A New Architecture for Functional Grammar (Functional Grammar Series)

Comment clauses and FDG 205

A: ‘Express emotion’

Main act:

S tell H of C

Interpersonal

level

Intention:

Relieve one’s

mind by

entering into

’troubles talk’

Move:

Express

emotional

state (C = state of

being afraid

T = afraid

R 1 = S)

Subact:

Refer to object of

emotion

(R 2 = J’s illness)

Level of

linguistically

represented

content

Decl (pres

(fear,(S, arg 2 )))

Arg 2 :

That (pres(ill, J))

Level of

expression

Main Cl (...) Sub-Cl (...)

B. ‘Hedged performative’:

Main act:

S Inform H that

C

(C= R)

Interpersonal

level

Communicative

intention:

Explain to H

why J will not

be available

Move:

Convey

relevant

bad

news R = J’s illness

T = ill

R ́ = J

Subact:

Mitigate by sym-

pathy

S express C to-

wards H (C = own

feelings, T =

afraid, R ́ ́ = H)

Level of lin-

guistically

represented

content

Arg2:

That (pres (ill,

J))

Decl (pres

(afraid (S, arg 2 )))

Expression

level

Sub-Cl (...) Main Cl (...)

Figure 2. Analysis of I am afraid that John is ill.