OLIVA LINARES MARÍA BELÉN
Libros
Título:
English Text Grammar: Basic notions on Systemic-Functional Grammar
Editorial:
Ferreyra Editor
Referencias:
Lugar: Córdoba; Año: 2015 p. 104
ISSN:
978-987-1742-73-8
Resumen:
The main purpose of this book is to introduce university students of English Grammar into the world of Systemic-Functional Grammar (SFG). Here we aim at offering them a new perspective on grammar: one which not only describes and explains sentence structure but also relates grammatical items and structures to the texts in which they are inserted. From the theoretical perspective of SFG, the linguistic system offers a multiplicity of choices to arrange words in grammatical structures, and these choices allow language users to make different meanings. In turn, for systemicists meaning is always achieved in texts rather than in individual sentences. Following this functional approach to the study of language, this book aims at promoting a reflection on language as a meaning-making resource and on the relevance of appropriate lexico-grammatical choices in the production of effective texts. We have tried to summarize the principal areas of study of SFG with simple explanations, examples and texts that illustrate the topics discussed. Some of the most significant works carried out by important Systemic-Functional linguists have been cited and quoted to preserve the meanings made in the original sources. We have also included tasks and activities whose objective is to empower students to see and analyze texts from this new perspective on grammar. This book does not intend to be an exhaustive review of SFG. It is solely the first step into the world of Text Grammar. Our intention is to open up a door that will guide our students, but those interested in SFG will find in the book some of the authors they may consult if they feel attracted to keep on researching into this functional approach to grammar. The organization of the present work goes from a brief introduction to the three main meanings studied by SFG (ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings) to some of the main areas of study touched upon by this approach: The relationship between the clause as a lexicogrammatical unit and the text as a semantic unit, the cohesive resources that create semantic links across sentences in texts, logico-semantic relations, structural relations between clauses, the organization of information in clauses and its contribution to textual continuity, interaction through choices in the systems of mood and modality, and the relation between the use of tenses and particular text types.