Fawcett's Summary Of The Categories In His Modern Systemic Functional Grammar

Fawcett (2010: 232):

We have considered a large number of concepts in this chapter. Of those derived from Halliday's "Categories", only the concept of element of structure is still used in essentially the same sense as in "Categories". However, the concept of place can also be found in "Categories", used in an apparently similar sense. The derived concept of a potential structure was then introduced, it serves to locate the elements in those units where the sequence of elements is fixed. The predominant "Categories" concept of 'unit' has disappeared, in its sense of 'unit on the rank scale' — though the term "unit" continues to be used in the new theory as a short form for class of unit. This concept is central in the new theory, but while 'class (of unit)' was also "fundamental" in "Categories" the concept of 'class of unit' is now based on new criteria in the new theory, and is therefore a different concept.

Finally, this chapter introduces the concept of item. This has no correlate in "Categories", where 'words' and 'morphemes' are treated as if they were like the clause and the groups, and so simply further 'units' on the 'rank scale'. Yet it is words and — where it is necessary to specify them — morphemes that have a phonological or graphological shape, and that therefore mark the point at which syntax ends and segmental phonology or graphology begins.

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[1] Reminder: Fawcett's modern Systemic Functional Grammar, his Cardiff Grammar, is a development of Halliday's long-superseded pre-Systemic Scale-&-Category Grammar (1961).

[2] For an examination of Fawcett's concept of 'place', see the previous posts:

• Fawcett's Concept Of Places In A Unit
• The Key Rôle Of 'Place' In Handling 'Raising' Phenomena
• Problems With The Notion Of Places Without Elements

[3] As previously noted, this is a simple logical contradiction, because for there to be a 'class of unit', there must be a unit that is assigned to that class.

[4] For an examination of Fawcett's concept of 'item', see the previous post:

• Fawcett's 'Item'

[5] As previously noted, in SFL Theory, both syntax and morphology ('items') have "phonological and graphological shape" to the extent that lexicogrammar is realised in the expression plane systems of phonology and graphology.