5.

6 Circumstantial
elements
SLIDESMANIA.CO

Presented by Cong Uyen

 1. General characteristics

⬤The circumstantial elements, which lie

at the other end of the continuum.

Typically, they occur freely in all types of

process, and with essentially the same

SLIDESMANIA.CO

significance wherever they occur.

 Three perspectives
- We used the expression “circumstances associated with” or
“attendant on the process”, referring to examples such as
the location of an event in time or space, its manner, or its
cause.

- Whereas participants function in the mood grammar as

Subject or Complement, circumstances map onto Adjuncts.

- They are typically expressed not as nominal groups but as

SLIDESMANIA.CO

either adverbial groups or prepositional phrases.

 a. relational: circumstantial
1. when? (‘it was during’”
2. where? (‘it was at’)
3. how (‘it was by’)
4. why? (‘it was for’)
5. under what conditions?
b. relational: possessive
6. who with? (‘he had’)
c. relational: intensive
7. what as? (‘it was’)
SLIDESMANIA.CO
Table 1 – The three types of relational process
Jack was building a house.......
throughout the year Extent: duration
near the river Location: place
out of brick Manner: means
for his retirement Cause: purpose
despite his illness Contigency: concession
Jack was building a house......
with his daughters Accompaniment: comitation
Jack was building a house
as a vacation home Role: guise
 2. Types of circumstance!

1.Extent 6. Accompaniment
2.Location 7. Role
3.Manner 8. Matter
4.Cause 9. Angle
5.Contingency
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 1. Extent
Extent construes the extent of the unfolding of the
process in space-time:
• The distance.
• The duration
E.g: how far? how long? how many? how many times?.
The typical structure is a nominal group with quantifier:
*definite: five days, six weeks ,....
* indefinite: many miles, a long way......
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 2. Location

Location construes the location of the unfolding of the

process in space-time:
- the place.
- the time .
 where? when?
Place includes not only static location in space but also the
source, path and destination of movement.
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 3. Manner
Type Wh-form Examples
means how? what (mend it) with a fusewire
with?
quality how? (they sat there) in
complete silence
compariso what like? (he signs his name)
n differently
degree how much? (they all love her) deeply
SLIDESMANIA.CO

Table 2 – Examples of Manner circumstantials

 4. Cause

Type Wh-form Examples

reason why? (they left) because of the
how? draught
purpose what for? (it’s all done) with a view to
promotion
behalf who for? (put in a word) on my
behalf
SLIDESMANIA.CO

Table 3 – Examples of Cause circumstantials

 5. Contingency

Circumstances of Contingency specify an

element on which the actualization of the process
depends.

- Circumstantials of Condition: ‘in case of’, ‘in the

event of’, ‘on condition of’.
- Concession circumstantials: ‘despite,
notwithstanding’, ‘in spite of’ or ‘regardless of’.
- Default circumstantials : ‘if not, unless’, ‘in the
SLIDESMANIA.CO

absence of, in default of’.

 6. Accompaniment
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 7. Role: This category construes the
meanings ‘be’ and ‘become’
circumstantially.
Guise (be)

Product (become)
E.g: she was installed as chancellor, I come here as a friend.
 i.e: she is the chancellor, I am her friend.

E.g: Aren’t you growing into a big girl?

SLIDESMANIA.CO

 ‘becoming a big girl’.

 8. Matter

● Matter is expressed by prepositions such

as: about, concerning, with reference to
and of.

 E.g: Tell me about the Paris Review.

SLIDESMANIA.CO
 9. Angle

- It is related either to the Sayer of a verbal clause, with the

sense of ‘as....says’ or to the Senser of a mental clause
with the sense of ‘as....thinks’.
- ‘according to’, ‘in the words of’, ‘in the view/opinion of’,
‘from the standpoint of’.
E.g: According to the phlogistic theory, the part
[remaining after a substance was burned]] was simply
the original substance deprived of phlogiston.
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 3. Some difficulties in identifying circumstantial elements

3.1 Prepositional phrase as participant

SLIDESMANIA.CO
 3.2 Preposition attached to verb
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 REFERENCE
Halliday,M.A.K, (2014). Halliday’s Introduction
to Functional Grammar.4th Edition, New York,
Routledge (Taylor and Francis)
SLIDESMANIA.CO
 THANK YOU VERY MUCH
SLIDESMANIA.CO