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K2213013/A
Clause as Exchange
4.1 The Nature of Dialogue
Types of speech role: giving and demanding. The purpose: speaker is giving
in response.
Giving and demanding equally fundamental, relates to the nature of commodity being
exchanged.
a. Goods & service: the speakers aim is to get the listener to do something or to give
the speaker some object. Exchange: non-verbal, what is being demand is an
object/ action. Language is brought to help the process.
b. Information: the speakers aim is to get the listener tells something. Exchange:
answer in verbal, what is being demand is information. Language is end as well as
the means.
Exchanging information is more complicated than exchanging good & services.
Reason: the listener is being asked not merely to listen and do something but also to
act out a verbal role.
Clause in the form of proposition if we use language to exchange information, but we
can not use proposition if the clause in the form of interactive event. (interactive
event?)
It is useful for us to look at the proposition when we are considering the clause as
Mood (?)
Mood consist of two parts:
(i)
subject (nominal group)
(ii)
finite (part of verbal group), for example: it, has, and modality (can, must)
In some instances, finite and lexical verb are fused to single word, if the verb is in
simple past and simple present tense.
Subject in declarative clause is element which is picked up by the pronoun in the tag.
In classical definition, subject is noun or pronoun which is in the nominative case.
The way to recognize the subject: the nominal group that is repeated in pronoun form
in the tag.
Mood: the subject and finite are linked together, and combine to one constituent.
Mood or modal element is the element that realizes the selection of mood in the
clause (?)
Residue or proposition is the remainder of the clause.
Indicative: grammatical category that is characteristically used to exchange
information. (Subject+Finite)
Indicative: a. declarative (expression of statement) Subject before Finite
b. interrogative (expression of question) Finite before Subject
Interrogative: a. yes/no (polar question) Finite before Subject
b. WH (content question) Subject before Finite if the element is
Subject; Finite before Subject if the element is otherwise.
Finite element has the function of making the proposition finite and it is something
that can be argued about. It can be done by reference to the time of speaking (primary
subject.
Typical order of elements in residue:
Predicator-complement-adjunct
Types of adjunct:
(i)
(ii)
in clause as exchange.
Modal adjunct (interpersonal function):
a. Mood adjunct, it relates specifically to the meaning of the finite verbal
operators, expressing probbility, usuality, obligation, inclination or time.
(It occurs next to finite, before finite, and after finite). Minor variation
(time adjunct yet occurs at the end)thematic function (before Subject)
b. Comment adjuncts, the position is like in conjunctive adjunct, and
typically associated with boundary between information unit if they are
medial.
function is to specify the entity that the quesioner wishes to have supplied.
WH- element is always conflated with one or another functions (subject, element,
adjunct). If WH- is conflated with Subjectpart of the mood (Mood element =
Subject-Finite). If WH- is conflated with complement or adjunct part of residue
Polarity is the choice between positive and negative. It is expressed in finite element.
Modality is intermediate degrees, between the positive and negative poles (sometimes
or maybe)
Proposition, the meaning of positive and negative is asseerting and denying.
Kinds of intermediate possibilities in proposition:
(i)
Degrees of probability
(ii)
Degrees of usuality
Both can be expressed by: (a) finite modal operator in verbal group, (b) modal adjunct
of probability and usuality, (c) both together
Proposals, the meaning of the positive and negative poles is prescribing and
proscribing.
Kinds of intermediate possibilities in proposal:
(i)
In a command, it represent degrees of obligation
(ii)
In an offer, it represent degrees of inclination.
Modulation is the scales of obligation and inclination.
Modulation can be expressed by: (a) by a finite modal operator, and (b) by an
expansion of the Predicator: (i) typically by a passive verb, and (ii) typically by an
adjective.
Proposal which are clearly positive and negative (good & service exchange between
speaker and hearer): (i) speaker offering something, (ii) speaker wants the hearer to do
established at the start and then pressuposed by ellipsis, or by subtitution with do. (?)
ELLIPSIS (?)
Exchange involving yes/no variable but WH- element (just one element is under
discussion), lead to a different from of ellipsis in which everything is omitted
except that element and the function is pressuposed from the preceding
discourse. (?)
Independent clause requires a Subject because subject has the function to express the
intonation. In declarative: go down the pitch in the end, yes/ no: go up.
4.7 Clause as Subject (?)
In real discourse, there is vastly greater scope and variation in the choice of Subject
in a clause. It depends on the register.