On group and phrase in functional grammar

Abstract

The intermediate ranking unit between “word” and “clause” on the lexicogrammatical rank scale in Systemic Grammar is generally known as a “group”. The article discusses problems posed by the use of this label and proposes that the unit should be known as a “phrase” and be seen as a unit which’ is determined by its function in a given text as an element of clause structure. A “group”, however, is “an expansion of a word” (Halliday 1994:180) and the article proposes that it should be handled as a form of complex at word rank, a word group. Further, in order to reflect the differences between function role and formal constituency, the terminological labels (such as “adverbial——” and “adverb——”) for classes of phrase and classes of word group should specifically distinguish between them. The sub-class labelling of phrases is, thereby, brought into line with that of subordinate clauses in traditional grammar.