语法隐喻

2. Definition of GM

Congruent form VS metaphorical form Congruent form, the “literal” as opposed to the metaphorical realization of meaning: the congruence between semantics and lexicogrammar. Congruent forms reflect the typical ways that we construe experience. Metaphor implies a discrepancy between semantics and lexicogrammar.
1. Background Information

Thompson: “The expression of a meaning through a lexico-grammatical form which originally evolved to express a different kind of meaning”. Ravelli: a grammatical phenomenon, in which two different grammatical categories, such as a verbal group and a nominal group, may realize largely the same thing”. Fan Wenfang: an incongruent realization of meanings, involving transference of grammatical units from one domain to another, either from a basic domain to a subdomain or from one subdomain to another subdomain. (Fang Wenfang, 2001: 33)
3.1.1 Experimental GM
“Participant” realized by verbaLeabharlann Baidu group and epithet:
(3)The robber held a knife to his throat and took away all his money. (4)To drive after drinking is an invitation to catastrophe. (5)The rainbow was colorful. One participant of sentence (3) is congruently realized by a nominal group “a knife”, while in sentence (4), a verbal group “to drive” is employed to realize participant metaphorically in the relational process, and in sentence (5), the epithet “colorful” functions as attribute in the relational process and as
3. Classification of GM

3.1 Ideational GM 3.1.1 Experiential GM 3.1.2 Logical GM 3.2.1 Metaphor of mood(语气隐喻) 3.2 Interpersonal GM 3.2.2 Metaphor of modality(情态隐喻)
3.1.1 Experimental GM

“Circumstance” realized by nominal group and verbal group: (6a)We are sad that she was broke. (6b)Her sadness is beyond description. (6c)The news of her being broke saddens us. In sentence (6a), “sad” is attribute that expresses the circumstantial relations, realizing the relational process congruently. While in sentence (6b), “sadness” functions as participant, which metaphorically realized by the combination of participant meaning (her sadness) and attribute meaning (she is sad). In sentence (6c), “sadness” realizes the material process metaphorically since it consists of process meaning (saddens us) and attribute meaning (make us sad) as well.
2. Definition of GM

GM is an incongruent realization of meanings involving transference of grammatical units from one domain to another, either from a basic domain to a subdomain, or from one subdomain to another subdomain. (Fan Wenfang, 2001: 33) For example, according to our natural logic, a process is often realized by a verbal group, but we usually realize a process by a nominal group.
3.1.1 Experimental GM

This function is achieved by transitivity system which reflects the activities’ process, participant of process and circumstantial elements related with the process. Halliday’s 6 processes: material process, mental process, relational process, behavioral process, verbal process and existential process. Each process consists 3 components: 1) the process itself; 2) participants in the process; and 3) circumstances associated with the process. Normally, process is realized by a verbal group, participant by a nominal group and circumstance by an adverbial group or a prepositional phrase.
1. Background Information

In The Introduction to Functional Grammar (1985), Halliday first brought forward the term “Grammatical Metaphor”. He referred to it as a kind of “variation in the expression of a given meaning” or “same signifier, different signified without giving a clear-cut definition. He divided GM into two kinds in line with the metafunctions of language: Ideational GM and Interpersonal GM. Halliday（1985）指出，语法隐喻不是用一个词去代 替另一个词，而是用某一语法类别或语法结构去代替 另一语法类别或语法结构。
Contents

1. Background Information 2. Definition of GM 3. Classification of GM 4. Conclusion
1. Background Information

In traditional literary criticism, metaphors are distinguished from similes. A metaphor states that something is equivalent to another thing which is not usually associated with it. A simile states that something is like another thing which it is not usually associated with. eg. The man is a lion. (lexical metaphor) The man is like a lion. (simile)
2. Definition of GM

(1a) The brakes failed. no (2a) We discussed the topic. (1b) brake failure (2b) We have a discussion about this topic yes
2. Definition of GM

Grammatical metaphor: Meaning construed in a different way by means of a different grammatical construction. Example: clause [process with participant + circumstance] coded as phrase
3.1.1 Experimental GM

(修饰词)
3.1.1 Experimental GM

“Process” realized by nominal group or epithet: (2a) He described the game in great detail. (2b) He gave a detailed description of the game. (2c) I asked him to give a descriptive account of the game in detail. In sentence (2a), the mental process is congruently realized by the verbal group “describe”, however, we can also realize it as a material process with the nominal group “a detailed description” in sentence (2b) or as a material process with the epithet “descriptive” in sentence (2c).