TRANSITIVITY. As dead as a dodo Have you ever seen a quagga or a great auk in a zoo? No? Dont be...
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Transcript of TRANSITIVITY. As dead as a dodo Have you ever seen a quagga or a great auk in a zoo? No? Dont be...
TRANSITIVITY
As dead as a dodo As dead as a dodo Have you ever seen a quagga or a great auk in a zoo? No? Don’t be surprised! They are actually extinct animals. Right! But here’s the surprise: did you know that
99 % of all the animals that have lived on earth are extinct? That’s a lot of extinct animals.
Analysing processes & circumstances and finding patterns
As dead as a dodo
[Circumstance: manner: comparison]
Have […] seen
[you] ever a quagga or a great auk
in a zoo?
Process: mental:
perception
Senser Circumstance: location: temporal
Phenomenon Circumstance: location: spatial
Don’t be surprised!
Process: relational: attributive: intensive
[Attribute:]*1 *1 Carrier is not expressed because
clause is imperative, but it is part of the process. The referent of Carrier is the
reader.
No ?
elliptical clause
They are actually extinct animals
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive:
classifying
not experientialAcon
Attribute
Right!
minor clause
But here ’s the surprise:
not experientialconjunction
Circumstance: location: spatial
Process: relational: attributive:
circumstantial
Carrier
did … know you that 99 % of all the animals that have lived on earth are extinct?
Process: mental:
cognition
Senser Meta-phenomenon: idea
(I) … 99 % of all the animals [[that have lived on
earth]]
are extinct.
Hypo-
tactic
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
Attribute
(II) that have lived on earth
Embed-ded
Actor process: material: middle Circumstance: location: spatial
That ’s a lot of extinct animals.
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifying
Attribute
CLAUSES IN THE PREVIOUS CLAUSECLAUSES IN THE PREVIOUS CLAUSE:
Long ago most animals became extinct naturally, because of changes in the weather or because their usual food or habitat disappeared. In recent times, however, most animals have become extinct because of humans. Sometimes people have destroyed a species for its meat, its fur or its feathers. Sometimes, farmers have destroyed a species to protect farm animals or farmland. Sometimes hunters have destroyed a species just for sport.
Analysing processes & circumstances and finding
patternsLong ago most
animals
became extinct naturally
Circumstance: location: temporal
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
Attribute Circumstance: manner: quality
because of changes in the weather
Circumstance: cause: reason
Or because their usual food or habitat
disappeared.
Not experiential: conjunct.
actor Process: material: middle
In recent times,
however, most anima
ls
have become
extinct because of humans.
Circum-stance:
location: temporal
not experientia
l Acon
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
Attribute
Cir-cumstance:
cause: reason
Sometimes
people have destroyed
a species
for its meat, its fur or its feathers.
not experiential
; Amod
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause: purpose
Sometimes, farmers have destroyed a species
not experiential; Amod
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal
to protect farm animals or farmland.
Process: material: effective Goal
Sometimes hunters have destroyed
a species
just for sport.
not experiential;
Amod
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause: purpose
THE DODO THE DODO
The dodo, which lived in the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, built its nests on the ground and couldn’t fly. European sailors first arrived on the island in 1507. They killed dodos for their meat. They also brought dogs, cats and rats to Mauritius. These animals destroyed the dodos’ nests, eggs and chicks. Soon there weren’t many dodos left. Some dodos were sent to animal collectors in Europe. The collectors didn’t breed these birds, however. They just put them on show in cages. The dodo became extinct more than 300 years ago, in 1681.
Analysing processes & circumstances and finding
patternsThe dodo,
which…,
built its nests
on the ground
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: location: spatial
Which lived In the island of Mauritius in the
Indian Ocean
actor Process: material: middle Circumstance: location: spatial
European sailors
first arrived on the island
in 1507.
Actor Circumstance:
temporal: location
Process: material: middle
Circumstance: location:
spatial
Circumstance: location:
temporal
and (the dodo)
couldn’t fly.
Not Experiential: conjunction
(omitted) Actor Process: material: middle
They killed dodos for their meat.
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause: purpose
They also brought dogs, cats and
rats
to Mauritius.
Actor not experiential:
Acon
Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: location:
spatialThese
animals destroyed the dodos’ nests,
eggs and chicks.
Actor Process: material: effective Goal
Soon there weren’t many dodos left.
not experiential: Acon
Process: existential Existent
Some dodos
were sent to animal collectors
in Europe.
Goal Process: material: effective: giving
type
Beneficiary: recipient
Circumstance: location: spatial
The collectors
didn’t breed these birds, however.
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal not experiential:
Acon
They just put them on show in cages.
Actor Circumstance: manner: quality
Process: material: effective
goal Circumstance: location:
spatial
Circum-stance:
location: spatial
The dodo Became extinct More than 300 years ago, in 1681
Carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive
Attribute Circumstance: location: temporal
THE QUAGGATHE QUAGGA
The quagga lived in S. Africa. It was a kind of zebra. The front half of its body was striped brown and white. The back half of its body was plain brown. Like other zebras, quaggas lived in grasslands. In the 19th c. hunters killed many quaggas for their meat and for their skins. During the same period, farmers took large parts of the quaggas’ grassland habitat and turned them into farmland. Some people tried to domesticate the quagga, but with little success. The last wild quagga was killed by hunters in 1878. The last quagga in the world died in Amsterdam zoo in 1883.
Analysing processes & circumstances and finding patterns
The quagga lived in S. Africa.
actor Process: material: middle Circumstance: location: spatial
it was A kind of zebra
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: classifying
attribute
The front half of its
body
was Striped brown and white
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
attribute
The back half of its body
was plain brown
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
Attribute
Like other zebras, quaggas lived in grasslands.
Circumstance: manner:
comparison
Actor Process: material: middle
Circumstance: location: spatial
In the 19th c.
hunters killed many quaggas
for their meat and for their
skins
Circumstance: location: temporal
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause:
purpose
During the same period,
farmers took large parts of the quaggas’
grassland habitat
Circumstance: location: temporal
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal
and (farmers)
Turned them Into farmland
Not experiential: conjunction
actor Process: material: effective
goal Circumstance: role: product
Some people
tried to domesticate the quagga,
Actor complex VG; Process: material: effective
Goal
But (They domesticated them)
with little success.
Not experiential: conjunction
Elliptical Circumstance: manner: quality
The last quagga in the
world
died In Amsterdam
zoo
1883
actor Process: material: middle
Circumstance: location: spatial
Circumstance: location: temporal
The last wild quagga
Was killed by hunters In 1878
Goal Process: material: effective/passive
Agent as Circumstanc
e
Circumstance: location: temporal
THE PASSENGER PIGEON THE PASSENGER PIGEON
The passenger pigeon lived in North America. A hundred and fifty years ago there were thousands of millions of passenger pigeons. American Indians killed them for food, but they didn’t hunt young birds or they didn’t kill more than they needed. They treated the passenger pigeon like the buffalo, with respect. White Americans hunted the birds for sport. They sometimes killed hundreds of thousands in a day. The feathers were used to make pillows and the meat was cheaper than chicken. Soon there weren’t many passenger pigeons left. In 1900 a boy shot the last wild bird. In 1914 the last passenger pigeon bird died in Cincinnati Zoo.
The passenger pigeon
lived in North America.
Actor Process: material: middle
Circumstance: location: spatial
Analysing processes & circumstances and finding patterns
A hundred and fifty years ago
there were thousands of millions of
passenger pigeons.
Circumstance: location: temporal
Process: existential Existent
American Indians
killed them For food,
actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause: purpose
But they didn’t hunt young birds
Not experiential: conjunction
Actor Process: material: effective
goal
or they didn’t kill more than they needed
not experiential; conjunction
actor Process: material: effective
goal
They treated the passenger pigeon
like the buffalo
with respect.
Actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: manner:
comparison
Circumstance: manner:
quality
White Americans
hunted the birds for sport
actor Process: material: effective
Goal Circumstance: cause: purpose
They sometimes killed hundreds of
thousands
in a day.
actor not experiential; conjunction
Process: material: effective
goal Circumstance: location: temporal
The feathers
were used to make pillows
Range Process: material: middle w/range
Process: material: effective
Goal
and The meat was cheaper than chicken.
Not experiential: conjunction
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
attribute
Soon there weren’t many passenger pigeons left.
not experiential; Acon
Process: existential Existent
In 1914 the last passenger
pigeon bird
died in Cincinnati Zoo.
Circumstance: location: temporal
actor Process: material: middle
Circumstance: location: spatial
In 1900 a boy shot the last wild bird.
Circumstance: location: temporal
Actor Process: material: effective
goal
Animals like the dodo, the quagga and the passenger pigeon have disappeared forever. Today other animals are in danger of following them. The Spanish lynx and the black-headed uakari are endangered species because people have destroyed large areas of their natural habitat. Slow-moving Caribbean manatees are endangered because humans have turned the sea in which they live into a leisure area. Speed boats have already killed many of them, and fishing lines have seriously injured others. Shouldn’t we stop these animals from becoming extinct too before it’s too late?
The Spanish lynx The Spanish lynx
The black-headed uakari The black-headed uakari
The Slow-The Slow-moving moving CaribbeaCaribbean n manatee manatee
Animals like the dodo, the quagga and the passenger
pigeon
have disappeared for ever
Actor Process: material: middle
Circumstance: extent: temporal
Today other animals
are in danger of following
them.
Circumstance: location: temporal
carrier Process: relational: attributive:
circumstantial
Attribute/Cir-cumstance of
location: spatialThe Spanish lynx
and the black-headed uakari
are endangered species
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive:
classifying
attribute
because people have destroyed large areas of their natural habitat. …
not experiential; conjunction
actor Process: material: effective
goal
Slow-moving Caribbean manatees
are endangered
carrier Process: relational: attributive: intensive: descriptive
attribute
because humans have turned the sea in which they
lived
into a leisure area.
not experiential
; conjunction
actors Process: material: effective
goal Circum-stance: role:
product
Speed boats
have […] killed [already] many of them,
actor Process: material: effective
Circumstance: location: temporal
goal
and fishing lines
Have [...] injured
others [seriously]
Not experiential
; conjunction
Actor Process: material: effective
goal Circumstance: manner:
quality
in which they lived
Circumstance: location: spatial
actor Process: material: middle
clause embedded clause embedded in the previous in the previous
clauseclause:
before it ‘s too late?
Not experiential: conjunction
carrier Process: relational: attributive: circumstantial
Attribute
from becoming instinct too
Textual elem.
Process: relational: attributive: intensive
Attribute
Interp. element
Shouldn’t [...] stop
[we] these animal
s
Process: material
actor goal
Commenting on processes in :“As dead as a dodo”
The processes that prevail are in order of decreasing frequency:
material effective attributive intensive classifying/
descriptive/ circumstantial material middle existential material middle w/ range (only one) mental perception (one) mental cognition (one)
The uses the different processes are put to are: material effective: representing actions by human beings that have extended to certain species of animals and have affected them negatively. When those actions are negated, they represent actions that have not been so destructive (as in the section on American Indians) attributive intensive :classifying/ descriptive/ circumstantial: classifying and describing animals that no longer exist so the reader can picture them in his/her mind
The uses the different processes are put to are: material middle: representing actions of animals that do not extend to other entities and affect them (couldn’t fly) or actions that set the context to what’s to be said (arrived) or actions/ happenings that are the result/consequence of effective actions (died) existential : to represent non-existence as consequence of effective actions, i.e. actions affecting animals.mental (perception, cognition): to engage readers’ interest by having him, in combination with questions, reflect upon perceptions and knowledge related to topic to be dealt with
Note that all material effective processes, which are by far the most frequent one, are associated with human beings as Actor participants, sometimes as a generic class, sometimes as a more specific member of the class = white man; Europeans; a boy, sometimes represented indirectly by something that he typically uses (Speedboat, fishing lines). This clearly reflects the author’s view that human beings are to be held as responsible for the extinction of animals and signals his purpose of showing/ demonstrating/providing plenty of conclusive evidence of this.
The Circumstances prevailing are the following:
Circumstances of location: spatial
Circumstances of location: temporal
Circumstances of cause: purposeThe uses they seem to be put to in the text are suggested below:
Circumstances of location: spatial representing the location, mainly of animals unknown to us because now extinct.Circumstances of location: temporal : organizing sections of the text chronologically to represent the history/evolution of the problem.
Circumstances of cause: purpose They are usually associated with effective material processes and represent the purposes behind the human actions that affected animals. Many of these purposes, interestingly enough, are not worthy or such that they can justify the actions, except again in the case of the American Indians.
In conclusion, apart from helping organize the text, circumstances, especially those of cause: purpose, help drive home/ effectively convey the author’s point of random destruction of the animal world by humans