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Interpersonal Metafunction (My - Notes)

The interpersonal metafunction focuses on the mood of a clause, which explains how speakers negotiate with listeners. The mood contains the subject and finite, which indicate tense, polarity, and modality. The rest of the clause is called the residue. The finite allows arguments about the validity of the subject and clause in terms of tense, polarity, and modality. Modal verbs in English can indicate ability, permission, possibility, and other meanings.

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150 views

Interpersonal Metafunction (My - Notes)

The interpersonal metafunction focuses on the mood of a clause, which explains how speakers negotiate with listeners. The mood contains the subject and finite, which indicate tense, polarity, and modality. The rest of the clause is called the residue. The finite allows arguments about the validity of the subject and clause in terms of tense, polarity, and modality. Modal verbs in English can indicate ability, permission, possibility, and other meanings.

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Ashfaq Aslam
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© © All Rights Reserved
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THE INTERPERSONAL METAFUNCTION (NOTES)

The main component which is analysed in Interpersonal metafunction is the mood. As


the mood explains how speakers negotiate with listeners. This is why it is the only
important part of the interpersonal analysis of functional grammar. The rest of the
clause is called the residue.

Mood (subject + finite)


o Tense
o Polarity
o Modality
Can could
May might
Shall should
Will would
Mote must
Declarative (subject then finite)
Jim took (did + take) her calculator
Interrogative (finite then subject usually)
WH-interrogative
Where has her calculator gone? (Where = adjunct not subject_
Who has taken her calculator? (Who = subject)
Yes/no interrogative
Did Jim take her calculator?
Imperative (no subject or finite)
Finite only appears for polarity, not tense or modality and the subject
for emphasis.
Dont you
argue with me.
Do
be quiet.

You listen to me.

Identifying the subject and finite


The subject and the finite can be easily identified by using a tag question.
She was shopping in the town, wasnt she?
Running a hotel isnt as easy as it might look, is it?
These two quotations (do) exemplify many of the points, dont they?
Identifying complex subjects

The loss of his fathers fortune and his fathers subsequent death, along
with the general decline in the familys circumstances, (do) decrease
the number of servants in the household.

The finite makes it possible to argue about the validity of the clause with the subject
as the central point. It is used to make three claims about the validity of the subject +
rest of the clause.
whether it is valid for past, present, future or unreal situations (tense)

whether it is positive or negative (polarity)


to what extent it is valid (modality)

Possible Meanings of Modal Verbs in English

can ability, permission, possibility, request


could ability, permission, possibility, request, suggestion
may permission, probability, request
might possibility, probability, suggestion
shall decision, future, offer, question, suggestion
should advice, necessity, prediction, recommendation
will decision, future, intention, offer, prediction, promise, suggestion
would conditional, habit, invitation, permission, preference, request,
question, suggestion
must deduction, necessity, obligation, prohibition

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