exercise: tactical grammar construction for generation

Exercise: Tactical grammar construction for generation

Construct a systemic-functional grammar that can generate (at least) the following sentences:

1. John saw Mary.

2. Did John see Mary?

3. Mary was seen by John.

4. The woman saw John.

5. The ball is green.

6. The woman saw the green ball.

7. The woman saw the ball that was green.

Think of the semantics involved in each case, too.

Steps to a solution (1):constructing the network

1. Consider the linguistic functions of each clause

2. Consider the linguistic functions of each of the constituents of each clause

3. Consider which constituent-functions reoccur in different clauses

4. Consider in which orders and in which combinations the constituent-functions occur

Clause functions

1. John saw Mary.

2. Did John see Mary?

3. Mary was seen by John.

4. The woman saw John.

5. The ball is green.

6. The woman saw the green ball.

7. The woman saw the ball that was green.

Statement

Yes-no-question

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

A first ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

Constituent functions

1. [John] saw [Mary].

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

4. [The woman] saw [John].

5. [The ball] is [green].

6. [The woman] saw [the green ball].

7. [The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Constituent functions

1. [John] saw [Mary].

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

4. [The woman] saw [John].

5. [The ball] is [green].

6. [The woman] saw [the green ball].

7. [The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Constituent functions

[John] saw [Mary].

[The woman] saw [John].

[The woman] saw [the green ball].

[The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

Constituent functions

[John] saw [Mary].

[The woman] saw [John].

[The woman] saw [the green ball].

[The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

The one who senses something

The entity of phenomenon sensed

Senser Phenomenon

Constituent functions

sawSenser Phenomenon

[John][Mary]

Process

[The woman]

[John]

[the green ball]

[the ball that was green]

Constituent functions

Senser PhenomenonProcess

+Senser+Process+Phenomenon

Senser^ProcessProcess^Phenomenon

Constituent functions

sawSenser Phenomenon

[John][Mary]

Process

[The woman]

[John]

[the green ball]

[the ball that was green]

Constituent functions

! saw

Senser

Phenomenon

[John]

[John]

[Mary]

[the green ball]

[the ball that was green]

Process

[The woman]

NP / nominal groups NP / nominal groups

A first ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Process+Phenomenon

Constituent functions

1. [John] saw [Mary].

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

4. [The woman] saw [John].

5. [The ball] is [green].

6. [The woman] saw [the green ball].

7. [The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Constituent functions

1. [John] saw [Mary].

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

4. [The woman] saw [John].

5. [The ball] is [green].

6. [The woman] saw [the green ball].

7. [The woman] saw [the ball that was green].

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Statement

Constituent functions

5. [The ball] is [green].

? ?Process

is

Constituent functions

5. [The ball] is [green].

? ?Process

is

The thing that carries some property

The property that is attributed

Carrier Attribute

Constituent functions

! is

Carrier

Attribute[green]

Process

[The ball]

NP / nominal groups Adjectival phrase / Adjective

A first ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Process+Phenomenon

A second ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Process+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Process+Attribute

A second ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

Constituent functions

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

Constituent functions

3. [Mary] was seen [by [John]].

? ?Process

was seen

The entity of phenomenon sensed

The one who senses something

Phenomenon Senser

Grammatical proportionalities

John saw the ball : The ball was seen by John

::The woman saw the boy : The boy was seen by the woman

::John saw Mary : Mary was seen by John

::

[active clause] : [passive clause]

Grammatical proportionalities

John saw the ball : The ball was seen by John

::The woman saw the boy : The boy was seen by the woman

::John saw Mary : Mary was seen by John

::

[active clause] : [passive clause]

Senser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

A third ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

A third ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

A third ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

Subject^Process

Subject/Carrier

Clause functions

2. Did John see Mary?Yes-no-question

Clause functions

2. Did John see Mary?Yes-no-question

Process

Finite

Senser Phenomenon

Subject

Senser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Finite^Subject

A third ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

Subject^Process

Subject/Carrier

+Subject

A third ‘decision point’ or grammatical system

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Process

passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

Subject^Finite

Subject/Carrier

Finite^Subject

+Subject

One “micro-grammar” for the exercise clauses: version 1

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Subject+Process+Finite passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveform

Subject^FiniteFinite/Process

Subject/Carrier

Finite^Subject

One “micro-grammar” for the exercise clauses: version 2

statement

Yes-no-question

+Senser+Phenomenon

sensing

attributing+Carrier+Attribute

+Subject +Process+Finite

passive

activeSenser / SubjectProcess :: activeform

Phenomenon / SubjectProcess :: passiveformSubject^Finite

Finite/Process

Subject/Carrier

Finite^Subject

NP or nominal group functions

[John]

[Mary]

[The woman]

[the green ball]

[the ball that was green]

?[the ball]