Phân tích hệ thống chuyển tác, thức và cấu trúc đề - Thuyết của văn bản “A grandmother with muscles” dựa vào lý thuyết ngữ pháp chức năng hệ thống của mark haliday

TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 93 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
A CLOSE INSIGHT INTO SYSTEMIC MARK HALLIDAY‟S FUNCTIONAL 
GRAMMAR AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT “A GRANDMOTHER 
WITH MUSCLES” IN TERMS OF TRANSITIVITY, MOOD AND THEME-
RHEME PATTERN 
Nguyen Thi Hong Ha
1*
, Duong Thi Thao
2 
1TNU - School of Foreign Languages 
2TNU - University of Sciences 
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT 
Received: 16/3/2021 When people speak or write, they produce texts. To a grammarian, text 
is a rich, many-faceted phenomenon that means in many different ways. 
Systemic functional grammar (SFG) is a text grammar, which means 
this kind of grammar can describe the use of language. In this way, the 
meaning of the text can be understood clearly. The application of the 
framework of SFG to analyze a text can avoid evaluating at will. The 
article shows an analysis of a text “A grandmother with muscles” 
based on systemic Mark Haliday‟s functional grammar in terms of 
transitivity, mood and theme-rheme pattern. The findings show that the 
text is narrative which can be featured by the following characteristics: 
material and relational processes, simple past and simple present 
(transitivity), personal subjects, declaratives, no modal elements (mood) 
and ideational component, unmarked themes (theme-rheme). 
Revised: 31/3/2021 
Published: 31/3/2021 
KEYWORDS 
Systemic functional grammar 
Text analysis 
Transitivity 
Mood 
Theme-rheme 
PHÂN TÍCH HỆ THỐNG CHUYỂN TÁC, THỨC VÀ CẤU TRÚC ĐỀ - THUYẾT CỦA 
VĂN BẢN “A GRANDMOTHER WITH MUSCLES” DỰA VÀO LÝ THUYẾT NGỮ 
PHÁP CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG CỦA MARK HALIDAY 
Nguyễn Thị Hồng Hà1*, Dương Thị Thảo2 
1Trường Ngoại ngữ - ĐH Thái Nguyên 
2Trường Đại học Khoa học - ĐH Thái Nguyên 
THÔNG TIN BÀI BÁO TÓM TẮT 
Ngày nhận bài: 16/3/2021 Khi mọi người nói hoặc viết, họ tạo ra văn bản. Đối với một nhà ngữ 
pháp, văn bản là một hiện tượng phong phú, nhiều mặt, có nghĩa theo 
nhiều cách khác nhau. Ngữ pháp chức năng hệ thống (SFG) là một loại 
ngữ pháp có thể mô tả việc sử dụng ngôn ngữ để hiểu ý nghĩa của văn 
bản. Việc áp dụng khung phân tích của SFG để phân tích một văn bản 
có thể tránh được việc đánh giá một cách chủ quan. Bài báo phân tích 
văn bản “A grandmother with muscles” dựa trên quan điểm ngữ pháp 
chức năng hệ thống của Mark Haliday về chuyển tác (transitivity), thức 
(mood) và cấu trúc đề - thuyết (theme-rheme). Kết quả nghiên cứu cho 
thấy văn bản có những đặc trưng của thể loại trần thuật, mang các đặc 
điểm sau: tồn tại chủ yếu quá trình vật chất (material process) và quan 
hệ (relational process), sử dụng quá khứ đơn và hiện tại đơn, đa phần 
là chủ thể cá nhân và thức chỉ định (declarative), ít động từ tình thái và 
hầu hết chủ đề thuộc thành tố tư tưởng (ideational component), chủ đề 
không được đánh dấu (unmarked theme). 
Ngày hoàn thiện: 31/3/2021 
Ngày đăng: 31/3/2021 
TỪ KHÓA 
Ngữ pháp chức năng hệ thống 
Phân tích văn bản 
Hệ thống chuyển tác 
Thức 
Cấu trúc Đề-Thuyết 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.4174 
*
 Corresponding author. Email: hongha.sfl@tnu.edu.com 
TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 94 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
1. Introduction 
Thompson [1] presented the functions of language. We use language to talk about our 
experience of the world, to describe events and states and the entities involved in them. We also 
use language to interact with other people, to establish and maintain relations with them, to 
influence their behaviour, to express our own viewpoint on things in the world, and to elicit or 
change theirs. Finally, in using language, we organize our messages in ways that indicate how 
they act in with the other messages around them and with the wider context in which we are 
talking or writing. 
Systemic functional grammar (SFG) or systemic functional linguistics (SFL) is a model of 
grammar which was developed by Michael Halliday in the 1960s. The term “systemic” refers to 
the view of language as “a network of systems, or interrelated sets of options for making 
meaning”; the term “functional” indicates that the approach is concerned with meaning, as 
opposed to formal grammar, which focuses on word classes such as nouns and verbs, typically 
without reference beyond the individual clause. 
Systemic functional theory views language as a resource people use to accomplish their 
purposes by expressing meaning in context. Particular aspects of a given context define the 
meanings likely to be expressed and the language likely to be used to express those meanings. All 
of them are used to describe the linguistic variation in a given text, more widely known as 
register [2]. 
According to Thompson [1], if we now turn, more briefly, to genre, this can be seen in very 
simple terms as register plus communicative purpose: that is, it includes the more general idea of 
what the interactants are doing through language, and how they organize the language event, 
typically in recognizable stages, in order to achieve that purpose. Similarly, a genre deploys the 
resources of a register (or more than one register) in particular patterns to achieve certain 
communicative goals. 
There have been a number of studies carried out to analyze texts in different areas such as 
literature, politic texts, law texts, and business textsand their implications in various fields. 
They all have revealed insights on distinctive features of particular types of texts. G. Ning [3] had 
an article describing systemic functional grammar and its pedagogical implications. U. Ammara 
et al. [4] analysed the experiential meanings encoded in the language of the novel and explored 
narrative style of fiction written in stream of consciousness through transitivity analysis. H. 
AlHamdany [5] conducted a comparative study examining the place of systemic functional 
grammar in the ESL context; described the kind of grammar that is used by teachers t ...  – felt, 
thought or seen). The following sentences are the instances. 
The boy loved the girl. 
We could hear it coming. 
Actor Process: mental (affection) Phenomenon 
2.1.1.3. Relational process 
This is the process of being, having and being at. It comes under three main types: intensive (x 
is a), circumstantial (x is at a) and possessive (x has a). Each of these comes in two distinct 
modes: attributive (a is an attributive of x) and identifying (a is the identity of x). When a 
relational process is in the attributive mode, it has one participant referred to as Carrier and the 
quality or the thing showing that the Carrier belongs to a class of things, which is usually 
realized by an adjective or an indefinite nominal group. 
E.g. Sarah is wise. 
 Carrier Process: relational Attribute 
TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 96 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
In contrast, when a relational clause is in the identifying mode, it has two equating participants, 
one identifying the other. They are referred to as Identified/ Identifier and Token/ Value. 
E.g. Tom is the leader. 
 Identified/ Token Process: relational Identifier/ Value 
2.1.1.4. Behavioural process 
This is the process of (typically human) physiological and psychological behaviour like 
breathing, coughing, laughing, dreaming and staring. The participant who is „behaving‟, labeled 
Behaver, is typically a conscious being, not a lifeless thing. 
E.g. She breathed deeply. 
 Actor Process: behavioural Circumstance 
2.1.1.5. Verbal process 
Verbal process is the process of saying and is expressed by verbs such as say, tell, ask, speak, 
talk. Unlike behavioural and mental process, a verbal process does not require a conscious 
participant and it can contain one participant referred to as Sayer, two participants referred to 
respectively, depending on particular subtype of verbal process, as Sayer and Target, and Sayer 
and Verbiage, and even three participants referred to respectively as Sayer, Target, and Recipient. 
Sayer is one that puts out a signal, Target is one that the verbalization is directed to, Recipient if 
one that benefits from the verbal process, and Verbiage is the name of the verbalization itself. 
E.g. 1) He said loudly. 
 Sayer Process: verbal Circumstance 
2) They told me so. 
 Sayer Process: verbal Target Circumstance 
2.1.1.6. Existential process 
This is the process of existing, indicating that something or some natural force exists. In this type 
of process, there is generally a participant, the Existent and one or two circumstantial elements. 
E.g. On the wall there hangs a picture. 
 Circumstance Process: existential Existent 
2.1.2. Interpersonal Metafunction 
One of the main purposes of communication is to interact with other people: to establish and 
maintain appropriate social links with them. Speakers and writers of language have to structure 
clauses in order to interact with one another. This is the interpersonal metafunction of language. 
It is concerned with Clause as Exchange. Halliday [2] quotes a table by Thompson [1] to 
characterize the primary speech roles which can be represented in table 1. 
Table 1. The primary speech roles [1] 
 Commodity exchange 
Role in exchange 
 (a) goods-&-services (b) information 
(i) giving „offer‟ 
Would you like this teapot? 
„statement‟ 
He‟s giving her the teapot 
(ii) demanding „command‟ 
Give me that teapot! 
„question‟ 
What is he giving her? 
As an exchange or interactive event, a clause consists of two components: the Mood and the 
Residue. Mood plays a vital role in carrying out the interpersonal function of the clause as 
exchange in English. In English, the Mood consists of two elements: Subject and Finite. 
 The Subject is the nominal component of the Mood. 
TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 97 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
 The Finite is the verbal element in the Mood which has the function of making the 
proposition finite. Subject and Mood are closely linked together. 
The remainder of the clause is the Residue. It consists of functional elements of three kinds: 
 Predicator: present in all major clauses; realized by a verbal group and temporal or modal 
operator. 
 Complement: potential of being Subject; realized by a nominal group. 
 Adjunct: not potential of being subject; realized by an adverbial group or a prepositional 
phrase. 
The interpersonal metafunction relates to a text's aspects of tenor or interactivity. The 
following clauses are analyzed in terms of interpersonal meaning. 
Sister Susie „s sewing shirts for soldiers. 
Subject Finite Predicator Complement Adjunct 
 Mood Residue 
2.1.3. Textual Metafunction 
The textual metafunction relates to mode; the internal organization and communicative nature 
of a text. It is concerned with creating relevance between parts of what is being said and between 
the text and the context. Lexicogrammatically, it is expressed through the systems of theme and 
information focus. Relevant to the realization of the system of theme are two elements: Theme 
and Rheme. 
According to Halliday [2], the Theme is the element which „serves as the point of departure of 
the message‟. The Theme may be realized by a nominal group, a prepositional phrase, an 
adverbial group or even a clause in the case of predicated theme. The Theme may be single or 
multiple, marked or unmarked. For Halliday [2], “Any group complex or phrase complex 
constitutes a single element within the clause,, and therefore constitutes a simple theme”. 
Whereas, multiple theme has a further internal structure of its own. When, in a declarative clause, 
a theme is “something that other than the Subject” [2], it is referred to as marked theme. The most 
usual form of marked theme is an adverbial group functioning as Adjunct. Unmarked theme is 
referred to as “the mapping of Theme on to Subject of a declarative clause” Halliday [1]. 
In this part, some fundamental and theoretical concepts have been briefly presented which 
includes systemic functional grammar, and the three metafunctions of clauses. These 
fundamentals of background knowledge will be of great help to analyze the geographical text “A 
grandmother with muscles” based on systemic functional grammar in the following part. 
3. Results and discussion 
3.1. The text “A grandmother with muscles” 
In Brooklyn, New York, a little girl was playing with some boys. They were riding bicycles 
and playing ball. 
“Diana!” the girl‟s father called. “Play with the girls! You‟re a girl, not a boy!” 
Diana‟s father sounded a little angry. But Diana knew that her father was proud of her. He 
was proud that Diana was strong. He was proud that she was good at sports. 
Diana grew up. She stopped playing ball and riding bicycles with the boys. She got married, 
moved to California, and had two sons. The years went by. 
One day, when Diana was 48 years old, she went to a gym. She exercised and lifted weights. 
She really enjoyed it, so she went back a few days later. She started going to the gym three days a 
week; then she began going every day. She got stronger and stronger, and her muscles got bigger 
and bigger. Diana became a bodybuilder. Today Diana Vasquez is a champion bodybuilder. She 
has over 24 awards for bodybuilding. 
TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 98 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
Diana is proud of her awards, but she doesn‟t exercise and lift weights only to win awards. 
Diana‟s father said, “Good heath is very important. If you don‟t have good health, you have 
nothing.” Diana thinks that her father was right. She says, “Bodybuilding keeps me healthy. I feel 
better today than I did 20 years ago.” 
Diana says. “Good food is very important. If you don‟t have good for health, too. Diet is 50 
percent of body building. I don‟t eat a lot of sweets. I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, yogurt, and 
rice. I also get plenty of sleep and fresh air.” 
Bodybuilding and eating good food keep Diana healthy and young-looking. Look at the 
picture of Diana. How does she look? Does she look 3035 maybe 40 years old? 
Diana Vasquez is a grandmother. She is 51 years old. 
3.2. Context of the chosen text 
The text is taken from a book called True Stories in the News (2
nd
 Edition) – A Beginner 
Reader published by Addison Wesley Longman. The title of the book reveals the genre of the 
text. It is a kind of news. 
3.3. Transitivity, Mood and Theme-Rheme Pattern 
The text has been analyzed in terms of transitivity, mood and theme-rheme pattern. The 
analysis of some typical sentences are presented as follows. 
(1) In Brooklyn, New York, a little girl was playing with some boys. 
 In Brooklyn, New York, a little girl was playing with some boys. 
Tran. Circumstance (Circ) - 
location 
Actor 
(Ac) 
Process (Pro) - mat (material) Circ - accompaniment 
M. 
Adjunct Subject (S) Finite (F) Predication (Pr) Adjunct 
RESIDUE MOOD RESIDUE 
The. Theme (marked) Rheme 
(2) They were riding bicycles. 
 They were riding bicycles 
Tran. Ac Pro (mat.) Goal (Go) 
M. 
S F Pr 
MOOD RESIDUE 
The. Theme (unmarked) Rheme 
(40) She says, 
 She says 
Tran. Senser Pro - verbal (ver) 
M. 
S F Pr 
MOOD RESIDUE 
The. Theme (unmarked) Rheme 
(41) Bodybuilding keeps me healthy. 
 Bodybuilding keeps me healthy 
Tran. Actor Pro (mat) Goal Attribute 
M. 
S F Pr Compl Compl 
MOOD RESIDUE 
The. Theme (unmarked) Rheme 
This is a narrative about a middle-aged woman who is rather athletic. The “What is going 
on?” of the text is presented rather vividly. From the point of view of transitivity, of the 45 
clauses 19 are material processes and 18 are relational ones which show the processes of 
description concerning the abstract relations. These processes help readers understand the 
Diana‟s situation and what she does to become a woman with muscles. 
TNU Journal of Science and Technology 226(03): 93 - 99 
 99 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 
In terms of finite verb, subject and tense choice, SFL helps us express these speech functions 
in the text - persuading and motivating, through a set of Mood clause systems. Most of the 
processes are in the simple past and simple present. They are used in the narrative style to 
describe what Diana did twenty years ago and what she does now. 
The mood patterns of the text show the “Who is taking part?”. The analysis shows that all 
the subjects in the clauses are personal. Nearly all of them are Diana. The finite elements in the 
clauses are combined with the past simple and present simple. Declaratives are employed in this 
text, which features narrative by dealing with information exchange. No modal element is used in 
the text. 
The analysis also shows the theme-rheme pattern of the text. Most of the themes in the text 
belong to the plane of ideational component. Of the 41 clauses and clause complexes that theme 
exists, 38 have unmarked theme and 3 have marked theme. This reflects a simple style of prose, 
which is suitable for the beginning level of the reading and the intended audience (children). The 
text also creates a positive image of an interesting and unique character for the purpose of 
transferring a good message - inspiring the target young readers to do sports to keep fit. 
4. Conclusion 
Language is a social phenomenon, and we continuously need to interpret what is in the 
process of communication. According to U. Ammara et al. [4], in the Ideational function of 
language, transitivity analysis is quite advantageous to understand the experiential meanings of 
the text in a coherent way. Transitivity is considered as a useful system to explore the ways in 
which language construct ideologies, themes and meanings. It is an essential system of 
construing the human experience of the inner and outer world encoded in language. The analysis 
of a story in the news focuses on interpreting a written text of literature. In this article, I hope to 
present a text analysis on transitivity, mood and theme-rheme pattern in the light of systemic 
functional grammar to show the genre‟s distinctive features. Finally, the article suggests more 
ideas for other writers to examine various genres of literature to investigate the discourse and 
style with the corpus-based methodologies. 
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