complex serving as Identifier Token is an attributive clause that assigns the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation to the set visible:

so that	the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation	is	both	made	visible
	Carrier	Process			Attribute

The Carrier is realised by a nominal group that metaphorically construes a quality as Thing:

the	enormous	flexibility	of ranges of interpretation
Deictic	Epithet	Thing	Qualifier

The Qualifier is realised by a prepositional phrase:

of	ranges of interpretation
Process	Range

The Range of this prepositional phrase is realised by a nominal group:

ranges	of interpretation
Thing	Qualifier

Embedded β2 Clause

The β2 clause in the embedded complex serving as Identifier Token has an ellipsed Mood element:

the enormous flexibility of ranges of interpretation	is constrained		sufficiently
Carrier	Process	Attribute	Manner: degree

Embedded γ Clause

The γ clause in the embedded complex serving as Identifier Token is a receptive material clause:

so that	it	can be worked with	productively
	Goal	Process	Manner: quality

Ranking β Clause

The ranking elaborating clause can be analysed as 

derived from	our 12 year collaborative research center on space
Process: circumstantial	Attribute

The Attribute is realised by the nominal group:

our	12 year	collaborative	research center	on space
Deictic	post-Deictic	Classifier	Thing	Qualifier

The Thing of the nominal group is realised by a word complex:

research	center
β	α

Conclusion

This is the wording of someone who expects not to be understood, the social function of which has been described by Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 272):

So the more the extent of grammatical metaphor in a text, the more that text is loaded against the learner, and against anyone who is an outsider to the register in question. It becomes elitist discourse, in which the function of constructing knowledge goes together with the function of restricting access to that knowledge, making it impenetrable to all except those who have the means of admission to the inside, or the select group of those who are already there. 

It is this other potential that grammatical metaphor has, for making meaning that is obscure, arcane and exclusive, that makes it ideal as a mode of discourse for establishing and maintaining status, prestige and hierarchy, and to establish the paternalistic authority of a technocratic elite whose message is 'this is all too hard for you to understand; so leave the decision-making to us.

See also John Bateman Positively Judging Himself and John Bateman On "The 'Space' Between A Grammatically-Induced Semantics And Any Contextualised Use Of Involved Grammatical Constructions".

We don't understand.

He must be clever.

He must be right.

— Peter Hammill 'The Jargon King'