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SUMMARY FG ARTICLE 1
1. What is functional grammar
Functional grammar, based on system linguistics, emphasizes the way spoken and written
language operate in different social situations.
Halliday points out that functional grammar is so-called because its conceptual framework is
a functional one rather than a formal one. It is functional in three distinct senses: in its
interpretation (1) of texts, (2) of the system, and (3) of the elements of linguistic structures.
2. Key concepts in FG
FG has many concepts, such as: Functions and system, hierarchical rankinng of units, clause
and sentence, theme, mood, transitivity.
3. Differences in nature between FG and Traditional Grammar
Functional grammar focuses on the way language is put together so that meaning is
communicated for particular purposes, and looks at a language as a system of meaning.
Traditional grammar is concerned with the ways words are organized within sentences and
looks at a language as a set of rules.
In other words, functional grammar is different from traditional grammar in that it focuses on
language as a meaning-making resource rather than as a set of rules