However, we also saw in Chapter 7 that we cannot reconcile the two versions of the theory by simply adding the syntactic representation of the Cardiff Grammar to the 'multiple structures' of the Sydney Grammar, as a way to integrate them in a single structure.
The first reason is that in the Cardiff Grammar it is simply not necessary to have any such 'intermediate' instantial representation between (1) the selection expression of features that are the output from the system networks and (2) the single, integrated structure that must be the final structural representation of any text-sentence (e.g., as shown in the upper half of Figure 10 in Chapter 7) — a fact that is demonstrated by the successful operation of the computer version of the Cardiff Grammar.
The second reason why we cannot simply add the Cardiff representation of syntax to an IFG-style 'multiple structure' representation is that there are major (and probably insuperable) theoretical problems for the generative version of a model of language that is intended first to generate a set of five or more different structures for a clause and then, by the application of some type of 'structure conflation' rule that no SF theorist has yet attempted to formalise, to integrate them all into a single structure.
It seems from the experience of those who have tried (in the Penman Project as reported in Matthiessen & Bateman 1991, and in the early stages of the COMMUNAL Project as described in Fawcett, Tucker & Lin 1993) that it is just not possible to incorporate 'multiple structures' in a generative SF grammar. The clear conclusion is that such grammars should be based on the concept of 'element conflation' rather than 'structure conflation'.
Blogger Comments:
[1] For the detailed arguments that demonstrate that Fawcett's claims in his Chapter 7 are based on multidimensional misunderstandings of SFL Theory, see the 103 posts here.
[2] To be clear, the unquestioned assumption here is that it would be theoretically advantageous to reconcile the Cardiff Grammar and SFL Theory. As this blog has demonstrated, over and over and over, unknown to Fawcett, the Cardiff Grammar is inconsistent — in terms of both theoretical assumptions and architecture — with both SFL Theory and itself.
[3] To be clear, as demonstrated in the examination of Chapter 7, there is no theoretical requirement that the three metafunctional structures of the clause be integrated into any single structure, let alone that of the Cardiff Grammar, which is itself a confused hybrid of form (Main Verb) interpersonal function (Subject, Complement, Adjunct).
[4] To be clear, Fawcett's first reason for why the Cardiff Grammar syntactic model cannot be added to the SFL model of clause structure is that the architecture of Cardiff Grammar does not require the SFL model of clause structure. This is analogous to arguing that the model of alchemy cannot be added to the model of chemistry because the model of alchemy does not require the model of chemistry.
[5] To be clear, Fawcett's second reason for why the Cardiff Grammar syntactic model cannot be added to the SFL model of clause structure is that the SFL model of clause structure has major theoretical problems. However, as demonstrated in the examination of Chapter 7, this problem arises from Fawcett's misunderstanding of SFL Theory, especially his false claims that (i) the metafunctional clause structures are not syntagmatically integrated, and that (ii) the metafunctional clause structures need to be integrated in a single structure. As previously explained, the metafunctional clause structures are integrated in a syntagm of clause constituents.
[6] To be clear, the reason why 'no SF theorist' has attempted to formalise a structure conflation rule is that structure conflation is not a feature of SFL Theory. Here, also, Fawcett misleads by shifting terminology from structure 'integration' to structure 'conflation' to set up his final misleading point in this extract; see [8] below.
[7] To be clear, on the one hand, as previously demonstrated, this misrepresents Matthiessen & Bateman (1991), and on the other hand, any adaptations of theory to the limitations of computers is not an argument about the validity of the theory itself, since the theory describes what humans can do, not what machines can do.
[8] To be clear, on the one hand, this is a non sequitur, because Fawcett has not presented an argument weighing up the relative theoretical values of structure vs element conflation. On the other hand, it is misleading, because it falsely attributes structure conflation to SFL Theory, and falsely claims that element conflation is not a feature of SFL Theory.
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