The Study Of Expansion Relationship Of Clauses In MARPOL73/78 Convention Annexes

This study is based on Halliday's opinion that clause complex should be used in functional grammar rather than sentence and his theory on clause relationship including the interdependency and logic semantic relationship. With the six annexes of MARPOL73/78 convention as the research objects, the distributing features of elaboration, extension and enhancement these three expansion methods are studied.The embedded clause and clause complex are discussed respectively in analyzing the expansion relationship. In this study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods are applied with computer softwares like AntConc and SPSS which are used to facilitate the data processing. In a clause complex, the three expansion methods and the finiteness of the clauses used to realize them are analyzed; while in embedded clauses, the three expansion methods, the finiteness of the clauses and the clause type in traditional grammar are calculated. The conclusions of the following are drawn after analyzing the expansion relationship in the six annexes. In clause complexes, among the three methods used to expand meaning, the enhancement is taking a major role, then the extension and the elaboration; while in embedded clauses, the elaboration comes at the first, then the enhancement and extension. The finite clause is used much more frequently than the non-finite clause in realizing the expansion relationship in clause complex; however, in embedded clauses, the non-finite clause is more frequently used.This thesis further testify the conclusion draw by Chen Anling who considers the formality of a text is relevant to the numbers of clauses in the clause complex and the numbers of embedded clauses.The focus of this study is to analyze the features of the six annexes of MARPOL73/78 Convention in the perspective of clause complex and embedded clause respectively. In this research, a pioneer study is conducted to contribute some experience in this field.