Misconstruing Experiential Structures As Hypotactic Logical Structures

Martin (2013: 70):

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[1] To be clear, Martin (1996) associates serial structures with univariate structure of the logical metafunction, and orbital structure with the multivariate structures of the experiential metafunction. This distinction, however, is the distinction between parataxis and hypotaxis in the univariate structure of the logical metafunction. The orbital structure is also univariate because there is only type of relation between the nucleus and its satellites: dependency. For more details, see

Misconstruing Hypotactic vs Paratactic Logical Structure As Experiential vs Logical Structure 

[2] To be clear, it is misleading to claim that SFL distinguishes the experiential and logical metafunctions on the basis of recursive systems and Martin's notion of serial structure (i.e parataxis). The metafunctions are distinguished as modes of meaning. Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 511):

Ideationally, the grammar is a theory of human experience; it is our interpretation of all that goes on around us, and also inside ourselves. There are two parts to this: one the representation of the processes themselves, which we refer to as the "experiential"; the other the representation of the relations between one process and another, and it is this that we refer to as the "logical". The two together constitute the "ideational" metafunction, whereby language construes our experiential world. The word "construe" is used to suggest an intellectual construction — though one that, of course, we then use as a guide to action.

[3] To be clear, just as the logical metafunction is not based on recursive systems, the other metafunctions are not based on "feature bundling", but are distinguished as modes of meaning. Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 7-8):

The ideational metafunction is concerned with construing experience — it is language as a theory of reality, as a resource for reflecting on the world. … The interpersonal metafunction is concerned with enacting interpersonal relations through language, with the adoption and assignment of speech roles, with the negotiation of attitudes, and so on — it is language in the praxis of intersubjectivity, as a resource for interacting with others. The textual metafunction is an enabling one; it is concerned with organising ideational and interpersonal meaning as discourse — as meaning that is contextualised and shared. But this does not mean processing some preexisting body of information; rather it is the ongoing creation of a semiotic realm of reality.