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Gossip News Texts Written By Perez Hilton
From Perezhilton.com
(A Study Based on Systemic Functional Linguistics)
THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment for Requirements for the Sarjana Sastra Degree in English Department
Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
BY:
Clara Ertyas P.
C0306022
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS
SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY
SURAKARTA
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PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : Clara Ertyas P. NIM : C0306022
Herewith, it is declared that this thesis entitled “An Appraisal Analysis of Gossip News Texts Written by Perez Hilton from Perezhilton.com (A Study Based on Systemic Functional Linguistics)” is completed by the researcher, not by others. It is not a plagiarism and it never becomes a thesis previously. Everything related to other people‟s works, which are published or not, the sources of them are placed
in the bibliography. If it is then proven that the researcher cheats, the researcher is ready to take the responsibility.
Surakarta, The researcher
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MOTTO
If I was the kind to have regrets,
I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing.
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This thesis is dedicated to:
Everyone who loves me
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Praises for Jesus Christ as His blessings lead and guide the researcher and hence this thesis can be completed.
This thesis has been accomplished as the requirement of Sarjana Sastra degree. It is believed that without any help and support from some people, this thesis would not be finished well. For that reason, there will be gratefulness to: 1. Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed., Ph.D, the Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine
Arts, for approving this thesis.
2. Prof. Dr. Djatmika, M.A., the Head of S1 Regular Program of English Department, for giving permission to write this thesis.
3. Dr. Tri Wiratno, M. A., the writing thesis supervisor, for giving his guidance and helping me in making this thesis.
4. All lecturers in English Department, for wholeheartedly giving and sharing knowledge and experiences.
5. My lovely mother, for loving me, praying for me and supporting me.
6. My sisters: mbak Linda, mbak Emma, mbak Erin; my mirthful nephews and niece: Michael, Eggy and Jasmine; my uncle, and my father for your loves. 7. Bimo, for always caring and supporting me.
8. Va dilla, for leading me to perezhilton.com and getting me to decide to dwell on Perez Hilton, thank you so much.
9. My awesome friends: Dila, Intan, Cindy, Hendro, and everyone in ED 2006. 10. Everyone who could not be mentioned here, for helping in achieving this
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Presumably, this thesis may become a contribution to those in need. The researcher realizes that this thesis is not sufficiently perfect. However, hopefully this thesis would be useful.
The researcher,
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Title i
Approval of The Supervisor ii
Approval of The Board of Examiners iii
Pronouncement iv
Motto v
Dedication vi
Acknowledgment vii
Table of Content ix
List of Tables xi
List of Figures xv
Abstract xvi
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Research Background 1
B. Research Objective 5
C. Problem Statement 5
D. Research Significance / Benefits 6
E. Scope of The Research 6
F. Research Methodology 7
G. Thesis Organization 8
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. SystemicFunctional Linguistics 10
B. Appraisal Theory 16
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E. Prosody 45
F. Ideology 46
G. Gossip News Text 48
H. Mass Media 49
I. Website “perezhilton.com” 50
J. Perez Hilton 53
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Research Design 56
B. Research Location 57
C. Sampling 57
D. Data and Source of Data 58
E. Data Validity 59
F. Data Analysis 60
G. Procedure of Data Analysis 62
CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
A. Introduction 66
B. Data Description/Findings 68
C. Discussion 142
CHAPTER V Conclusion and Recommendation
A. Conclusion 159
B. Recommendation 162
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Table 2.1 Table of The four strata of the SF model 14
Table 2.2 Table of Realization of Affect 21
Table 2.3 Table of Types of Appreciation 26
Table 2.4 Table of Levels of Modality 37
Table 2.5 Table of Text Genre 40
Table 3.1 Table of example of appraisal analysis
(Text 1 - Katy Perry, clause no. 5) 62 Table 3.2. Table Example of engagement and attitude analysis
(Text 4 - Leona Lewis, clause no. 4) 64 Table 3.3 Table Example of engagement and attitudes analysis
(Text 1 - Katy Perry, clause no. 20) 64 Table 4.1.1 Attitude and Engagement analysis –“Russell Gets In Good
with Katy's Parentals” 68
Table 4.1.2 Graduation Analysis – “Russell Gets In Good with Katy's
Parentals” 70
Table 4.1.3 Genre Analysis –“Russell Gets In Good with Katy's Parentals” 72 Table 4.1.4 Prosody analysis –“Russell Gets In Good with Katy's Parentals” 74 Table 4.1.5 Ideology Analysis –“Russell Gets In Good with Katy's
Parentals” 76
Table 4.2.1 Attitudes and Engagement Analysis–“Katy and Russell,
Going Strong!” 78
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Table 4.2.4 Prosody Analysis –“Katy and Russell, Going Strong!” 81 Table 4.2.5 Ideology Analysis –“Katy and Russell, Going Strong!” 82 Table 4.3.1 Attitudes and Engagement Analysis –“Leona‟s First Solo Show” 83 Table 4.3.2 Graduation Analysis –“Leona‟s First Solo Show” 85 Table 4.3.3 Genre Analysis –“Leona‟s First Solo Show” 87 Table 4.3.4 Prosody Analysis –“Leona‟s First Solo Show” 89 Table 4.3.5 Ideology Analysis –“Leona‟s First Solo Show” 90 Table 4.4.1 Attitude and Engagement Analysis –“Leona Speaks! Lewis
Staying Positive Despite Being Attacked” 92
Table 4.4.2 Graduation Analysis –“Leona Speaks! Lewis Staying
Positive Despite Being Attacked” 95
Table 4.4.3 Genre Analysis –“Leona Speaks! Lewis Staying Positive
Despite Being Attacked” 96
Table 4.4.4 Prosody Analysis –“Leona Speaks! Lewis Staying Positive
Despite Being Attacked” 98
Table 4.4.5 Ideology Analysis –“Leona Speaks! Lewis Staying Positive
Despite Being Attacked” 100
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Table 4.6.2 Graduation Analysis –“No Miley, Not Everyone Knows
Who You Are!” 112
Table 4.6.3 Genre Analysis –“No Miley, Not Everyone Knows Who
You Are!” 114
Table 4.6.4 Prosody Analysis –“No Miley, Not Everyone Knows Who
You Are!” 115
Table 4.6.5 Ideology Analysis –“No Miley, Not Everyone Knows Who
You Are!” 117
Table 4.7.1 Attitude and Engagement Analysis –“Glambert Out!
Beat-Her-Down In?!” 119
Table 4.7.2 Graduation Analysis –“Glambert Out! Beat-Her-Down In?!” 122 Table 4.7.3 Genre Analysis –“Glambert Out! Beat-Her-Down In?!” 125 Table 4.7.4 Prosody Analysis –“Glambert Out! Beat-Her-Down In?!” 127 Table 4.7.5 Ideology Analysis –“Glambert Out! Beat-Her-Down In?!” 129 Table 4.8.1 Attitude and Engagement Analysis –“Chris Brown
Heckled By Woman In Public!” 132
Table 4.8.2 Graduation Analysis – “Chris Brown Heckled By Woman
In Public!” 134
Table 4.8.3 Genre Analysis –“Chris Brown Heckled By Woman In Public!” 136 Table 4.8.4 Prosody Analysis –“Chris Brown Heckled By Woman
In Public!” 138
Table 4.8.5 Ideology Analysis –“Chris Brown Heckled By Woman
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Table 4.9.2 Types of the appraising items 144
Table 4.9.3 Engagement in the texts 146
Table 4.9.4 Graduation in the texts 147
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Figure 2.1. Four Strata of Linguistics Description 13
Figure 2.2. The Appraisal System 18
Figure 2.3. Types of Judgment 23
Figure 2.4. Types of Modality 23
Figure 2.5. The System Network of Graduation 31
Figure 2.6. Types of Modality 34
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Clara Ertyas P. 2011. An Appraisal Analysis of Gossip News Texts Written
By Perez Hilton From Perezhilton.com (A Study Based on Systemic
Functional Linguistics). English Department, Faculty of Letters and Fine
Arts, Sebelas Maret University.
This research explored the appraisal system in the gossip news text written by Perez Hilton, taken from his website, perezhilton.com. There were eight texts that were analyzed. They were two texts of Katy Perry, two text of Leona Lewis, two text of Miley Cyrus, and two texts of Chris Brown, which were analyzed using Appraisal Theory. Appraisal theory is concerned with attitude, graduation, and engagement. The objectives of this thesis were to find out what appraising items applied in those texts; how they were applied; and why they were applied, including the ideology.
This was a descriptive qualitative research. The technique of taking sample used in this research was total sampling. There were two data in this research, the primary data which was sourced from the eight analyzed texts, and the secondary data which was contained the information of Perez Hilton related to his writings.
The results show that the three kinds of attitudes (affect, jugdment, and appreciation) are applied in the texts, but mostly is judgment. The types of the items are in the forms of word, nominal group and clause. Mostly the attitudes are in the forms of epithet group, attitudinal lexis and mental process clauses. Meanwhile, the engagement is mostly monogloss.
The moslty graduation is force, and the scaling of the graduation is up-scaled. The attitudes are applied through the strong expression, and they are applied in Analytical Exposition genre. Additionally, the texts are written
subjectively based on the writer‟s aspiration.
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1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Research Background
Insensibly, people often evaluate or appraise something or someone, or express feelings towards something and some issues. Within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, such evaluation belongs to the theory of appraisal.
According to White (2001), “Appraisal theory is concerned with the
linguistics resources for by which texts/speakers come to express, to negotiate and to naturalize particular inter-subjective and ultimately ideological positions”. Moreover, he states that the theory is concerned more particularly with the language of evaluation, attitude and emotion, and with a set of resources which explicitly position a text's proposals and propositions interpersonally. That is, it is concerned with those meanings which vary the terms of the speaker's engagement with their utterances, which vary what is at stake interpersonally both in individual utterances and as the texts unfolds cumulatively.
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express their personal emotion or opinion towards everything through written or spoken discourse.
Presently, a lot of columns in mass media are given to everyone to deliver their opinions and ideas towards something, people, feelings, or a certain condition. That kinds of columns in mass media includes opinion column, editorial, gossip news, etc.
What is discussed in this thesis is taken from gossip news column. Gossip is a person who habitually retails private, scandalous, or sensational and often inaccurate information (Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Thesaurus Version 1.0, 2005). Hence, gossip news means the exposition of celebrities or famous people and their life which may contain a controvercy, so that the news are not always fact or true.
Hollywood, one of the places of famous international celebrities, often becomes the topic of gossiping and criticizing. It is not only in United States of America but also around the world. This is legitimate; people may give opinions or give evaluations towards everything, as long as they do not slander people who are being gossiped and do not collide their rights.
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often gives many evaluations in writing the gossip news. These are some of the examples:
-How cute! Glad to see her parents approve!
(taken from text 1 Katy Perry, clause no. 19 and 20)
The examples above can be analyzed as follows :
Attitude 1: cute = Affect (positive, happiness: affection), monogloss, Force (attitudinal lexis - up-scaled)
Attitude 2: glad = Affect (positive, happiness: affection), monogloss, Force (attitudinal lexis - up-scaled)
To have a comparative analysis of appraisal in this website, other clauses from other gossip news texts will help to make clear:
- Miley Has Bad Taste!
- The prosti-tot was getting some food
(Taken from text 3 Miley Cyrus, clause no. 1; and text 4 Miley Cyrus, clause no. 6)
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Attitude 4: prosti-tot = Judgment (negative, normality), monogloss, Force: metaphor – up-scaled
Therefore, it can be concluded that the writer‟s own evaluations (monogloss as the source of the attitude) toward news about different artists, contain a significant distinction. Attitude 1, and 2 about Katy Perry, are within a news that consists of positive appraisal, whereas, attitude 3, and 4 gossip Miley Cyrus with negative evaluations. The three of four attitudes are up-scaled. This means that the writer tends to give strong evaluations to the artists through the texts.
Those are only some of the examples within the texts in this website. By observing the brief analysis above, it can be seen the way Perez Hilton writes gossip news toward a celebrity. His ideologies for his texts are diverse depending on who he discusses. Or in other words, his subjectivity influences his writing gossip as well.
Analyzing appraisal becomes interesting because it can be acquainted with the way the writer expresses his/her idea and opinion within his/her texts. For that reason, it seems that it is interesting to catch wind of more of the attitudes used by Perez Hilton, the function of them, and also the reason of using those attitudes in gossip news texts through “An Appraisal Analysis of Gossip News Texts Written
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B. Research Objectives
The objectives of making this research are:
1. To classify what kinds of appraising items employed in Perez Hilton‟s gossip news texts exposing Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and Chris Brown.
2. To find out the function of the appraising items employed in Perez Hilton‟s gossip news texts exposing Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and Chris Brown.
3. To find out why Perez Hilton applies some certain appraising items in the gossip news texts written by him exposing Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and Chris Brown and to find out the kinds of ideologies which are applied.
C. Problem Statement
Based on the research objectives, the questions are composed as follows: 1. What appraising items are employed in Perez Hilton‟s gossip news texts
exposing Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and Chris Brown?
2. How are the appraising items employed in Perez Hilton‟s gossip news texts exposing Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and Chris Brown?
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D. Research Significance / Benefit
The significances/benefits of making this research are:
1. This research is completed because, so far, there are not too many researches that discuss about appraisal yet. There are only few journals and books about appraisal and English Appraisal Theory. Therefore, this research about appraisal is accomplished to contribute a new development for appraisal especially in gossip news text.
2. It is significant to make the reader understand more about the English Appraisal analysis of a discourse and provide an understandable justification about the appraising items that is used to evaluate someone or something. 3. For English Department students, this research can be read to comprehend an
analysis of text using Systemic Functional Linguistic study especially English Appraisal Theory or as a reference.
4. The analysis of appraisal can be used to determine the way the gossip news‟ writer expresses his ideas which influence the artists‟ and readers‟ image toward his texts.
E. Scope of the Research
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In addition, it is also limited by only choosing two short texts for each artist. The reason is that the texts and those four celebrities can represent the voice or prosody and the ideology of Perez Hilton‟s gossip news texts. In addition, there
should be at least two texts for each artist to be analysed, because if it is only one, it could not mean anything. This means, that one text is not enough to prove the way the writer writes the texts and the ideology of the writer in the texts.
The classifications are;
Katy Perry : “Russell Gets In Good with Katy's Parentals”, and “Katy and
Russell, Going Strong!”,
Leona Lewis : “Leona‟s First Solo Show”, “Leona Speaks! Lewis Staying
Positive Despite Being Attacked”,
Miley Cyrus : “Miley Has Bad Taste!”, “No Miley, Not Everyone Knows Who You Are!”,
Chris Brown : “Glambert Out! Beat-Her-Down In?!”, and “Chris Brown Heckled By Woman In Public!”.
This research does not compare and does not analyze some texts which have one same issue, but it compares some texts having different issue with the same writer, Perez Hilton. It is because the researcher wants to find the way the writer of the gossip news texts expresses his ideas in his texts.
F. Research Methodology
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Moreover the data is in the form of text which contains attitudes, and what is analyzed in this research is those attitudes.
The approach that is used in this thesis is the application of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The research analyzes some gossip news texts written by Perez Hilton which are realized by the appraising items.
The source of data of this research are eight gossip news texts taken from
perezhilton.com exposing some Hollywood celebrities. The primary data are all appraising items in the texts, and the secondary data are the information of the texts‟ writer, Perez Hilton. The technique of taking the sample is total sampling
because all data are analyzed.
The triangulation applied in this research is only the source of data triangulation. The data are taken from eight texts from perezhilton.com.
The analysis of the data is through some stages; domain, taxonomy, componential and finding cultural values.
G. Thesis Organisation
This research consists of five chapters. It is systematized as is explained the section below:
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION. This chapter is composed of research background, research objective, problem statement, research significance / benefits, scope of the research, research methodology and thesis organization.
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Prosody, Ideology, Mass Media, Gossip News Text, Website “perezhilton.com”, and Perez Hilton profile.
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY deals with research design, research location, sampling, data and source of data, data validity, data analysis, and procedure of data analysis.
CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION comprises introduction, data description/findings and discussion, including the explanations.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Systemic Functional Linguistics
Systemic-Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a theory of language focused on the concept of language function. While SFL accounts for the syntactic structure of language, it places the functions of language as central (what language does, and how it does it), in preference to more structural approaches, which place the elements of language and their combinations as central. SFL starts at social context, and looks at how language both acts upon, and is constrained by, this social context (adapted from Matthiessen & Halliday in http://www.isfla.org/Systemics/).
Furthermore, it is stated that a central notion is 'stratification'. Such language is analyzed in terms of four strata: Context, Semantics, Lexico-Grammar and Phonology-Graphology.
“Context concerns the Field (what is going on), Tenor (the social roles and
relationships between the participants), and the Mode (aspects of the channel of communication)”, (http://www.isfla.org/systemics/Definition/definition.html).
Systemic semantics includes what is usually called 'pragmatics'. Semantics is divided into three components:
Ideational Semantics (the propositional content);
Interpersonal Semantics (concerned with speech-function, exchange structure, expression of attitude, etc.);
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Textual Semantics (how the text is structured as a message, e.g., theme-structure, given/new, rhetorical structure etc.
In other word Halliday (1985) calls the components as “metafunctions”.
Metafunctions are fundamental components of meaning in language. All languages are combined between two main kinds of meaning; „ideational‟ (to understand the
environment) and „interpersonal‟ (to act on the others in it). “Combined with these is a third metafunctional component, the „textual‟ which breathes relevance into the
other two (ideational and interpersonal).”
Based on Graham Lock on his book “Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for Second Language Teachers” (1996: pages 8–10), grammar is a
resource for making and exchanging meanings. There are three types of meanings
within grammatical structures that can be identified: a. Experiential meaning
Experiential meaning has to do with the ways language represents experience of the world and the inner world of thoughts and feelings. In other words, it is concerned with how people talk about actions, happenings, feelings, beliefs, situations, states, and so on, the people and things involved in them, and the relevant circumstances of time, place, manner, and so on.
E.g. Mike arrived at 9.45.
It is about a person namely Mike performing an action in the past (arrived) at a certain time, at 9.45.
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Interpersonal meaning has to do with the ways in which people act upon one another through language by giving and requesting information, getting people to do things, and offering to do things ourselves, and the ways in which people express judgments and attitudes, about such things as likelihood, necessity, and desirability.
E.g. a. Did Mike arrive at 9.45?
b. Mike might have arrived at 9.45.
Even though both examples have the same experiential meaning as the previous example, but they differ in other aspects of meaning.
Mike arrived at 9.45 informs the listener that the event took place. Did Mike arrive at 9.45? calls on the listener to confirm or deny that the event took place. Mike might have arrived at 9.45 introduces into sentence an assessment by the speaker of the likelihood of the event actually having taken place.
c. Textual meaning
Textual meaning has to do with the ways in which a range of language is organized in relation to its context. It is important in the creation of coherence in spoken and written text.
E.g. He arrived at 9.45.
The name of the performer of the action has been replaced by the pronoun
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Almost all clauses in English simultaneously express these three aspects of meaning.
Meanwhile the Lexico-Grammar concerns the syntactic organization of words into expression. In addition, a functional approach is taken, involving analysis of the expression in terms of roles such as Actor, Agent/Medium, Theme Mood, etc. (Halliday 1994 in http://www.isfla.org/Systemics/). Another reference states that “Lexicogrammar is stratum of language which expresses linguistics meanings and is
itself expressed by phonology and/or graphology; the grammar and lexicon of language”, (Odlin, 1994:324).
“Phonology refers to the sound system of a particular language, roughly
corresponding to the more familiar term pronunciation”, (Lock, 1996: 3).
From the book “Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar” which is a collection
of original papers edited by Terence Odlin; Ruqaiya Hasan and Gillian Perrett express that, there are four strata of a stratal theory of linguistics description. Picture below is to illustrate (1994: 189).
Figure 2.1. Four strata of Linguistics description
Context
Categories of social situation
Semantics
Systems of
meaning Lexicogrammar Systems of wording
Phonology
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There are three strata internal to language based on Systemic Functional model (188-189). They are: (1) semantics: systems of meaning, where the term “meaning” is to be interpreted not simply as cognitive/referential meaning, as in
formal linguistics, but all kinds of meanings already discussed; (2) lexicogrammar: systems of wording, including both grammar and lexicon; (3) Phonology: systems of sound, both segmental and suprasegmental.
Context of situation is part of the external and internal environment of the speakers. According to Systemic Functional Linguistics, the aspects of the social environment regularly highlighted by the language of the discourse can be assigned to one or the other of the following categories:
1. The social relations between the participants of the discourse;
2. The nature of the social process, that is, what is being achieved in by the discourse;
3. The semiotic management of the interaction as a social event.
These three categories have been traditionally referred to in the Systemic Functional model as tenor, field, and mode of the discourse, and together they constitute the schematic construct known as context of situation. (1994: 186)
Table 2.1 The four strata of the SF model
Semiotic structure of situation Functional components of language
Field (type of social action) Associated with Ideational metafunction
Tenor (social relations) Associated with Interpersonal metafunction
Mode (verbal action and contact) Associated with Textual metafunction
.
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INTERPERSONAL METAFUNCTION: Language acts as a potential for expression of speakers‟ subjectivity – their assessment of probability, obligation, and commitment; their attitudes and evaluations. Further, engaging in any use of language implies that speakers roles to their addressees. (1994: 183)
TEXTUAL METAFUNCTION of language: in any social use of language, interactants indicate what can be taken as given, what is new, what is the speaker‟s point of departure, whether further verbal action is anticipated, how the various parts of the discourse relate to each other, what degree of specificity is needed to get the message across, whether information is presented as retrievable from what has already been “said”, whether more information is to be presented in the on-going discourse, and so on. (1994: 184)
The EXPERIENTIAL METAFUNCTION of language is the resource speakers draw on to construe their experience of the world – both the outside world of physical phenomena and the inside world of feelings, beliefs and reflection. (1994: 184)
In conclusion, SFL is concerned with functions of language in conveying meaning. The functions are called as metafunctions; Ideational, Interpersonal, and Textual. Ideational is to interpret reality meaning or to express the speakers‟ experience. Interpersonal is the meaning to express social and personal relation, evaluations and appraisal. Textual is the combination of both, realization of ideational and interpersonal which is shown in the text.
commit to user B. Appraisal Theory
Appraisal is a system of interpersonal meanings. The resources of appraisal are used for negotiating our social relationship, by telling our listeners or readers how we feel about things and people (in a word, what our attitude are). Attitude has to do with evaluating things (appreciation), people‟s character (judgment), and feelings
(affect). Those attitudes may be more or less amplified. In addition, the attitude may come from the writer or from other sources. (Martin & Rose 2003: 22). Attitude coming from the writer is called monogloss, and attitude sourced from other is called as heterogloss.
“Appraisal theory is the idea that emotions are extracted from our evaluations
(appraisals) of events that cause specific reactions in different people. Essentially, our appraisal of a situation causes an emotional, or affective, response that is going to be based on that appraisal” (Scherer et al.: 2001 from wikipedia.org).
According to White 2001, from www.grammatics.com/appraisal:
Appraisal theory is concerned with the linguistic resources for by which texts/speakers come to express, negotiate and naturalize particular inter-subjective and ultimately ideological positions. Within this broad scope, the theory is concerned more particularly with the language of evaluation, attitude and emotion, and with a set of resources which explicitly position a text's proposals and propositions interpersonally. That is, it is concerned with those meanings which vary the terms of the speaker's engagement with their utterances, which vary what is at stake interpersonally both in individual utterances and as the texts unfolds cumulatively.
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simplest and most basic one, but there are many other scales of appraisal, and it shows what kinds of values are established in any particular genre.
Another reference, David Hope and Jonathon Read, 2006, express that “Appraisal is concerned with the linguistic formulations of conveying emotions and
opinions, how writers align their authorial personae with the stance of others, and how they manipulate their writings to convey a greater or lesser degree of strength and conviction in their propositions”. Furthermore, they state that appraisal describes
how social relationships are negotiated through evaluations of self, others and artifacts. Appraisal considers three types of attitude: Affect (personal emotion); Judgment (appraisal of others‟ behavior); and Appreciation (evaluation of phenomena). All three ways of feeling can be positive or negative.
Based on the book The Language of Evaluation: Appraisal in English, Martin & White (2005: 35) affirm that appraisal is one of three major discourse semantics expressing interpersonal meaning (along with involvement and negotiation). Appraisal is classified into 3 interacting domains; attitude, engagement, and
graduation.
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Based on the citations above, this figure is put to simplify.
Figure 2.2 The Appraisal System (Martin & Rose, 2003: 54).
a.) ATTITUDE
“Attitude is a framework for mapping feelings as they are construed in English texts”, (Martin & White, 2005: 42). Attitudes have to do with evaluation of things (appreciation), people‟s character (judgment) and feelings (affect), (Martin & Rose, 2003: 43). Affect focuses on the feeling of the appraiser, while judgment and
appreciation focuses on the quality of what is appraised. (Thompson, 2004: 76). White (2001) expresses that attitude is values that are delivered by the speakers to pass judgments and to associate emotional/affectual responses with participants and processes. Additionally, he states that “Attitude includes those meanings by which texts/speakers attach an intersubjective value or assessment to participants and processes by reference either to emotional responses or to systems of culturally-determined value systems”. Attitude is then divided into three sub-systems;
Appraisal
Source
Attitude
Graduation
Monogloss
Heterogloss Affect Judgment Appreciation
Force
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Affect (the characterization of phenomena by reference to emotion), Judgment (the evaluation of human behavior with respect to social norms), and Appreciation (the evaluation of objects and products rather than human behavior, by reference to aesthetic principles and other systems of social value).
(http://www.grammatics.com/Appraisal/AppraisalOutline/Framed/AppraisalOutline-03.htm#TopOfPage)
David Hope and Jonathon Read (2006) explain that attitude can be realized: • explicitly, through the lexicogrammar (inscribed) or
• implicitly, through ideational meanings (invoked) that: are marked with attitudinal lexical items (flagged);
are elaborated by metaphor (provoked) or
make reference to cultural attitudinal norms (afforded) For examples:
We smashed their way of life. (invoked; flagged)
We fenced them in like sheep. (invoked; provoked)
It was our ignorance and our prejudice. (inscribed)
The more obvious explanation of kinds of attitude will be thrashed out below. 1.) Affect
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disposition. Affect occurs through mental processes of reaction, through attributive relationals of affect, and through nominalization. For examples:
This pleases me; I hate chocolate, show mental processes of reaction.
I'm sad; I'm happy; She's proud of her achievements; show attributive relationals of affect.
His fear was obvious to all, show nominalization.
According to Halliday (1994) from J. R. Martin and David Rose (2003: 58-59), realization of affect is not too different from White‟s, that affectcan be realized in „qualities‟, „processes‟, and „comments‟.
o Affect as ‘quality’
Describing participants (as Epithet) A happy cat Attributed to participant (as Attribute) The cat was happy Manner of process (as Circumtance) The cat played happily
o Affect as ‘processes’
Affective sensing (effective) The fish pleased the cat Affective behaving (middle) The girl smiled
o Affect as ‘comments’
Desiderative comment (Modal Adjunct) Happily, he ran to his home
commit to user Are the feelings positive or negative?
Are the feelings a surge of emotion or an ongoing mental state?
Are the feelings reacting to specific external agency or an ongoing mood? Are the feelings as more or less intense?
Do the feelings involve intention rather than reaction?
Are the feelings to do with un/happiness, in/security or dis/satisfaction? It is clearly explained in the figure bellow:
Table 2.2 Realization of Affect (Martin & White, 2005)
Irrealis Affect Dis/Inclination Fear Desire
Realis Affect
Un/Happiness
Unhappiness Misery Antipathy
Happiness Cheer Affection
In/Security
Insecurity Disquiet Surprise
Security Confidence Trust
Dis/Satisfaction
Dissatisfaction Ennui Displeasure
Satisfaction Interest Pleasure
2.) Judgment
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Martin and White (2005: 52) declare that judgment is the region of meaning that construes people‟s attitudes to others and the way others behave
(their character).
Iedema (1994) from Martin and Rose (2003: 62), Martin and White (2005: 52), Geoff Thompson (2004: 77), and White (2001) express that the system of judgment is divided into two major groups; social esteem and social sanction.
Judgment of social esteem (broadly to do with social behavior) is concerned with
“…evaluations under which the person judged will be lowered or raised in the esteem of their community, but which do not have legal or moral implications. Thus negative values of social esteem will be seen as dysfunctional or inappropriate or to be discouraged but they will not be assessed as sins or crimes. (If you breach social sanction you may well need a lawyer or a confessor but if you breach social esteem you may just need to try harder or to practice more or to consult a therapist or possibly a self-help book.)” (White, 2001)
Social esteem involves admiration (positive) and criticism (negative) which have to do with „normality‟ (how unusual someone is; „is the person's
behavior unusual, special, customary?‟), „capacity‟ (how capable they are; „is
the person competent, capable?‟), and „tenacity‟ (how resolute they are; „is
the person dependable, well disposed?‟).
Meanwhile, social sanction,
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Social sanction involves praise (positive) and condemn (negative), which have to do with „veracity‟ (how truthful someone is; „is the person honest?‟), and „propriety‟ (how ethical someone is; „is the person ethical,
beyond reproach?‟).
The figure below, based on David Hope and Jonathon Read, 2006, is to clarify:
Figure 2.3 Types of Judgment
Halliday (1994) in Martin and White (2005: 54) expresses that
judgment reflects grammatical distinctions in the systems of modalisation.
Type
modalization
modulation
probability
usuality
obligation
readiness
inclination ability
probably usually
keen to supposed to
able to
truth fate
ethics resolve capacity
sanction
esteem Judgment
Social esteem
Social sanction
normality: fortunate, hapless
capacity: powerful, weak
tenacity: resolute, reckless
veracity: truthful, dishonest
commit to user Figure 2.4. Types of Modality
In proposition, normality is to usuality, veracity is to probability; in proposal, capacity is to ability, tenacity is to inclination, and propriety is to obligation. (Martin & White, 2005: 54)
Examples:
Modalisations of probability He‟s naughty.
He‟s certainly naughty. It‟s certainhe‟s naughty. It‟s truehe‟s naughty.
It‟s true, honest, credible, authentic, bogus, etc. [Judgment: veracity] (Martin & White, 2005: 54)
Modalities of usuality He‟s naughty.
He‟s often naughty.
It‟s usual for him to be naughty. It‟s normal for him to be naughty.
It‟s normal, average, fashionable, peculiar, odd, etc. [Judgment: normality]
(Martin & White, 2005: 54-55) Modalisations of ability
He can go. He‟s able to go.
He‟s capable of going. He‟s strong enough to go.
He‟s healthyenough, matureenough, cleverenough, etc. [Judgment: capacity]
(Martin & White, 2005: 55)
commit to user I‟m determined to go.
I‟m intent on going. I‟m resolved.
I‟m resolute, steadfast, unyielding, unflinching, etc. [Judgment: tenacity]
(Martin & White, 2005: 55)
Modulations of obligation Go.
You should go.
You‟resupposed to go. It’sexpectedyou‟ll go. It‟d be unfair for you to go.
It‟d be corrupt, insensitive, arrogant, selfish, rude, etc. [Judgment: propriety]
(Martin & White, 2005: 55)
The explanation about Modality will later on be thrash out on the next sub-chapter.
3.) Appreciation
“Appreciation is the system by which evaluations are made of products and processes”. (White: 2001)
David Hope and Jonathon Read, 2006, state that appreciation is the evaluation of phenomena. The same, Martin and White (2005: 56) express that appreciation is the meanings to construe evaluations of „things‟, things
that is made, performance that is given including natural phenomena (how they are valued).
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The types of appreciation can be classified through a table below.
Table 2.3 Types of Appreciation
Types of appreciation Examples
Positive Negative
reaction impact Arresting, captivating Dull, boring
quality Lovely, beautiful Plain, ugly
composition balance Balanced, harmonious Unbalanced, discordant
complexity Simple, elegant Ornamental, puzzling
valuation Significant, deep Insignificant, shallow
The attitude is expressed through some forms. They are (adapted from Santosa, 2003; Martin & Rose, 2003):
a. Minor clause: a clause which does not have predicator. E.g. OK.
Disgusting.
b. Word: a unit of language with meaning.
1.) Grammatical item (intensifier): the meaning depends on the „content
words‟ that preceding or following it.
E.g. several/all/some questions
2.) Lexical item (attitudinal lexis): a lexis that contains attitude. E.g. vivacious man
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4.) Metaphor: a word that have connotation meaning.
E.g. Beat-Her-Down, means that someone who beats her down c. Nominal group: a group of words which have a meaning.
1.) Epithet: pre-modifier which describes in terms of physical and psychological condition.
E.g. beautiful lady, one-eyed man
2.) Adjective phrase: post modifier which adds information about thing. E.g. a topic interesting to read
a song easy to sing
3.) Metaphor: a group of words that contains connotation meaning. E.g. dirt poor
d. Clause: a language unit that consists of a group of words which contains predicator.
1.) Mental process: process of sensing such as perception, cognition, and affection.
E.g. I feel so nervous. It smells good.
2.) Mental behavior process: the combination of material and mental process. E.g. She looksat you.
3.) Relational process: a process of giving attributive (attributive relational process) or giving value to an entity (identifying relational process). E.g. I feel hungry. (Attributive relational process)
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4.) Modality clause: a clause that contains modality. E.g. You should go.
They must have been hungry.
b.) SOURCE / ENGAGEMENT
Source or engagement is from whom the evaluations come from. There are two kinds of attitudes sources. They are heterogloss (the source of an attitude is other that the writer) and monogloss (the source is simply the author). (Martin & Rose, 2003: 44)
David Hope and Jonathon Read, 2006, explain that engagement is appraisals of appraisals; engagement considers how writers transmit their point of view and how they position themselves with respect to the position of others.
White (2001) declares that engagement encompasses an arrangement of resources:
Projection and related structures of attribution/reported speech; (his alleged ..., informed sources report ..., scientists have found evidence suggesting that…)
Modal verbs; (perhaps, it may..., I think..., surely) Reality phase (verbal group elaboration); (it seems…) Negation; (you don’t need to…)
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Engagement is divided into some systems: (David Hope and Jonathon Read, 2006; Martin & White, 2005)
1. Contract
a. Disclaim: “the textual voice positions itself as at odds with, or rejecting, some contrary position. Two kinds of disclaim are deny (negation) and counter
(concession/counter expectation)”
b. Proclaim: “by representing the proposition as highly warrantable, the textual voice sets itself against, suppresses or rules out alternative positions.” There are three types of proclaim; concur, pronounce, endorse.
2. Expand
a. Entertain: “by explicitly presenting the proposition as grounded in its own contingent, individual subjectivity, the authorial voice represent the proposition as but one of a range of possibility positions – it thereby entertains or invokes these dialogic alternatives.”
b. Attribute: “by representing proposition as grounded in the subjectivity of an external voice, the textual voice represents the proposition as but one of a range of possible positions – it thereby entertains or invokes these dialogic alternatives.”Acknowledge and distance belongs to attribute.
c.) GRADUATION / AMPLIFICATION
Based on Peter White (2001), “GRADUATION are concerned with values
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of focus with which an item exemplifies a valeur relationship. These two dimensions are variously labeled „FORCE‟ (variable scaling of intensity) and „FOCUS‟ (sharpening or blurring of category boundaries)”.
Graduation is another major subsystem of meanings which is concerned with up-scaling and down-scaling. Not only become a feature of attitude, but gradability is also a feature of the engagement system. “Graduation operates across two axes of scalability – that of grading according to intensity or amount (force), and that of grading according to prototypicality and the preciseness (focus) by which category boundaries are drawn”. (Martin & White, 2005: 135)
The two types or graduation are (Martin & White, 2005; Martin & Rose, 2003; White, 2001; Hope & Read, 2006):
1. Force
Force is the dimension of graduation of scaling regarding with intensity.
Force shows how strongly we feel about someone or something. Force includes values which have been called, intensifiers, down-tones, boosters, emphasisers, emphatics etc. (White, 2001).
Force operates appraisal as to degree of intensity and as amount, as is stated by Martin and White (2005: 140). Force is for turning the volume up or down including intensify meanings, and vocabulary items. (Martin & Rose, 2003: 38)
Types of Force according to Martin and Rose (2003), Martin and White (2005), and White (2001):
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Intensification covers qualities, processes, and modalities. b. Quantification
Quantification can operate evaluation of amount including entities. Modes or forms of Force according to Martin and White, 2005 are: a. Isolating
The up-scaling/down-scaling is realized by an isolated, individual item which solely or primarily performs the function of intensification and quantification. E.g. very beautiful; extremely challenging (up/down-scaling of qualities) b. Infusion
Infused force means that there is no separate lexical form conveying the sense of graduation. However, a single term delivers a meaning.
E.g. I‟m happy; you are beautiful.
c. Repetition
Repetition means the recurrence of the same lexical item. E.g. It‟s great great great, she just cry and cry all day.
Types of force (Martin & Rose: 2003) are:
1. Intensifier: the words that amplify the attitude including quantity, manner degree and modality.
E.g. Quantity: all/several/some question Manner degree: uncontrollably
commit to user E.g. beautiful lady
3. Metaphor: a word or group of words that have connotation meaning. E.g. dull like the dead.
4. Swearing: a profanity words or cursing. E.g. WTF!, Bullshit!
2. Focus
Focus covers those meanings which are elsewhere typically analyzed under the headings of „hedging‟ and „vague language‟. Typical values are, he kind'y admitted it; he effectively admitted it, he as good as admitted etc; a whale is a fish, sort’y. Under appraisal theory, values which sharpen rather than blur the focus are also included - for example a true friend, pure folly, he drank his friend under the table, literally. (White; 2001)
Prototypicality (focus) manages scaling phenomena according to the degree to which they match some supposed core or ideal case of a semantic category, for examples; true, real, genuine. (Martin & White, 2005: 137)
The form of Focus can be up-scaling or „sharpen’, and down-scaling or
„soften’. (Martin & White, 2005: 138)
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This figure shows the system network for graduation: force and focus.
Figure 2.5 The system network of graduation (Martin & White, 2005 p. 154)
The conclusion of the description above, appraisal is a theory that belongs to interpersonal meaning to show personal opinion and evaluation towards someone, something, issues or performance. One person‟s evaluation might be different from another. The evaluation is also called as attitude. Evaluation or attitude to someone is called judgment; evaluation to things is labeled as appreciation; and evaluation of the feeling is named affect. The strength of those attitudes is measured by graduation or
force
focus: a true X, an X of sorts
infusing quantification
isolating
up-scale down-scale
intensification
Space: wide spread hostility quality: slightly,
very
extent
mass/presence: tiny, huge
number: few, many
distribution: narrow, wide Time: long-lasting hostility proximity: recent, ancient
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amplification. In addition, the resource of which the attitude comes from is called
engagement or source.
C. Modality
Beside appraisal theory, modality is another part of Interpersonal meaning which also contains appraisal. Halliday, 1994 from Martin and Rose, 2003, describes “modality as a resource which sets up a semantic space between yes and no, a cline
running between positive and negative poles”. Furthermore he states that there are two kinds of modality, i.e. one for negotiating services, and the other for negotiating information.
Graham Lock on his book “Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for second language teachers”, expresses that modality is used in expressing judgments and attitudes.
There are two areas of modality. They are degrees of likelihood and degrees of requirement. Likelihood is about “it is so” and “it is not so”. It is expressed by modal adjunct, modal auxiliaries, attributive clause, and mental process clause of cognition. Meanwhile, requirement is about “do it” and “don‟t do it”. It expressed by modal auxiliaries, clauses with verbs, and clauses with attributive. Beside likelihood and requirement, frequency, inclination, potentiality and ability can be regarded as kinds of modality as well (Graham Lock, 1996).
Here are some examples of the modality to explain. 1. Likelihood
commit to user Positive polarity : – high : must
– mid : oughtto
– low : may
Negative polarity: – high : can’t – mid : shouldn’t – low : maynot
b. Modal adjuncts of likelihood: – high : certainly
– mid : probably
– low : possibly
c. Attributive clause: I am sure that, I am certain, etc.
d. Mental process clause of cognition: I doubt if …, I don’t think, I think, etc. 2. Requirement
a. Modal auxiliaries of requirement:
Positive polarity: – high (obliged/necessary): I must say to …. – mid (advised): The extremist view should….
– low (permitted) : You can copy now.
Negative polarity: – high (obliged/necessary not to): We mustnotbe guilty …
– mid (advised not to): We should notspend …. – low (permitted not to) : … you don’t have to do it.
b. Clauses with verbs: I require you to…., I forbid you to…
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Modality mediates between positive and negative polarity. Modality has three levels; high, median, low, Riyadi Santosa (2003: 111-112). “Modality refers to the area of meaning that lies between yes and no – the intermediate ground between positive and negative polarity” (Halliday 1985:335).
A scheme below is to clarify (adapted from Santosa and Halliday):
Figure 2.6 Types of Modality
“Modalization is a part of modality which is concern specifically with speakers‟ assessment of probability and usuality”. “Modulation is a part of modality
which is concern specifically with speakers‟ judgment of obligation or willingness”,
(Odlin, 1994: 325). In other words, modalization is about proposition (giving and demanding information) and modulation concerns with proposal (giving and demanding goods and services), based on Riyadi Santosa (2003: 112).
The three levels of modality, according to Halliday (1985: 337), are: Modality
Type
Inclination („wants to‟) Obligation („is wanted to‟) Modalization
(„indicative‟ type)
Probability („may be‟)
Usuality („sometimes‟)
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No. Scale Probability Usuality Obligation Inclination
1. High certain always required determined
2. Middle probable usually supposed keen
3. Low possible sometimes allowed willing
Thus, modality is included into appraisal system. Modality is leveled into there polarity; high, medium, and low.
D. GENRE
Genre is a social process that has particular social purposes, which can be identified through the sequences of social activities in stages. Genre contains cultural values and norms owned by a society. (Santosa, 2003: 23).
More completely, Suzanne Eggins gives an idea about genre that genre is used to describe the influence of the context of culture on language by exploring the staged, step-by-step structure cultures institutionalize as ways of achieving goals. (Eggins, 1994: 9)
Martin and Rose (2003: 7-8) state that “genre is a staged, goal-oriented social process.” It is social because there is participation of people in genres. It is
goal-oriented because genres are used to get things done. It is staged because a few steps are usually used to reach the goals. There are three families of genre; story, argument and legislation.
From the book “Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings” by
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of communicative purpose(s) identified and mutually understood by members of the professional or academic community in which it regularly occurs” (Bhatia, 1993: 13).
Besides, the genre contains communicative event that is very structured and conventional. Genres show a limitation of allowable contributions regarding to the intent, positioning, form and functional value. Therefore, although the writer is free to explore his/her idea to his/her text, but the writer has to comply with the standard of the writing process of a particular genre.
Still in this book, “each genre is an instance of a successful achievement of a
specific communicative purpose using conventionalized knowledge of linguistic and discoursal resources” (1993: 16). Furthermore, the writer states that,
From the point of view of applied genre analysis, our primary concern is twofold: first, to characterized typical or conventional textual features of any genre-specific text in an attempt to identify pedagogically utilizable form-function correlation; and second as well as the cognitive constraints operating in the relevant area of specialization, whether professional or academic, (Bhatia, 1993: 16).
Based on Pardiyono, genre can be identified as text type which has functioned as a frame of reference so that the text can be created effectively; effective in terms of accurate purposes, selecting and composing text elements, and accurate in using grammar, (Pardiyono, 2007: 2). He also stated that there are some kinds of genre. Here are those genres and the text elements (^ = followed by):
a) Description: Identification ^ Description
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d) Narration : Orientation ^ Sequence of events (crisis and climax) ^ Resolution ^ Closure
e) Procedure : Goal ^ Procedure
f) Explanation : General Statement ^ Sequence of explanations
g) Discussion : General statement about a particular social issue or social problem to be discussed ^ Arguments For ^ Arguments Against ^ Conclusion and Recommendation
h) Exposition : Thesis ^ Arguments ^ Summing up / Recommendation i) News Item : Headline ^ Summary of event ^ Background Event ^ Sources j) Anecdote : Abstract ^ Orientation ^ Crisis ^ Reaction ^ Coda
k) Review : Identification ^ Summary and evaluation ^ Author and Publisher
The stages of each genre in the trilogy Writing Module 1, 2, and 3, are not too different from the explanation above, there are ten kinds of genre in series; Description, Report, Procedure, Recount, Explanation, Exposition, Essay/Discussion, Review, Anecdote, and Narrative (Wiratno, Santosa, & Djatmika, 2006, 2007).
A Descriptiontext is structured in two stages, i.e. “Thing(s) to be Described” and “Parts/characteristics to be Described”. Reporthas two stages as well, “General
Classification”, and “Subclasses”. Stages in Procedure text are “Goal”, “Materials”
(not required for all Procedural texts), and “Step 1 - n”. “Orientation”, “Sequences of Events”, and “Reorientation” (just optional) are three stages of Recount text.
(Wiratno, Santosa, & Djatmika, 2006)
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Recommendation”, but Analytical Exposition consists of “Thesis”, “Arguments”,
and Reiteration”. In Discussion text, the stages are “Opening/Issue”, “Body/Argument (For and Against)”, and “Closing/Recommendation (summary and final comment” (Wiratno, Santosa, & Djatmika, 2007).
The generic structure of Review Genre involves “Orientation”, “Interpretive Recount”, “Evaluation”, and “Evaluative Summation” (Optional). The staging of
Anecdote is “Abstract”, “Orientation”, “Crisis”, “Reaction”, and “Coda” (optional).
Last but not least, Narrative is structured as “Abstract”, “Orientation”, “Complication”, “Evaluation”, “Resolution”, and “Coda” (Wiratno, Santosa, &
Djatmika, 2007).
More clearly and briefly, Linda Gerot and Peter Wignell, 1994, classify the text genre that has been put into the table below:
Table 2.5 Text Genre
GENRE SOCIAL
FUNCTION
GENERIC STRUCTURE SIGNIFICANT
LEXICOGRAMMATICAL
FEATURES
Recount To retell events for the purpose of
informing or
entertaining
Orientation: provides the
setting and introduces
participants
Events: tell what happened, in
what sequence.
Re-orientation:
optional-closure of events
Focus on specific Participants
Use of material processes
Circumstances of time and place
Use of past tense
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Events: tell what happened, in
what sequence.
Re-orientation:
optional-closure of events
Focus on specific Participants
Use of material processes
Circumstances of time and place
Use of past tense
Focus on temporal sequence.
Report To describe the
way things are,
with reference to a
range of natural,
man-made and
social phenomena
in our environment.
General classification: tells
what the phenomenon under
discussion is.
Description tells what the
phenomenon under discussion
is like in terms of (1) parts, (2)
qualities, (3) habits or
behaviors, if living; uses, if
non-natural.
Focus on GenericParticipants.
Use of Relational Processes to
state what is and that which it is.
Use of simple presenttense
(unless extinct).
No temporal sequence.
Discussion To present (at least) two points of
view about an
issue.
Issue:
Statement
Preview
Arguments for and against or
Statement of differing points
of view.
Material Processes, e.g.
has produced, have
developed, to feed.
Relational Processes, e.g.,
is, could have, cause, are.
Mental Processes, e.g.,
feel.
Use of Comparative:
contrastive and Consequential
conjunctions.
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and nouns (abstraction).
Explanation To explain the
processes involved
in the formation or
workings of natural
or sociocultural
phenomena.
A general statement to
position the reader.
A sequenced explanation of
why or how something occurs.
Focus on generic, non-human
Participants.
Use mainly of Material and
Relational Processes.
Use mainly of temporal and
causal Circumstances and
Conjunctions.
Some use of Passive voice to get
Theme right.
main arguments to be
presented.
Focus on generic human and
non-human Participants.
Use of simple present tense.
Use of Relational Processes.
Use of Internal conjunction to
state argument
Thesis: announcement of issue
concern.
Arguments: reasons for
concern, leading to
Focus on generic human and
non-human Participants,
except for speaker or writer
commit to user not be the case. recommendation.
Recommendation: statement
of what ought or ought not to
happen.
Use of:
Mental Processes: to state
what writer thinks or feels
about issue, e.g. realize, feel,
appreciate.
Material Processes: to state
what happens, e.g., is
polluting, drive, travel,
spend, should be treated.
Relational Processes: to
state what is or should be, e.g., doesn‟t seem to have been, is
Use of simple present tense
News Item To inform readers,
recounts the event in summary
form
Background Events: elaborate
what happened, to whom, in
what circumstances.
Sources: comments by
participants in, witnesses to
and authorities expert on the
event.
Short, telegraphic information
about story captured in headline.
Use of Material Processes to
retell the event (in the text
below, many of the Material
Processes are nominalized).
Use of projecting Verbal
Processes in Sources stage.
Focus on Circumstances (e.g.
mostly within Qualifiers).
Anecdote To share with others an account
of an unusual or
amusing incident.
Abstract: signals the retelling
of an unusual incident.
Orientation: sets the scene.
Crisis: provides details of the
unusual incident
Reaction: reaction to crises
Coda: optional – reflection on
or evaluation of the incident.
Use of exclamations, rhetorical
questions and intensifiers
(really, very, quite, etc.) to point
up the significance of the events.
Use of material Processes to
tell what happened.
