A Functional Linguistics Study Of The Thematized Comment Construction In English

The Thematized Comment Construction (TCC for short) has been one of the hottest topics, from Jespersen, Quirk, Biber, etc. to systemic linguists. It has been explained from different perspectives, its range is restricted and it is given various names.Based on these important studies, the dissertation is to explore the evaluative functions of TCC within the framework of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG).It sets out from two related theories, namely, the APPRAISAL THEROY (AT for short) by James Martin and Peter White, A LOCAL GRAMMAR OF EVALUATON (LGA for short) by Susan Hunston and John Sinclair. From the careful study of the two theories, the dissertation has found that there is a necessity to establish a new theoretical model due to two reasons: first, appraisals in a language exist at many different levels; and secondly, the current theories (AT and LGA) can not fully explain the mechanism of these appraisals. Many linguists in SFG have proposed the characteristics of appraisals at different levels. Therefore, a new theoretical model for appraisal system is necessary in order to explain the appraisals from the phonological stratum, to the lexicogrammatical stratum and to the discourse stratum (see Fig.3-5).Sinclair called the word for word recording and description of the world the expression of discourse in the autonomous plane, because it involves only the language describing the outside world, but has nothing to do with the manner of description of the outside world; at the same time he named the language highlighting the interpersonal and interactive aspects as the discourse in the interactive plane. This dissertation works with the concepts and calls the language expressing the views, position and stance of the speaker/writer in the autonomous plane as the appraisal in the autonomous plane; the language adjusting the direction of views, position and stance of the speaker/writer, or developing the interpersonal relations between the two sides in the interactive plane as the appraisal in the interactive plane. According to Biber, et al, there are significant differences between lexical means and grammatical means in indicating a stance. The most important point is that word is merely an expression of a single proposition of appraisal, but not in a relationship with other propositions. This dissertation has found that appraisals in the autonomous plane are related with speaker/writer's description of the world, whereas the appraisals in the interactive plane are related with the proposition in a clause.If the appraisals in autonomous plane are reflected in the choices of words, then the interactive appraisals are reflected in the attitude of the proposition in a clause. For the Thematized Comment Construction, its appraisal functions lie in both lexical means and grammatical means. The appraisals in autonomous plane are realized through lexical means, and the appraisals in the interactive plane are realized through grammatical means.On the bases of the Appraisal Theory (AT), the dissertation proposes the Extendable Appraisal Theory (EAT). EAT includes a theory model which is extended from AT, a working framework of autonomous plane and interactive plane, and a superordinate term"Appraisal deictic"followed by two subordinate terms"Lexical appraisal deictic"and"Structural appraisal deictic". According to EAT, all appraisals have appraisal deictic which could be lexical or structural. EAT is theoretically significant in two aspects: first, it could explain the appraisal mechanism of the Thematized Comment Construction in terms of lexicogrammar at a much greater depth; and secondly, it could explain the functions and characteristics of the Thematized Comment Construction in a discourse.Under the working framework of autonomous plane and interactive plane, the appraisals in the two planes are conditions for each other. First, appraisal in the autonomous plane indicates the speaker/writer's subjective or objective attitude, stance or views about the outside world, and has nothing to do with the manners of expressing. Its working interface is composed of speaker/writer and the outside world. But without purpose of interaction, the appraisal will lose its significance. Secondly, appraisal in the interactive plane needs the appraisal in autonomous plane as a necessary prerequisite. Its working interface is composed of speaker/writer and hearer/reader. It needs the appraisal in the autonomous plane as resource to work on, acting as force and reaction, tuning and anti-tuning in the interaction.Therefore, under the framework of EAT, the dissertation studies the appraisal functions of the Thematized Comment Construction in both autonomous plane and interactive plane. In autonomous appraisal plane, Attitude, Graduation and Engagement are categorized. In each of the subsystem, more subtle subsystems are categorized. Attitude can be divided into three sub differential forms: Affect, Judgment and Appreciation. Graduation is composed of force and focus. Engagement is divided into four differential forms: disclaim, proclaim, entertain and attribute. In the interactive appraisal plane, Reference and Lead-in are categorized. For Reference, Free-type and Contracted-type are its components. For Lead-in, six subsystems are its components: Cause and effect, Transition, Progress, Concessions, Sequence and Selection.The subjectivity and the objectivity are important characteristics of evaluators'appraisal. The perspective, affect and epistemic modality of an evaluator are decisive factors for his appraisals. In the process of appraisal, speaker/writer would make assumptions, or attributes information to a person, on which, at the same time, hearer/reader could figure it out how much he can count. Hence, the subjectivity and objectivity of appraisal are important parameters of interaction between hearer /reader and speaker/writer. Subjective assumption has performative functions along the interaction between speaker/writer and hearer /reader. However, the objective proposition attribution has descriptive functions. By way of objectification, the Thematized Comment Construction could be used in a free and flexible way by the speaker/writer. From the pragmatic perspective, there are three advantages: first, pragmatic purpose is hidden without leaking the source of information; secondly, the objectification of impersonal subject facilitates the discharging of responsibility; thirdly, the Thematized Comment Construction could even turn the tentative idea into realities in terms of proposition.The unique characteristic of the construction is that the Thematized Comment Construction is very special considering its combination of subjectivity, objectivity and intersubjectivity. The strong point is that on one hand, it could be put into description of things of the outside world, indicating personal opinions and attitudes, without taking any responsibility; on the other hand it also enables the exchanging of service and information, developing interpersonal relationship, making dialogue with a variety of appraisal resources. The dissertation summarizes four intersubjective functions of the Thematized Comment Construction: as hedges, as stance marker, as emphatics and as deictic of attribution.The dissertation proposes two applicable principles of subjective appraisal,(1) Attitude deixis marked with relation to speaker/writer's attitude (including epistemic attitude deixis, deixis about context and about discourse structure),(2) Overt time and space deixis,(3) The Relevance Principle predominates, the more indicative to the speaker/writer, the more subjective the appraisals are; and three applicable principles for objective appraisal :(1) Attitude deixis marked the attention to all overt participants,(2) They are declaratives minimally marked regarding to speaker and to modality.(3) The Quality Principle predominates.In addition, two principles for intersubjective appraisals are proposed, they are:(1) Deixis is in reference to hearer/ reader or social relation (including titles, hedges, politeness markers), (2) The Relevance Principle and the Quality Principle predominate.Martin and Rose (2003) indicate that appraisal is one of the most important components of discourse semantics. Therefore, the dissertation also summarizes three textual functions of the Thematized Comment Construction as follows: (1) topic and information, (2) cohesion, (3) interaction. When the Thematized Comment Construction functions as topic, it can function as either super theme or minor theme. The cohesion functions of the Thematized Comment Construction includes beginning, progress, contrast and conclusion. The construction can promote the interaction in the dialogue with the purpose of cultivating ideal relationship, marching towards the direction that speaker/writer presupposes; it can even be used to adjust the direction of speech.The dissertation has found that, 1) the Thematized Comment Construction is a special means of appraisal. Its appraisal functions have similarities as well as differences with lexical means. Appraisal lexis expresses individual proposition, charging the responsibility in the autonomous plane, indicating the connection between the speaker/writer and the outside world; while appraisal structure expresses the related propositions, charging the responsibility in the interactive plane, indicating the connection between the speaker/writer and the hearer/reading; 2) The Thematized Comment Construction has unique characteristic: its combination of subjectivity, objectivity and intersubjectivity, which allows transformation of attitude, stance and opinions, developing and construction all kinds of possible interpersonal relationship according to the attitude of both sides and context; 3) the subjectivity, objectivity and intersubjectivity are effective enough to support its appraisal functions and are indicated in syntax and discourse.The theoretical significance of the dissertation lies in the following:(1) The establishment of the new theoretical model——the Extendable Appraisal Theory (EAT), owns good explanatory power and generalization power, for it could cover all the appraisals, from the phonological stratum, to the lexicogrammatical stratum and to the discourse stratum.(2) Under the framework of the new model, the dissertation has systematically studied the Thematized Comment Construction in depth, which has never been done before. The applicable working framework is good enough to explain the relationship between the evaluator and the outside world in the autonomous plane, and the relationship between the evaluators in the interactive plane.(3) The dissertation gives a full explanation to the motivation and purpose of appraisal. The subjectivity, objectivity and intersubjectivity are three main reasons which are powerful enough to support the appraisal functions of the Thematized Comment Construction.(4) The dissertation has also proposed 3 appliable principles for the subjectivity of the Thematized Comment Construction, 3 appliable principles for its objectivity, and 2 principles for its objectivity from pragmatic perspective.