Topic : Transitivity analysis of a paragraph 7 from the story “A pair of silk stockings “ by Kate Chopin

The Women University Multan

Subject: Systemic Functional Grammar

Supervisor: Mam Afia Khizar

Student : Ayesha Bashir Roll #23

Descipline : M.phil English

Semester : 2nd
What is transitivity?
Transitivity generally refers to how meaning is represented in the clause. It was developed as
the concept of transitive or intransitive verb to determine whether the verb takes an object or
not , but in SFL , it functions to link grammar to the metafunctions . However , in Halliday’s
terms , transitivity as a major component in experiential function to the clause deals with
“transmission of the ideas” ,representing processes or experiences: actions, events, process of
conscious and relation.

In Halliday’s concepts of transitivity there are three components of what he calls transitivity
process:

 The process itself (Verbal group)

 Participants in the process (Nominal group)
 Circumstances (adverbal and propositional group)

Importance of Transitivity analysis:

It helps to understand how the language users manipulate language to represent their perception of
reality (Bloor & Bloor ,1985). It not only gives us information but “it is a giving of information about
something”.it represents the experiential meaning and reality that is “made up of processes “ , of going
on: happening, doing, sensing, feeling ,being and becoming”(Halliday,, 1994).”These going on are stored
out in the semantic system of the language and expressed through the grammar of the clause .

Processes included in transitivity:

Material process

Here, the clauses are concerned with the processes which usually show some concrete and tangible
actions. They are the verbs of doings, actions and happening. It means some entity does something ‘ or
undertakes some action .It includes the participants like actor, goal, range and beneficiary.

Mental Process:

A mental process is the process of sensing and feeling. Downing and Lock (2006) stated that mental
processes are those through we organize our mental contact with the world. Halliday holds the view
that mental clauses are concerned with our experience of the world of our own consciousness. The
process may be constructed either as flowing from a person’s consciousness or as impinging on it : but it
is not constructed as a material act.

Verbal process:
It refers to the act of saying .According to Halliday (1994), a verbal process is an important resource in
various kinds of discourse . He further adds ,the verbal clauses contribute to the creation of the
narrative by making it possible to set up dialogue passages. “The use of verbal process , is seen as an
appropriate way to convey the speaker’s ideas to the addressee. It is comprised of the following
components : Sayer, receiver, verbiage and target.

Behavioral process:

It refers to the process of behaving. Eggins (2004) said , the behavioral processes are the mid-way
between material on one hand and mental on other. Behavioral are typically processes of physical and
psychological behavior. Some behavioral in fact contrast with mental process synonyms like look at is
behavioral but see is mental .This type of process has only one participant called Behaver. If there is
another participant which is not restatement of the process is called a phenomenon.

Relational process:

It is known as the process of being. Halliday (2004) says that a relational process is the process to say
that experience is modeled as being. There are three types of relational process, attributive, identifying
and possessive. The meaning of the attributive is that ”X is the member of the class A”. Two type of
participants come into it a carrier and an attribute. An identifying process has two components token ,
the entity which is being defined and the’ Value’ , the entity which defines someone or something. The
last type of relational process is possessive , which is defined as the process of ownership and
possession between clausal participants.

Existential process:

Eggins (2004) said that an existential process represents experience by positing that there was /is
something. It is easy to identify since the structure involves there . It as a dummy can also marks an
existential process like “it is a book on the table”, It is presented in the clause as the subject. This
process usually employ the verb be or its synonymous such as exist , arise and occur.

Paragraph:
She sat herself upon a revolving stool before a counter that was comparatively deserted , trying to
gather strength and courage to charge through an eager multitude that was besieging breast –works of
shirting and figured lawn. An all-gone limp feeling had come over her and she rested her hand aimlessly
upon the counter . She wore no gloves. By degree she grew aware that her hand had encountered
something very soothing and pleasant to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of
silk stockings. A placard nearby announced that they had been reduced in price from two dollars and
fifty cents to one dollar and ninety cents ; and a young girl who stood behind the counter asked if she
wished to examine their line of silk hosiery. She smiled , just as if she had been asked to inspect a tiara
of diamonds with the ultimate view of purchasing it . But she went on feeling the soft , sheeny luxurious
things- with both hands now, holding them up to see them glisten and to feel them glide serpent –like
through her fingers.

Analysis:
Behavioral process

She sat herself upon a revolving stool before a counter that was comparatively deserted , trying to
gather strength and courage to charge through an eager multitude that was besieging breast- works of
shirting and figured lawn

Behaver She
Process (Physiological Behavior) Sat
Circumstances Upon a revolving stool before the counter……

She rested her hand aimlessly upon the counter

Behaver She
Process (physiological behavior) Rested
Goal Her hand
Circumstances Aimlessly Upon the counter

She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings

Behaver She
Process Looked down
Goal to see her hand
Circumstances Upon a pile of stockings

She smiled , just as if she had been asked to inspect a tiara of diamonds with the ultimate view of
purchasing it.

Behaver She
Process (psychological behavior) Smiled, had been asked (behavioral)
Circumstances To inspect a tiara of diamonds with the ultimate
view of purchasing it

Material process
She wore no gloves

Actor She
Process Wore

Mental Process

An all- gone limp feeling had come over her

Sensor Her
Process Had come over
Phenomenon An all gone limp feeling

By degree she grew aware her hand had encountered something very soothing and pleasant to touch.

Sensor She
Process Grew, had encountered(mental)
Phenomenon Something very soothing and pleasant to touch
Circumstances By degree

She went on feeling the soft sheeny and luxurious things with both hands holding them to see them
glisten and to feel them glide serpent – like through her fingers.

Sensor She
Process Went on (mental)
Phenomenon Soft sheeny and luxurious things…..

Verbal process

A placard nearby announced that they had been reduced in price of two dollars and fifty cents to one
dollar and ninety eight cents.

Sayer A placard
Process Announced
Verbiage Price had been reduced……..
Circumstances Near by

A young girl who stood behind the counter asked if she wished to examine their line of silk stockings.

Sayer+ agent A young girl

Process Asked (material+verbal)
Verbiage If she wished to examine their line of silk stockings
Circumstances behind the counter(place),to examine their line of
silk stockings

Conclusion:

At the end , it can be said that transitivity analysis assists us to understand the semantic meaning of the

different clauses and also provide the information about the entities involved in the processes going on
in those clauses.