Overview

This is an accessible introduction to the most fully developed functional approach to grammar currently available. Now in its second edition, it is closely based on Michael Halliday's An Introduction to Functional Grammar: Third Edition. It can be used either as a comprehensive course book in its own right or as a means of preparing students for the more theoretical treatment of grammar as presented in Halliday's book. In this thoroughly updated edition, Introducing Functional Grammar describes clearly each of the major grammatical systems in terms of the kind of meaning that they contribute to messages. Starting with simple procedures for identifying the choices in a particular system, each chapter discusses the functions of the system in context. New material on the implications of corpus data and an introduction to systems networks is included; and there is greater emphasis on the exploration of how grammatical analysis can illuminate meaning at text and discourse level. Much of the content has been reorganised and made more user-friendly in response to feedback from students as well as teachers and other linguists. There are numerous worked examples to illustrate the analysis at each stage, as well as practice activities for the reader to try out.

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9780340807163

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Reviews

This second edition is a more detailed and user-friendly introduction to an approach to grammar through meaning and function. Functional gramar is presented ere in a context that enables a broader socio-cultural orientation to be shown of how language works. Thompson does this with clarity and the engagement of his readers in the course of ten chapters ... The book also provides a detailed index, suggestions for answers to exercises, a comprehensive list of references, as well as five pages of further reading, related to each chapter. This is especially helpful for beginners and researchers, not to mention teachers ... (It) serves as a most worthwhile introduction to systemic functional grammar and should be on the bookshelf of those working in the TESOL field. -- Margaret Bade, NZSAL

This second edition is a more detailed and user-friendly introduction to an approach to grammar through meaning and function. Functional gramar is presented ere in a context that enables a broader socio-cultural orientation to be shown of how language works. Thompson does this with clarity and the engagement of his readers in the course of ten chapters ... The book also provides a detailed index, suggestions for answers to exercises, a comprehensive list of references, as well as five pages of further reading, related to each chapter. This is especially helpful for beginners and researchers, not to mention teachers ... (It) serves as a most worthwhile introduction to systemic functional grammar and should be on the bookshelf of those working in the TESOL field. -- Margaret Bade, NZSAL

Author Information

Geoff Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Liverpool

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