Inform-
ational Evalu-ative Situa-tional Modal-izing Organiz-ational
predicates 21% 18% <1% 2% <1% nominal groups 2% 6% <0.1% <1% <1% adjectival groups <1% 1% <0.1% 0.1% <0.1% modifiers <1% <1% <0.1% <0.1% determiners <0.1% <0.1% quantifiers <1% <0.1% <1% <0.1%
Inform-
ational Evalu-ative Situa-tional Modal-izing Organiz-ational
adjuncts 17% 8% <0.1% 2% 1% submodifiers <0.1% <1% 0.1% <1% disjuncts <0.1% <1% <0.1% 2% <1% conjuncts <1% 2% conventions <1% 5% 5% 1% <1% exclamations <0.1% <1% subordinate clauses <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <1% <1% conjunctions <1% fillers, others <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <1% <1% Text functions can be correlated with frequency bands: see Table 8.4 .
Proportionally more high-frequency FEIs are modalizing or organizational: this is predictable since these are the most grammatical of FEIs. The evaluative function is dramatically more common in low-frequency FEIs than middle- frequency ones. Because such expressions are infrequent, they are highly marked: this ties in with their uses as rhetorical devices for the expression of evaluations.
Correlations between syntactic type and text function are also predictable: see Table 8.5 . In particular, predicate FEIs are typically informational or
evaluative; nominal and adjectival groups are typically evaluative; adjuncts are typically informational; and conventions are typically evaluative or situational. The relationship between function and syntax reflects the general information structure of text, and may be set out as shown in Figure 8.2 , after Halliday ( 1985; 1994). FEIs are realized either as whole or part themes (predicates in non-Hallidayan terms) or as grammatical or discoursal operators.
informational rheme (or component of theme)
evaluative rheme (or component of theme)
organizational conjunctive adjunct
modalizing modal adjunct
FIG. 8.2 FEI functions, related to text structure (after Halliday) -220-
Anomalous
collocations Formulae Metaphors
(all functions 45.3% 21.3% 33.4%) informational 25% 4% 13% evaluative 11% 9% 18% situational 1% 4% <1% modalizing 5% 3% 1% organizational 3% 2% <1%
Finally, a correlation of text functions with idiomaticity type shows metaphors and formulae to be typically evaluative, and anomalous collocations to be most typically informational: see Table 8.6 .
8.3 INFORMATIONAL FEIS
Informational FEIs are vehicles for conveying new information and contribute to a discourse propositionally. Some examples are
behind bars by default
clear ONE'S throat down tools face to face fast asleep for sale in flower in the red
ONE's kith and kin on sale
set foot SOMEWHERE step by step
ONE'S waking hours wide awake
wear and tear
The information conveyed may be of various kinds. It may describe a process, state, or quality, in which case the FEI typically takes the form of a predicate, adjectival group, or postnominal qualifier:
It was a great thrill to catch sight of my team-mates as I got near to the pavilion. If you're going to bat for any reason, it's for the respect of your team-mates. (OHPC: journalism)
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Industrial production came to a standstill as factory workers downed tools and went off across the Wall. (OHPC: journalism) General Wojciech Jaruzelski may be back in the running for the post of Polish president. (OHPC: journalism)
The gallery holds about 500 works, and there are 1,000 in reserve . (OHPC: journalism)
The information may be circumstantial in nature, and describe time, place, manner, or circumstances and so on. Such FEIs typically take the form of adjuncts:
Then, at about 6.50pm, the gunmen opened fire at close range from behind some foliage. (OHPC: journalism)
The state of London's traffic--moving, if at all, as though axle-deep in a vast lake of porridge--has provoked one firm of couriers to turn back to making deliveries on foot . (OHPC: journalism)
On Saturdays, they dress up and go into town for a night out on the razzle . (OHPC: journalism)
Other types of information conveyed include the simple naming of entities, quantification, and description:
Upholstered furniture came under fire, with quality problems in a third of all purchases within five years. Early signs of wear and tear caused most difficulties. (OHPC: journalism)
Rising at 5.30 in the morning, her waking hours are devoted to her horses. (OHPC: journalism)
Sergeant Roy Eglinton and WPC Sharon Giles were trying to arrest a man on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly . (OHPC:
journalism)
It has already been seen that informational FEIs are the commonest type of FEI in the database (41%), and that 70% of informational FEIs are in the lowest frequency bands, with 27% in the middle ones--a distributional spread almost identical to that observed across FEIs in the database in general. Conveying information is a very basic language function, and informational FEIs are the most basic of all. However, correlating discourse function with idiomaticity type shows that a comparatively high proportion of informational FEIs were classified as anomalous collocations-just under 60%, compared with just over 45% in the database as a whole--whereas comparatively few of them were formulae--just under 10%, compared with 21%. The proportion of
metaphorical informational FEIs is 31%, which is fairly close to the 33% of database metaphors. Speculating why they should be distributed like this sheds light on the behaviour of FEIs in text. The conveying
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of information is a creative, text-forming process, and is less likely to be marked and stereotyped. Anomalous collocations are classifiable as FEIs largely on the grounds that they are lexicogrammatically non-compositional: they are often unmarked and uninteresting 'ways of saying things', adding little to the text stylistically. Formulae, on the other hand, are by definition
stereotypes. They repeat familiar ideas, clichés, or thoughts, and even where they are used to convey new information, as in the case of some similes, they do so by appealing to cultural norms. Marked repetition in general is associated with corroboration, emphasis, and appeals to norms or shared views, rather than information-giving.
8.4 EVALUATIVE FEIS
Evaluative FEIs communicate the evaluations of the speaker/ writer, rather than simply furthering the narrative, and examples include:
a tall order come unstuck do the trick down to earth
drag ONE'S feet, drag ONE's heels get off to a flying start
have/with SOMETHING to show for -- in the doldrums
make the grade over the top second to none strike a balance the icing on the cake to good effect
SOMEONE'S trump card work wonders
Many evaluative FEIs constitute the themes of clauses, appearing in the forms of predicates or after copulas:
After 12 years in power, the Tories had run out of steam . (OHPC: journalism)
I think this government is really trying to wash its hands of the national museums and galleries. The only exception is this Imperial War Museum, which speaks for itself . (OHPC: journalism)
His serve was never quite up to scratch and his timing on the ball lacked conviction. (OHPC: journalism)
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We believe these improvements will ensure that The Independent remains second to none in the breadth and depth of its coverage. (OHPC: journalism)
Others appear as nominal groups, or in prenominal position:
His seat in the Lords is, for him, only the icing on the cake . (OHPC: journalism)
But The Company of Heaven plc--launched at Aldeburgh and in the USA last year, and now introduced to London at the start of the Spitalfields Festival--is a bit of a lame duck in the concert hall. (OHPC: journalism)
To have the affairs of a club of such majesty as Manchester United conducted in a hole and corner manner has sickened more than many of their vast, worldwide following. (OHPC: journalism) Only a few FEIs that operate as adjuncts are evaluative:
His fondness for the lyrically enigmatic and illogical, however, can lead him up a few gum-trees here and there. (OHPC: journalism) Our company was expanding into overseas markets in leaps and bounds . (OHPC: journalism)
In contrast, evaluations are conveyed by a relatively large number of FEIs functioning as whole clauses, conventions, or prefacing clauses: