Language For Expressing Ideas.docx

GRAMMAR FOR EXPRESSING PROCESSES: ACTION VERBS, SAYING VERBS, SENSING VERBS, RELATING VERBS, EXISTING VERBS

1.1 GRAMMAR Grammar can be defined as the way of describing how a language works to make meaning (Derewianka, 2011). Furthermore, if there is no grammar rule, English would be almost impossible to understand. As an example, the utterance “store to buy cheese go the tea girls store” would barely understand and meaningful; while, “The girls are going to store to buy tea and cheese” is can be understood.

2.1 A MULTI-PURPOSE GRAMMAR Grammar has two basic purposes which are identified as meaning and form (Derewianka, 2011). To do with meaning, it focuses on how linguistic choices create certain meanings so it will lead to extend and interpret meanings. Meanwhile, when to focus is on the form, it deals with how various grammatical features are structured. Instead, there is a connected relationship between meaning and form, it portrays how different grammatical categories are involved in the construction of meaning which answer certain qualifications such as: 1. What range of meanings do verbs express? 2. How can my choice of nouns affect the meaning of the text? 3. How can I use certain types of adjectives to express my opinion about something? 4. Which grammatical features are involved in skills such as classifying, defining, describing, generalising, and exemplifying? 5. Which linguistic features can help me produce a text that is coherent and cohesive? 6. How do grammatical patterns change from text to text? Why and with what effect? 7. How does the context affect the kinds of grammatical choices made?

3.1 LANGUAGE FOR EXPRESSING IDEAS The most fundamental function of language is to represent experience, to express and to understand what goes in life (Derewianka, 2011). In the academic context, it includes using and understanding the language of the different areas of the curriculum. In this case, the language

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used in Science, History, English literary text will be different from each other because they develop knowledge and understandings relevant to that area. One of the ways to observe what is happening in the world is by observing the clause which can be called as the basic unit of meaning. Clauses represent the world by providing information about what is going on, who or what is taking part, and any circumstances surrounding the activity such as when, where and how. In addition, when the students observe the clause, they will be able to think in terms of chunks of meaning rather than individual words.

4.1 GRAMMAR EXPRESSES PROCESS There are different processes that capture the meaning or function the experience. Processes typically take the form of verbs or verb groups. Through the verb groups, we can express different aspects of our experience, which are; a. What we do (action verbs), b. What we say (saying verbs), c. What we think, feel and perceive (sensing verbs), d. How we create links between bits of information (relating verbs), e. How we refer to things that simply ‘exist’ (existing verbs).

4.1.1 Action Verbs Much of experience consists of physical activity. The words that involve physical activities are called action verbs. They express the notion that some entity ‘does’ something (Halliday, 1994). Particularly, action verbs can be found in texts such as procedures, recounts, and narratives. The example of action verbs are: Blow

Buy

Come

Do

Drive

Eat

Fly

Get

Give

Live

Limp

Make

Play

Roam

Rub

Run

Shake

Slip

Take

Work

Verbs often represent actions and that the choice of more expressive verbs makes an action more vivid. In this case, there are some differences of choosing the words between younger and 2

older students. Younger students tend to choose expressive action verbs while older students tend to choose selected action verbs to construct a series of events in an historical account. Furthermore, professional writers tend to use action verbs to indicate action sequence to create a sense of dynamic action. However, it must be noted that not all actions verbs represent physical activities. Sometimes they are relatively abstract such as “Can you manage all right?” “She retained her sense of humour.” “The inflation rate has increased lately.” There is also a group of similar to action verbs that are sometimes referred to as “behavioural processes” (Derewianka, 2011). It involves bodily actions usually only with one participant such as “stare, listen, worry, dream, breathe, sneeze, cough, hiccup, burp, faint, yawn, sleep, cry, laugh, smile, fawn, sleep, cry, laugh, etc.” 4.1.2 Saying Verbs Not all experience is represented directly through action, but it is reported verbally. It is called saying verbs or verbal processes according to Halliday (1994). It includes all modes of expressing and indicating, even if they need not be verbal, such as "showing". The content of what is said or indicated can be realised as a full projected clause, a participant (verbiage), or a circumstance (matter). See examples below. The x-ray shows a small lump in Alvin's throat Pt:

Pr:

Pt:

Sayer

Verbal Verbiage

Circ: Location

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The doctor expressed some concern Pt:

Pr:

Pt:

Sayer

Verbal

Verbiage

Alvin complained about the discomfort Pt:

Pr:

Circ:

Sayer Verbal

Matter

He

mumbled that the ball ruined his appearance

Pt:

Pr:

[Separate ranking clause]

Sayer Verbal

Below are the lists of some common saying verbs. Ask

Deny

Plead

Respond

Stammer

Claim

Explain

Promise

Say

Suggest

Continue

Imply

Reply

Scream

Tell

Cry

Murmur

Report

Shout

Whisper

To determine whether a verb is a saying verb or not, it can be tested by asking whether it can be followed by items such as ‘that’, whether’ or ‘what’, such as: She promised that she would come back. She claimed that it was a plot. She explained what had been troubling her. She asked whether she could go home. 4

Another test is to see whether the verb can take a ‘receiver’: She promised him …; She explained to her mother...; She asked the teacher…; It must be noted that to testify whether a verb is a saying verb or not will depend on the context. For example; “He screamed that he was hungry.” (Saying verb) “The baby didn’t stop screaming.” (Action verb) Saying verbs are found most commonly in stories because the characters show how they speak and interact with others. In the following passage, for example, J.K. Rowling could have simply said that Dudley was a spoilt child, but instead she gives an insight into his personality through the choice of saying verbs: “Make it move,” he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass but the snake didn’t budge. “Do it again,” Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. “This is boring,” Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling

Different saying verbs used in a text such as pleaded, whispered, responded, sighed can be more effective than said because it will help the reader to build up the character and mood (Derewianka, 2011). 4.1.3 Sensing Verbs Sensing verbs reflect processes of ‘internal world’ which typically used only in relation to humans or non-humans given human-like qualities – describing what they think, feel, desire and perceive.

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Below are some examples: Thinking

Feeling and wanting

Perceiving

Know

Decide

Like

See

Reflect

Consider

Hate

Taste

Comprehend

Recall

Dislike

Hear

Believe

Hypothesise

Want

Smell

Imagine

Wonder

Wish

Observe

Forget

Understand

Need

Notice

Remember

Assume

Fear

Sense

Recollect

Recognise

Enjoy

Realise

Infer

To testify whether a verb is a sensing verb or not, a sensing verb will usually take a simple tense such as “She forgot …,” “She realized….” Instead of progressive “She was forgetting…” In a story, sensing verbs can give the readers insight into the characters of the story by describing what is going on in their minds. They are often employed when the characters reflect on the action or evaluate what is happening in the story. Thinking verbs are used to express processes of cognition and can feature in text such as arguments and discussions. Sensing verbs are concerned with people’s feelings and desires too. It can be seen from the text such as romance novels, poems, songs and blogs. It encompasses actions of perception too which involve the use of senses such as hearing, seeing, tasting, and smelling 4.1.4 Relating Verbs There are some verbs that do not represent actions, speaking, thoughts or feelings. Their job is to link two pieces of information. As the term ‘relational’ suggests, this is not being in the 6

sense of existing (Halliday, 1994). These are called relating verbs. The most common relating verbs are the verbs be and have and variations on these. Being

Having

Am, is, are

Represent

Have, has, had

Was, were

Remain

Own

Mean

Is called

Possess

Become

Equal

Include

Turn into

Symbolize

Comprise

Seem

Lack

Appear

Encompass

In some cases, a link is being made between the thing being described and its description. Thing being described

Relating verb

Description

The girls

become

close friends

The sky

Grew

darker

In other cases, the link is between a thing and how it is being identified or defined. Thing being identified

Relating verb

Identifier

A solid

refers to

a

figure

having

three

dimension The land

is symbolized by

the colour red

In the case of a true definition of a true definition, it is possible to reverse the two participants A bat

Is

the only mammal that can fly

The

only mammal that is

a bat

can fly It has to be noted that some of the verbs above appear to be the same as sensing verbs. Generally, however, if they are followed by a describing item (eg.using adjective), they have a relating function, linking something to its description.

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The bread tastes stale. The flowers smelled divine. I felt sore all over. It looked suspicious. All the sentences above use sensing verbs but the function change into relating verbs because it is used in different context. Furthermore, it is important to remember that a word can have a different function depending on the context. 4.1.5 Existing Verbs Another type of verb is where there is no action or relationship being described which is called existing verb. The verb represents that something exists or happens. “There was an old house on the hill” “There are no decent shows on television.” The word there has no representational function but it is needed as a subject. In this case, ‘there’ refers to the existence of something, not a place.

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REFERENCES Derewianka, B. (2011). A new grammar companion for teachers. Australia: Primary English Teaching Association. Halliday, M. A. (1985). 1994. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.

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