Misconstruing (Abridged) Grammatical Structures As Lexical Items

Martin & Rose (2007: 82):

These lexical items are presented as lexical strings in Figure 3.7. The order in which they occur in the text is indicated by their position in the table.

Blogger Comments:

To be clear, Figure 3.7 presents abridged grammatical structures (nominal groups) as lexical items.  The five lexical strings can be considered in turn.

[1] In the first lexical string, none of the four "lexical items" are lexical items:

• complete a picture
• full disclosure
• all the relevant facts
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Ignoring this minor detail, the spurious claims here are also that:

• complete a picture and full disclosure are synonymous
• full disclosure and all the relevant facts are synonymous
• all the relevant facts and Truth and Reconciliation Commission are synonymous.

By way of contrast, in SFL Theory, the lexical items complete and full are textually cohesive through synonymy.

[2] In the second lexical string, four of the five "lexical items" are not lexical items:

• gross violations of human rights
• violations they suffered
• violations of human rights
• Committee on Human Rights Violations

Ignoring this minor detail, the spurious claims here are also that:

• violations they suffered is a repetition of gross violations of human rights
• violations is a repetition of violations they suffered
• violations of human rights is a repetition of violations
• Committee on Human Rights Violations is a repetition of violations of human rights

By way of contrast, in SFL Theory, the repetition of the lexical item violations is textually cohesive.

[3] In the third lexical string, neither of the two "lexical items" are lexical items:

• granting of amnesty
• Committee on Amnesty

Ignoring this minor detail, the spurious claim here is also that:

• Committee on Amnesty is a repetition of granting of amnesty

By way of contrast, in SFL Theory, the repetition of the lexical item amnesty is textually cohesive.

[4] In the fifth lexical string, neither of the two "lexical items" are lexical items:

• granting of reparation
• Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation

Ignoring this minor detail, the spurious claim here is also that:

• Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation is a repetition of granting of reparation

By way of contrast, in SFL Theory, the repetition of the lexical item reparation is textually cohesive.