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This book describes and evaluates alternative approaches within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to representing the structure of language at the level of form. It assumes no prior knowledge of SFL, and can therefore be read as an introduction to current issues within the theory. It will interest any linguist who takes a functional approach to understanding language. Part 1 summarizes the major developments in the forty years of SFL's history, including alternative approaches within Halliday’s own writings and the emergence of the "Cardiff Grammar" as an alternative to the "Sydney Grammar". It questions the theoretical status of the 'multiple structure' representations in Halliday’s influential Introduction to Functional Grammar (1994), demonstrating that Halliday’s model additionally needs an integrating syntax such as that described in Part 2. Part 2 specifies and discusses the set of 'categories' and 'relationships' that are needed in a theory of syntax for a modern, computer-implementable systemic functional grammar. The theoretical concepts are exemplified at every point, usually from English but occasionally from other languages. The book is both a critique of Halliday’s current theory of syntax and the presentation of an alternative version of SFL that is equally systemic and equally functional.

Table of contents Acknowledgements v An invitation vii List of figures xiv Preface xv Preface to the 2010 paperback edition xxv–xxviii 1 Introduction PART 1: PROLEGOMENON TO THE THEORY 2 SFL's original theory of syntax: Scale and Category Grammar 15 3 The place of syntax in a modern Systemic Functional Grammar 33 4 Halliday's later changes to the Scale and Category model 45 5 Syntax in a generative systemic functional grammar 77 6 The major concepts of An Introduction to Functional Grammar 95 7 The problem of the representations in IFG (and an alternative approach) 107 8 "Some proposals for systemic syntax" 159 PART 2: THE NEW THEORY 9 A theory of syntax potential 171 10 A new theory of instances of syntax: (1) the categories of syntax 187 11 A new theory of instances of syntax: (2) the relationships between ‘categories’ 233 12 Summary, conclusions and prospects 273 Appendix A: A fragment of a generative systemic functional grammar 297 Appendix B: A summary of English syntax for the text analyst 303 Appendix C: The 'rank scale' debate 309 References 339 Index 353

"Like most linguistic theories, Systemic Functional Linguistics comes in various flavours. Undoubtedly the two most influential varieties [...] are what we may call the Sydney and Cardiff approaches, the first [...] being associated with Halliday and his colleagues in Australia, and the second with the team headed by Robin Fawcett at Cardiff University. Fawcett's new book is especially welcome because [it] offers a [...] convincing critique of many fundamental concepts in Halliday's work and presents a set of proposals which avoid the problems which have been identified. His book, written in the spirit of constructive criticism, offers a considerable challenge to the Sydney grammarians: it remains to be seen whether this challenge will be taken up." Christopher S. Butler, 2002, University of Wales, Swansea. "If SFG is to occupy the place which some linguists would say it deserves, its postulates should be subjected to fair public scrutiny. This is just what [this] book does." Christopher S. Butler, 2000, University of Wales, Swansea.