THE STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS IDEATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
INTRODUCTION
The overall definition of “meaning” has ever being elusive to linguists. With over twenty different definitions, it is deemed unstable. It is to this lack of a stable definition, that Ndimele(1999:7) says,”...the meaning of an expression to the receiver of the message, is the selection of the particular response he actually makes ,but to the sender, it is the selection of a response in the receiver which the sender intends his expression to evoke”.
Halliday(2012),gives three generalized functions expressing meaning. They are;
IDEATIONAL.
INTERPERSONAL
TEXUAL
This academic piece however, is aimed at discussing the structures that express Ideational and interpersonal meaning.
STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS IDEATIONAL MEANING.
Ideational meaning expresses how language conveys experience and is divided into logical and experiential meanings. The structures are;
(A) Transitivity System: Transitivity system is the base of resources for construing our experience, and this done, as noted, in terms of processes.
The processes include;
Mental
Material
Behavioural
Relational
Verbal
Existential.
Others include, intransitive and intransitive verbs, metaphor, participants, kinesis aspects, punctuality e .t .c
(B)Tense system: Tense is a verb-based method used to indicate the time, and sometimes the continuation or completeness, of an action or state in relation to the time of speaking.
The processes include;
(i)Present
(ii)Past
(iii)Future
(C)Aspects System: It refers to how an event or an action is to be viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual location in time.
The processes include;
(i)Perfective
(ii)Imperfective
(iii) Progressive.
STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
Interpersonal meaning comprises meanings derived from interaction among interlocutors, such as, connotative, situational or metaphorical meanings.
It is concerned with interaction among people, the possible influence of outcome of such interactions. The structures are;
(A) Intonation systems: Intonation system refer to the processes involved in the rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
The processes include;
(i)Falling Tone
(ii)High-rise Tone
(iii)Low-rise Tone
(iv) Falling-rising Tone
(v)Rising - falling Tone.
(B) INTONATION PATTERNS: Intonation pattern refers to the relationship between language and its users. They affect the whole utterance and are realized by tones.
The processes include;
(1) Tone
(2) Rhythm
(C) MOOD: Mood is used to refer to a verb category or form, which indicates whether the verb expresses a fact, a command, a condition, a question or a wish or possibility.
The processes include;
(i)Declarative
(ii)Interrogative
(iii)Imperative moods.
MODALITY CHOICES: Modality is a category of linguistics meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity.
The processes include;
(i)Modal
(ii)Non-modal
CONCLUSION
THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS ACADEMIC PIECE IS TO BRING TO LIGHT THE STRUCTURES (INCLUDING THEIR PROCESSES) THAT EXPRESS IDEATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
INTRODUCTION
The overall definition of “meaning” has ever being elusive to linguists. With over twenty different definitions, it is deemed unstable. It is to this lack of a stable definition, that Ndimele(1999:7) says,”...the meaning of an expression to the receiver of the message, is the selection of the particular response he actually makes ,but to the sender, it is the selection of a response in the receiver which the sender intends his expression to evoke”.
Halliday(2012),gives three generalized functions expressing meaning. They are;
IDEATIONAL.
INTERPERSONAL
TEXUAL
This academic piece however, is aimed at discussing the structures that express Ideational and interpersonal meaning.
STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS IDEATIONAL MEANING.
Ideational meaning expresses how language conveys experience and is divided into logical and experiential meanings. The structures are;
(A) Transitivity System: Transitivity system is the base of resources for construing our experience, and this done, as noted, in terms of processes.
The processes include;
Mental
Material
Behavioural
Relational
Verbal
Existential.
Others include, intransitive and intransitive verbs, metaphor, participants, kinesis aspects, punctuality e .t .c
(B)Tense system: Tense is a verb-based method used to indicate the time, and sometimes the continuation or completeness, of an action or state in relation to the time of speaking.
The processes include;
(i)Present
(ii)Past
(iii)Future
(C)Aspects System: It refers to how an event or an action is to be viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual location in time.
The processes include;
(i)Perfective
(ii)Imperfective
(iii) Progressive.
STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
Interpersonal meaning comprises meanings derived from interaction among interlocutors, such as, connotative, situational or metaphorical meanings.
It is concerned with interaction among people, the possible influence of outcome of such interactions. The structures are;
(A) Intonation systems: Intonation system refer to the processes involved in the rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
The processes include;
(i)Falling Tone
(ii)High-rise Tone
(iii)Low-rise Tone
(iv) Falling-rising Tone
(v)Rising - falling Tone.
(B) INTONATION PATTERNS: Intonation pattern refers to the relationship between language and its users. They affect the whole utterance and are realized by tones.
The processes include;
(1) Tone
(2) Rhythm
(C) MOOD: Mood is used to refer to a verb category or form, which indicates whether the verb expresses a fact, a command, a condition, a question or a wish or possibility.
The processes include;
(i)Declarative
(ii)Interrogative
(iii)Imperative moods.
MODALITY CHOICES: Modality is a category of linguistics meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity.
The processes include;
(i)Modal
(ii)Non-modal
CONCLUSION
THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS ACADEMIC PIECE IS TO BRING TO LIGHT THE STRUCTURES (INCLUDING THEIR PROCESSES) THAT EXPRESS IDEATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
IT ALSO BROUGHT TO LIGHT THEIR USES AND IMPORTANCE IN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION.
WORKS CITED
S.C. OPARA: INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTICS, 2017: 2ND EDITION.GABTONY AND ASSOCIATES LTD. NIGERIA.
MICHEAL ALOZIE NWALA: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS: A FIRST COURSE; 2015. REVISED EDITION. WISDOM PUBLISHERS LIMITED. NIGERIA.
HALLIDAY, M.A.K. AND HASAN, R. : COHESION IN ENGLISH:2012.
THE INTERNET GRAMMAR OF ENGLISH.COM: TENSE AND ASPECT.
STEP BY STEP ASSIGNMENT GUIDE
STEP ONE: START WITH AN INTRODUCTION (BEARING IN MIND, THE FIRST LAW OF AN INTRODUCTION: CAPTURING THE ATTENTION OF THE READER.)
START OFF WITH “MEANING”, THAT IS, ITS DEFINATION (ALSO BEARING IN MIND THAT IT HAS NO STABLE DEFINATION). BACK THIS UP BY QUOTING TEXTBOOKS OR FROM THE INTERNET.
ROUND UP THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH WITH YOUR THESIS STATEMENT.
STEP TWO: YOUR NEXT STEP IS TO DEFINE IDEATIONAL MEANING, AND HIGHLIGHT AND DEFINE ITS STRUCTURES. (MOST TEXTBOOKS DO NOT DEFINE THESE STRUCTURES AND THIS IS WHERE THE WISE INTERNET COMES ON STAGE)
EACH STRUCTURES HAS PROCESSES (OPTIONS) AND THESE PROCESSES SHOULD BE LISTED (NOT NECESSARILY EXPLAINED) UNDER THE STRUCTURE THEY BELONG TO.
FOLLOW THE SAME STEP FOR INTERPERSONAL MEANING.
STEP THREE: ROUND UP WITH A CONCLUSION. RESTATING YOUR THESIS AND SUMMARIZING YOUR INTRODUCTION, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THE SAME WORDS.
STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): WORKS CITED. INDICATE AT THE END OF YOUR WORK, THE AUTHORS AND TEXTBOOKS YOU QUOTED
Compiled and edited by
Amabebe Alexander
Q: For here lies the truth, meaning has a meaning, but to linguists, it has meanings and so has no meaning
-Amabebe Alexander
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