INTRODUCTION 1 1 Rationale for the study 1 2 Aims of the study 3
Scope of the study 3
This study, conducted as part of an M.A minor thesis, focuses on clause expansion within Systemic Functional Grammar, specifically analyzing requests and their responses in short conversations from the TOEFL PBT practice tests The research delves into the components of clause expansion and related aspects of Systemic Functional Grammar, which are thoroughly examined throughout the study A total of twenty short conversations featuring requests and responses were selected from Part A of the listening comprehension scripts in the "TOEFL Preparation Kit Workbook 2002."
In 2003, ETS designed and introduced a volume that includes twenty short conversations, each consisting of two utterances by either a man or a woman This study focuses on analyzing the clause complexes in requests and their responses through the lens of Systemic Functional Grammar The selected conversations are based on the criteria established by Quang (2007) and Nguyen and Vinh (2008) for identifying and utilizing requests and responses, which will be elaborated upon in the introduction of chapter two of the dissertation.
Methods of the study 4 5 Design of the study 4
This study employs descriptive, comparative, and analytical methods of language research, primarily using an inductive approach Chapter one establishes the theoretical foundation by examining the issues related to clause expansion in Systemic Functional Grammar Subsequently, the analysis focuses on thirty-two clause complexes found in requests and responses within twenty selected short conversations, applying the principles of clause expansion The findings, presented in chapter two and part three, will be discussed and generalized statistically, aiming to enhance the teaching and understanding of such conversational structures.
This dissertation consists of three main parts:
Part one presents the rationale for the study, the aims, scope, methods, and design of the study
Part two of the article is divided into two chapters The first chapter explores clause expansion and its significant issues within Systemic Functional Grammar, providing a foundation for analyzing clause complexes in requests and responses found in short conversations The second chapter focuses on these clause complexes, examining the requests and their responses through the lens of clause expansion in Systemic Functional Grammar, while also highlighting their distinctive discourse features Each section of this chapter delves into a specific aspect of expansion related to the requests and their corresponding responses.
Part three summarizes the major findings of the study, draws out the theoretical and pedagogical implications of these results, and suggests the directions for further research.
DEVELOPMENT 5
Theoretical background 5 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Systemic Functional Grammar and the clause 5
This chapter explores the key issues related to clause expansion in Systemic Functional Grammar, which are essential for analyzing clause complexes in requests and their responses from the short conversations in chapter two We will provide an overview of Systemic Functional Grammar, highlighting the significance of clauses and clause expansion in forming clause complexes Additionally, we will discuss the main components and features of clause complexes and clause expansion Although projection is not the primary focus of this study, it will be briefly addressed as it also plays a role in clause expansion and the creation of clause complexes.
1.2 Systemic Functional Grammar and the clause
1.2.1 A brief overview of Systemic Functional Grammar
Systemic Functional Grammar, as proposed by Halliday, emphasizes the three metafunctions of language: ideational, interpersonal, and textual The ideational function captures the speaker's experiences and inner consciousness, divided into experiential and logical subtypes that structure and shape our understanding of the world The interpersonal function focuses on fostering social relationships through communication, where individuals engage as questioners or respondents Meanwhile, the textual function connects language to its context, allowing speakers and writers to create relevant discourse and enabling listeners and readers to differentiate meaningful communication from random utterances.
Halliday's framework identifies three metafunctions: ideational, interpersonal, and textual, each realized through distinct systems The ideational metafunction encompasses six types of processes within the transitivity system: relational, verbal, mental, behavioral, material, and existential processes, which relate to participants and their circumstances The interpersonal metafunction is expressed through mood structure, which includes mood (comprising subject and finite) and residue (consisting of predicator, complement, and adjunct) Lastly, the textual metafunction is conveyed through thematic structure, made up of theme and rheme, where the theme serves as the starting point of the clause's message, and the rheme provides additional information that elaborates on the theme.
They grow vegetables in the garden
Transitivity Actor Process: material Goal Circumstance Mood Subject Finite Predicator Complement Adjunct
Clause expansion and projection are essential elements of logical functions that shape our experiences and influence our perspectives These components enable us to organize and connect ideas coherently The logical formation of clause complexes, as illustrated in previous examples, will be explored in greater detail in the subsequent chapters of this thesis.
According to Thomson (1996:22), the meaning of a text is composed of its smaller components, i.e it‘s sentences, clauses, groups, words, morphemes, which are called
In linguistics, the concept of "rank" refers to the hierarchical structure of language components A sentence is made up of one or more clauses, which in turn consist of one or more groups Each group is formed by one or more words, and a word is composed of one or more morphemes This hierarchical arrangement illustrates how each unit of meaning is expressed at a specific rank.
Table 1: The rank scale (Thomson, 1996:22)
Sentence ///The little boy shouted when he saw the wolf///
Clause ///The little boy shouted//when he saw the wolf///
Group //[The little boy] [shouted]//
The clause is a fundamental unit in discourse analysis within Systemic Functional Grammar, as it effectively conveys meaning in language use It enables individuals to express their feelings, thoughts, actions, and the existence of entities, highlighting its significance in communication.
1.3 Above the clause: the clause complex
In Systemic Functional Grammar, the term "unit complex" refers to the interpretation of larger units through smaller, lower-ranked units According to Halliday (1994), a verbal group, adverbial group, and nominal group function as a word complex, where a Head word is modified by additional words Similarly, a sentence can be viewed as a clause complex, with a Head clause modified by other clauses This expansion from words to groups and from clauses to sentences illustrates the dynamic potential of language Thus, the concept of "clause complex" provides a comprehensive understanding of sentence functionality, while a sentence is merely an orthographic unit defined by punctuation Consequently, a sentence serves as a component of writing, whereas a clause complex is a fundamental element of grammar.
In Systemic Functional Grammar, a clause complex is defined as the grammatical unit that encompasses multiple clauses, serving as the highest level of grammatical organization above the individual clause Consequently, the term "clause complex" will be consistently utilized throughout this dissertation to refer to this specific grammatical unit.
1.3.2 Types of interdependency in clause complexes: parataxis and hypotaxis
This section explores the interdependency within clause complexes, focusing on parataxis and hypotaxis Halliday (1994:218) notes that the nature of interdependency among clauses is determined by their respective statuses within the complex.
In linguistic structures, the relationship between clauses can be categorized based on their status When the status is unequal, the modifying clause relies on the modified one, indicating a dependent relationship known as hypotaxis Conversely, when the status is equal, both clauses function independently, illustrating parataxis Halliday (1994) employs Greek letter notations to denote hypotactic structures and numerical notations for paratactic structures within a clause complex, providing a systematic approach to understanding these relationships.
I would if I could, but I can‘t
The clause complex reveals a paratactic relationship between "I would if I could" and "but I can't," denoted as 1 and 2 In the first clause, "I would if I could," the connection between "I would" and "if I could" is hypotactic, represented by notations α and β.
Halliday (1994:218) introduces the concept of clause nexus, which consists of primary and secondary clauses In a paratactic nexus, the primary clause serves as the initiating element, while in a hypotactic nexus, it acts as the dominant clause Conversely, the secondary clause functions as the continuing element in a paratactic nexus and as the dependent clause in a hypotactic structure.
Table 2: Primary and secondary clauses (Halliday, 1994:219) primary secondary parataxis 1 (initiating) 2 (continuing) hypotaxis (dominant) (dependent)
The distinction between numerical notations and Greek letter notations lies in their structure; numerical notations follow a single, linear sequence (1, 2, 3, …) in paratactic relations, whereas Greek letter notations allow for multiple orderings among at least two clauses in hypotactic relations, as illustrated by Halliday (1994:222-223).
(i) The dependent clause follows the dominant one, e.g
You never can tell till you try ()
(ii) The dependent clause precedes the dominant one, e.g
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride ()
(iii) The dependent clause is enclosed in the dominant one, e.g
Picture, if you can, a winkle ()
(iv) The dependent clause encloses the dominant one, e.g
He might, he said, finish it himself ()
1.3.3 A brief overview of logico-semantic relations in clause complexes: expansion and projection
Before delving deeper into the concept of expansion, it's important to understand the logico-semantic relations within a clause complex, as outlined by Halliday (1994) He identifies two key relations: expansion and projection While projection is not the primary focus of this study, it still plays a role in clause expansion Expansion occurs when a secondary clause elaborates, extends, or enhances the primary clause Elaboration involves restating, specifying, commenting, or exemplifying the primary clause Extension adds new elements, exceptions, or alternatives, while enhancement qualifies the primary clause with circumstantial details such as time, place, cause, or condition In contrast, projection involves a secondary clause being presented through a primary clause, either as a locution—a construction of wording—or as an idea—a construction of meaning.
Halliday (1994) categorizes linguistic expansion using specific symbols: (=) denotes elaboration, (+) signifies extension, and (x) represents enhancement Additionally, he employs (―) for the projection of locution and (‗) for the projection of ideas The following table provides examples that illustrate these concepts as described by Halliday.
Table 3: Basic types of clause complex (Halliday, 1994:220)
Expansion in the requests and their responses of the short conversations18 2.1 Introduction 18
This chapter analyzes clause complexes in requests and responses across 20 short conversations, focusing on clause expansion within Systemic Functional Grammar The conversations are drawn from Part A of the listening comprehension scripts in the "TOEFL Preparation Kit Workbook 2002-2003, Volume 1," created by ETS, which features seven practice tests formatted similarly to actual TOEFL exams Part A includes thirty short conversations, each comprising two utterances from either a male or female speaker After listening to each conversation and its corresponding question, test takers must select the best answer from four provided options According to ETS (2004:18A), this section is essential for evaluating listening comprehension skills.
The topics of the conversations are relevant to student life on campus, such as returning a book to the library, asking about a homework assignment, or taking a bus to class
Conversations serve various purposes, as individuals engage in diverse exchanges; one person may be offering an apology, another could be providing advice, while yet another might seek information.
The twenty short conversations analyzed in this article were chosen based on the criteria established by Quang (2007) and Nguyen and Vinh (2008) for identifying requests and their corresponding responses The selection process specifically focused on request-based discourse markers, such as "Can you ?" and "Could you ?", as outlined in the works of Quang and Nguyen and Vinh.
―Will you ?‖, ―Do you think you could …?‖, ―I/we would/‘d like …‖, ―I need …‖,
This article will analyze and discuss twenty brief conversations, focusing on clause complex analysis, clause expansion analysis, and conjunction analysis Key phrases such as "Come on!", "Let's …", "I'm looking for …", and "I'm calling to see …" will be examined to understand their structure and function within the dialogues.
2.2 Clause complexes in the requests and their responses of the short conversations
To effectively analyze the clause complexes in the requests and their responses, we have numbered the conversations from one to twenty, each consisting of two utterances: the request and the response We denote clause complex boundaries with “///” and clause boundaries within the requests and responses with “//,” while clause simplexes are presented without notations Conjunctions highlighted in bold are added based on Halliday's (1994:239) guideline, which allows for their insertion without altering the logical-semantic relationship when an expansion relation is identified Embedded clause expansions are indicated with the notation “[[]].” Each clause complex is numbered in brackets at the end The following section provides an analysis of the requests and their responses in these short conversations concerning clause complexes.
(woman) I‘m looking for a lightweight jacket … navy blue … medium …
(man) ///Let‘s see.//So have you checked the sales rack in the back?//In fact, there were still a few there yesterday.///(1)
(man) Can you come over for dinner tonight?
(woman) ///I‘m up to my ears in work,//so I‘ll have to take a rain check.///(2)
(man) Hello? I‘d like two seats for this evening‘s show
(woman) ///Sorry, but the performance is already sold out.//So would you be interested in something later this week?///(3)
(man) My wife and I would like to have you over for dinner on Friday
(woman) ///That‘s very kind of you,//but I have theater tickets for that evening.///(4)
(man) I‘d like you to come with me to the opening of the photography exhibit
(woman) ///I‘m exhausted!//So you‘ll have to manage without me tonight.///(5)
(man) ///I need to talk to someone//[[who knows a lot about Portland]].//In fact, someone said//you lived there.///(6)
(woman) Oh, but I was really young at the time
(woman) ///Could you please tell me//where to find running shoes?///(7)
(man) Yes, they‘d be on the second floor in sporting goods
(man) ///I‘d like to borrow that book//after you‘ve finished it.///(8)
(woman) Sure, but I‘ve promised it to Jane first
(woman) ///Could you bring my calculator back —//In fact, I need it//to do my math homework tonight.///(9)
(man) ///I don‘t know//how to put this —//but, uh, I dropped it,//and now the ―on‖ button doesn‘t light up.///(10)
(woman) ///Can you come to the concert with me this weekend,//or do you have to prepare for exams?///(11)
(man) ///I still have a lot//to do … //but maybe a break would do me good.///(12)
(man) ///Hello, this is Mark Smith.//And I‘m calling to see//if my blood test results are in.///(13)
(woman) ///Dr Miller just sent them to the lab last night,//so the earliest [[they could be back]] is tomorrow.///(14)
(woman) ///Come on,//in fact, we‘re almost there.//And I‘ll race you to the top of the hill.///(15)
(man) ///I‘m so out of shape;//so I might have to crawl the rest of the way.///(16)
(man) ///Yes, hello, this is Robert White//[[calling]].//And could Dr Jones see me on Tuesday morning instead of Tuesday afternoon?///(17)
(woman) ///Tuesday morning? Let‘s see …//So is that the only other time [[you could come?]]///(18)
(man) ///[[Driving at night]]//always makes me tired.//So let‘s stop for dinner.///(19)
(woman) ///Fine! And let‘s find a motel, too —//So instead of continuing on,//we can get an early start tomorrow.///(20)
(woman) ///I really want to see the play at the outdoor theater tonight.//So will you come with me?///(21)
(man) ///You know//I hate battling all those mosquitoes.//But … if you have your heart set on it ….///(22)
(woman) ///Excuse me, could you by any chance tell me//where the dean‘s office is?///(23)
(man) ///I‘m sorry.//In fact, I‘m just visiting a friend here.///(24)
(man) ///Can you go over my notes with me?//In fact, I‘ll never understand all these chemistry experiments.///(25)
(woman) ///You know,//review sessions are being held every night this week.//And they‘re supposed to be good.///(26)
(woman) ///Could you please tell me//where I can find a CD by the Beatles?///(27)
(man) ///Sure, it would be over there with all the CD‘s in pop rock.//In fact, they‘re arranged alphabetically by group.///(28)
(woman) ///Do you think//you could give me a ride to the library tonight?///(29)
(man) ///I‘d like to,//but I‘m heading in the other direction —//In fact, I‘m meeting
(man) ///Hi, I‘d like to sign up for the film selection committee.//So is this the right place?///(31)
Joining the committee can be a rewarding experience, as there are many enjoyable individuals involved However, be prepared to dedicate a significant amount of time, so it’s important to ensure that your schedule allows for this commitment.
The analysis reveals that thirty-two clause complexes are present in each of the twenty conversations analyzed Conversations 1 to 5 feature a pattern where the first utterance is a clause simplex followed by a clause complex In contrast, conversations 6 to 8 begin with a clause complex and are followed by a clause simplex From conversations 9 to 20, both utterances consist of clause complexes This structure indicates that clause complexes are predominant in both requests and responses, with fifteen clause complexes found in requests and seventeen in responses The complexity of these structures may impact the comprehension of testees To enhance clarity, we reworded the clauses by incorporating conjunctions while maintaining their logical-semantic relations, as suggested by Halliday (1994) The resulting logical-semantic relations are paratactic, and the conjunctions are detailed in the accompanying table.
Table 4: Inserted conjunctions in the short conversations
The table illustrates the use of conjunctions in the conversations, highlighting "in fact" for elaboration, "and" for extension, and "so" for enhancement These conjunctions are present in the clause complexes, appearing ten times in requests and thirteen times in responses Overall, there are twenty instances of these conjunctions across the analyzed conversations.
The use of conjunctions such as "in fact," "and," and "so" in clause complexes presents significant challenges for test takers With 15 instances of "in fact" and "and," and 1 and 32 using "in fact" and "so," the absence of these logical-semantic links complicates comprehension Examinees listen to fast-paced conversations only once, requiring them to mentally rephrase utterances without the ability to take notes or refer back to previous contexts This difficulty is amplified by the fact that two-thirds of the selected short conversations contain these conjunctions, forcing test takers to continuously process information clause by clause.
The analysis reveals that the clauses within the clause complexes are interconnected through embedded expansions Notably, the conversations feature five embedded clauses, which include both finite and non-finite forms Examples of finite embedded clauses can be found in clause complexes 6, with the phrase "who knows a lot about Portland," and in clause complex 14, which states "they could be back."
The analysis identifies various clauses, highlighting that clauses 17 and 19 are non-finite, with "calling" and "Driving at night" serving as nominalizations, while clause 18 is finite, represented by "you could come." Requests are exemplified by clauses 6, 17, and 19, whereas responses are found in clauses 14 and 18 Notably, among the five embedded clauses, the non-finite act in clause complex 19 aligns with Halliday's (1994) observations on nominalization.
Relative clauses, such as those found in sentences 14, 17, and 18, can pose challenges for test-takers due to their complexity and the additional information they provide These embedded clauses contribute to the intricate structure of clause complexes, particularly through nominalization, which is an abstract method of expressing ideas known as grammatical metaphor The interdependence and logical-semantic relationships among these embedded clauses and other components within clause complexes will be explored in greater detail in the following section of the thesis.
This section explores key discourse features of requests and their responses, highlighting how these elements influence test takers' comprehension of conversations The analysis focuses on clause complexes, revealing their impact on understanding meaning The next section will provide a detailed examination of the interdependency and logical-semantic relationships among the clauses within these complexes.
2.3 Expansion in the requests and their responses of the short conversations
In this section of the thesis, we will delve deeper into the interdependency and logico-semantic relations among clauses within clause complexes, building on our previous analysis of discourse features The configuration of clause complexes in requests and responses will be examined, with original conjunctions emphasized in bold and underlined for clarity We will utilize Halliday's notation system (1994:219) to facilitate our analysis of these clause complexes.
For the types of the interdependency or the taxis among the clauses, we use:
For the logico-semantic relations among the clauses, we use:
+ : for extension in expansion, x : for enhancement in expansion,
These notations are combined in the following example in which they are put into the small tables inserted right below the clause complexes:
(man) ///I need to talk to someone//[[who knows a lot about Portland]].//In fact,
1 α = β (clarification) someone said//you lived there.///(6)
(woman) Oh, but I was really young at the time
The clause complex in the man's request comprises two independent clauses: "I need to talk to someone who knows a lot about Portland" and "in fact, someone said you lived there," which are in a paratactic relationship The first clause includes "I need to talk to someone" (independent) and "who knows a lot about Portland" (dependent), elaborating on "someone." The second independent clause consists of "in fact, someone said" (independent) and the locution "(that) you lived there" (dependent) These sub-clauses are detailed in the lower rows, with logico-semantic relations indicated in brackets, such as (= β (embedded)) and (= 2 (clarification)), enhancing the understanding of how each clause expands on the other.
Following is the analysis of the clause complexes, or more specifically, the description and interpretation of clause expansion in the requests and their responses of the conversations:
(woman) I‘m looking for a lightweight jacket … navy blue … medium …
(man) ///Let‘s see.//So have you checked the sales rack in the back?//In fact, there were still a few there yesterday.///(1)
(man) Can you come over for dinner tonight?
(woman) ///I‘m up to my ears in work,//so I‘ll have to take a rain check.///(2)
(man) Hello? I‘d like two seats for this evening‘s show
(woman) ///Sorry, but the performance is already sold out.//So would you be interested in something later this week?///(3)
(man) My wife and I would like to have you over for dinner on Friday
(woman) ///That‘s very kind of you,//but I have theater tickets for that evening.///(4)
(man) I‘d like you to come with me to the opening of the photography exhibit
(woman) ///I‘m exhausted!//So you‘ll have to manage without me tonight.///(5)
(man) ///I need to talk to someone//[[who knows a lot about Portland]].//In fact,
1 α = β (clarification) someone said//you lived there.///(6)
(woman) Oh, but I was really young at the time
(woman) ///Could you please tell me//where to find running shoes?///(7) α ―β
(man) Yes, they‘d be on the second floor in sporting goods
(man) ///I‘d like to borrow that book//after you‘ve finished it.///(8) α x β (temporal)
(woman) Sure, but I‘ve promised it to Jane first
(woman) ///Could you bring my calculator back —//In fact, I need it//to do my math homework tonight.///(9)
(man) ///I don‘t know//how to put this —//but, uh, I dropped it,//and now the ―on‖ button doesn‘t light up.///(10)
(woman) ///Can you come to the concert with me this weekend,//or do you have to prepare for exams?///(11)
(man) ///I still have a lot//to do … //but maybe a break would do me good.///(12)
(man) ///Hello, this is Mark Smith.//And I‘m calling to see//if my blood test results are in.///(13)
(woman) ///Dr Miller just sent them to the lab last night,//so the earliest[[they could be back]] is tomorrow.///(14)
(woman) ///Come on,//in fact, we‘re almost there.//And I‘ll race you to the top of the hill.///(15)
(man) ///I‘m so out of shape;//so I might have to crawl the rest of the way.///(16)
(man) ///Yes, hello, this is Robert White//[[ calling ]].//And could Dr Jones see
(elaboration) me on Tuesday morning instead of Tuesday afternoon?///(17)
(woman) ///Tuesday morning? Let‘s see …//So is that the only other time [[you could come?]]///(18)
(man) ///[[Driving at night]] always makes me tired.//So let‘s stop for dinner.///(19)
(woman) ///Fine! And let‘s find a motel, too —//So instead of continuing on,//we can get an early start tomorrow.///(20)
(woman) ///I really want to see the play at the outdoor theater tonight.//So will you come with me?///(21)
(man) ///You know//I hate battling all those mosquitoes.//But … if you have your heart set on it ….///(22)
(woman) ///Excuse me, could you by any chance tell me//where the dean‘s office is?///(23) α ―β
(man) ///I‘m sorry.//In fact, I‘m just visiting a friend here.///(24)
(man) ///Can you go over my notes with me?//In fact, I‘ll never understand all these chemistry experiments.///(25)
(woman) ///You know,//review sessions are being held every night this week.//And
1 α ‗β they‘re supposed to be good.///(26)
(woman) ///Could you please tell me//where I can find a CD by the Beatles?///(27) α ―β
(man) ///Sure, it would be over there with all the CD‘s in pop rock.//In fact,
1 they‘re arranged alphabetically by group.///(28)
(woman) ///Do you think//you could give me a ride to the library tonight?///(29) α ‗β
(man) ///I‘d like to,//but I‘m heading in the other direction —//In fact, I‘m meeting Jean tonight.///(30)
(man) ///Hi, I‘d like to sign up for the film selection committee.//So is this the right place?///(31)
(woman) ///Yes, it is!//In fact, there are a lot of fun people on that committee,//but
1 = 2 (clarification) you‘ll have to put in a lot of hours.//So I hope//your schedule isn‘t too tight.///(32)
The analysis reveals that clause expansion in conversational requests and responses is achieved through both original and inserted conjunctions, utilizing parataxis and hypotaxis to establish various logical-semantic relations, including elaboration, extension, and enhancement The accompanying tables illustrate the percentages of these relations within the clause complexes of the conversations, distinguishing between explicit use of original conjunctions and implicit use of inserted conjunctions.
Table 5: Percentages of paratactic expansion in the short conversations
Table 6: Percentages of hypotactic expansion in the short conversations
The analysis of the two tables reveals that enhancement is the most prevalent feature in conversations, comprising 45.8% (27.1% paratactic enhancement and 18.7% hypotactic enhancement) In contrast, elaboration and extension collectively account for 25.0% (18.7% paratactic elaboration and 6.3% hypotactic elaboration) and 29.2% (27.1% paratactic extension and 2.1% hypotactic extension), respectively Paratactic expansion is dominant at 72.9%, with extension and enhancement leading at 27.1%, while elaboration is notably lower at 18.7% Within paratactic elaboration, inserted conjunctions represent 8.3% in requests and 10.4% in responses Paratactic extension features both original and inserted conjunctions, with original conjunctions in responses at 16.6% and requests at 2.1% Inserted conjunctions account for 6.3% in requests and 2.1% in responses In paratactic enhancement, only inserted conjunctions are present, with responses dominating at 14.5% compared to 6.3% in requests Hypotactic expansion, which is solely based on original conjunctions, constitutes 27.1%, with enhancement being the leading component.
In the analysis of conjunction usage, requests exhibit a total expansion of 39.7%, with 2.1% from explicit conjunctions and 20.9% from implicit conjunctions in paratactic expansion, alongside 16.7% from explicit conjunctions in hypotactic expansion In contrast, responses show a higher expansion rate of 60.3%, including 22.9% from explicit conjunctions and 27.0% from implicit conjunctions in paratactic expansion, as well as 10.4% from explicit conjunctions in hypotactic expansion This disparity suggests that the structural complexity of responses is greater than that of requests, presenting a challenge for testees, as the focus of questions typically centers on the responses.
Clause complexes expand through both conjunctions and projection, with projection playing a key role in ten specific complexes Notably, complexes 6, 7, 13, 23, 27, and 29 focus on expressing requests, while complexes 10, 22, 26, and 32 are centered on responses This interplay between expansion via conjunctions and projection adds complexity to conversations, both in structure and meaning, potentially posing challenges for examinees.
This section of the thesis explores the interdependency and logico-semantic relations among clauses within clause complexes, focusing primarily on conjunctions as the key connectors in conversational exchanges While projection is frequently noted, it is not the central theme of this dissertation The analysis highlights how conjunctions facilitate connections not only within individual utterances but also across both requests and responses A detailed examination of the functions of these conjunctions will be presented in the following section.
2.4 Conjunctions for expansion in the requests and their responses of the short conversations
CONCLUSION 38
Major findings 38
In addressing the research questions outlined in section 2 of part one, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of twenty short conversations, focusing on clause complex analysis, clause expansion analysis, and conjunction analysis.
Clause complex analysis has clarified the boundaries of clauses and clause complexes in conversational requests and responses This analysis reveals how implicit conjunctions convey logico-semantic relationships among clauses, particularly in paratactic expansions that can be enhanced by embedded expansions Overall, clause complexes often dominate conversations where implicit paratactic expansion is prevalent.
Clause expansion analysis reveals how clause complexes are formed through expansion and projection, highlighting key discourse features such as elaboration, extension, and enhancement percentages The findings show that enhancement and paratactic expansion are prevalent in conversations, with expansion occurring more frequently in responses compared to requests.
Conjunction analysis reveals the flexible roles of conjunctions in thematic structures, enhancing the expression of speakers' intentions through expansion and projection Both paratactic and hypotactic conjunctions are commonly used in speech act-based requests, while rheme in responses often extends to form adjacency pairs, contributing to conversational implicature Notably, rejections frequently follow the structure: “(But) + reason for rejecting, (so) + result of the rejection.” Requests utilize projecting verbs such as “said,” “think,” “tell,” and “see” to convey politeness, whereas responses often employ “know” and “hope” to reflect feelings and attitudes These discourse features contribute to conversations that are natural, dynamic, and engaging, albeit complex in conveying the speakers' intentions.
Implications 39
The study reinforces Halliday's (1994) theory that expansion can occur among clauses in a complex without the use of conjunctions, while maintaining logico-semantic relations in communication It reveals a lower frequency of hypotactic embedded expansions and nominalization, known as grammatical metaphor, in spoken language compared to hypotactic expansion Furthermore, the research enhances Halliday's theory by applying the concept of expansion to two-utterance conversations, where the second utterance serves to expand the first, introducing a novel aspect to Halliday's examples of expansion.
The study emphasizes that effective listening practice should be paired with strategic training, equipping learners with essential tips and tactics tailored to the discourse features of various speech acts It is crucial to provide context for language functions, particularly focusing on the subsystem of conjunctions, which aids in conveying meanings and intentions Integrating listening practice with other language skills, especially speaking, enhances communication proficiency in English Teachers can engage students by having them connect clauses using conjunctions, fill in gaps in conversations, and respond to recorded dialogues Additionally, collaborative pair work allows students to create and practice their own conversations, reinforcing their understanding of conjunction usage Educators play a vital role in facilitating these tasks by imparting necessary knowledge and strategies.
Suggestions for further research 40
In our M.A minor thesis, we focused on analyzing requests and their responses within thirty-two clause complexes derived from twenty short conversations, using the framework of clause expansion in Systemic Functional Grammar The conversations were selected exclusively from Part A of the listening comprehension scripts in the "TOEFL Preparation Kit Workbook 2002-2003, Volume 1" published by ETS Future research should expand to include additional speech acts, such as compliments and complaints, as well as their responses in the clause complexes found in Volumes 2 and 3 by ETS This broader analysis could provide deeper insights into these conversations by exploring various aspects of Systemic Functional Grammar, including the transitivity system, mood structure, thematic structure, and cohesion.
Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo đã ban hành Thông tư số 08/2009/TT-BGDĐT vào năm 2009, nhằm sửa đổi và bổ sung một số điều của Quy chế đào tạo trình độ thạc sĩ Thông tư này được áp dụng theo Quyết định số 45/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT, có hiệu lực từ ngày 5 tháng 8 năm 2008, do Bộ trưởng Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo ký.
Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo đã ban hành Thông tư số 10/2009/TT-BGDĐT quy định về đào tạo trình độ tiến sĩ, trong khi Đại học Thái Nguyên cũng đã có Quyết định số 805/QĐ-TCCB quy định các chính sách tuyển dụng và ưu đãi dành cho giảng viên.
ETS (2004), TOEFL Preparation Kit Workbook 2002-2003, Volume 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí
Minh: Nhà xuất bản Trẻ
Halliday, M.A.K and Hasan, R (1976), Cohesion in English, London: Longman
Halliday, M.A.K (1994), An Introduction to Functional Grammar, London: Edward
Vân, Hoàng Văn (Ed.) (2004), Dẫn luận ngữ pháp chức năng, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội
Vân, Hoàng Văn (2005a), Ngữ pháp kinh nghiệm của cú tiếng Việt: Mô tả theo quan điểm chức năng hệ thống, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học xã hội
Vân, Hoàng Văn (2005b), Nghiên cứu dịch thuật, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học xã hội Vân, Hoàng Văn (2006a), Introducing Discourse Analysis, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Giáo dục
Vân, Hoàng Văn (2006b), Translation: Theory and Practice, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Giáo dục
Nguyên, Huỳnh Thị Ái and Vịnh, Nguyễn Quang (2008), TOEFL-iBT bí quyết và thành công, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Giáo dục
Quang, Nguyễn (2007), Cú điển dụng học Anh – Việt, Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Từ điển bách khoa
Schiffrin, D (1994), Approaches to Discourse, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing
Thompson, G (1996), Introducing Functional Grammar, London: Edward Arnold
(woman) I‘m looking for a lightweight jacket … navy blue … medium …
(man) Let‘s see Have you checked the sales rack in the back? There were still a few there yesterday
(man) Can you come over for dinner tonight?
(woman) I‘m up to my ears in work, so I‘ll have to take a rain check
(man) Hello? I‘d like two seats for this evening‘s show
(woman) Sorry, but the performance is already sold out Would you be interested in something later this week?
(man) My wife and I would like to have you over for dinner on Friday
(woman) That‘s very kind of you, but I have theater tickets for that evening
(man) I‘d like you to come with me to the opening of the photography exhibit
(woman) I‘m exhausted! You‘ll have to manage without me tonight
(man) I need to talk to someone who knows a lot about Portland Someone said you lived there
(woman) Oh, but I was really young at the time
(woman) Could you please tell me where to find running shoes?
(man) Yes, they‘d be on the second floor in sporting goods
(man) I‘d like to borrow that book after you‘ve finished it
(woman) Sure, but I‘ve promised it to Jane first
(woman) Could you bring my calculator back — I need it to do my math homework tonight
(man) I don‘t know how to put this — but, uh, I dropped it, and now the ―on‖ button doesn‘t light up
(woman) Can you come to the concert with me this weekend, or do you have to prepare for exams?
(man) I still have a lot to do … but maybe a break would do me good
(man) Hello, this is Mark Smith I‘m calling to see if my blood test results are in
(woman) Dr Miller just sent them to the lab last night, so the earliest they could be back is tomorrow
(woman) Come on, we‘re almost there I‘ll race you to the top of the hill
(man) I‘m so out of shape; I might have to crawl the rest of the way
(man) Yes, hello, this is Robert White calling Could Dr Jones see me on Tuesday morning instead of Tuesday afternoon?
(woman) Tuesday morning? Let‘s see … Is that the only other time you could come?
(man) Driving at night always makes me tired Let‘s stop for dinner
(woman) Fine! And let‘s find a motel, too — instead of continuing on, we can get an early start tomorrow.