Giving Priority To The View 'From Below' [1]

Martin (2013: 19-20):

Blogger Comments:

This network is misleading in that it misrepresents the approach of SFL Theory. To be clear:

1. the realisations of these features are not structures, or even functions, but grammatical form (pronouns),
2. the features 'first', 'second' and 'third' are not functions, and
3. the network gives priority to the view 'from below' instead of 'from above', since it is using form to derive systems.

On this last point, the method of SFL Theory is to identify how meanings are expressed, but Martin's method is to identify what expressions mean.

Cf. Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 62):

… there is a system of PERSON, based (in English, as in most other languages) on the opposition of ‘you-&-me’ versus ‘everyone (and perhaps everything) else’, and then on that of ‘you’ as opposed to ‘me’ (see Figure 2-2):

This intersects with a system of NUMBER, opposing ‘one’ to ‘more than one’ (see Figure 2-3).

The way these two combine varies among different languages; for the version found in (modern standard) English, see Table 2-1 and, for further detail, Chapter 6.