A Research On The Token-Value Structure In Halliday’s Functional Grammar

In Halliday’s transitivity system,‘Token’ and ‘Value’ are a variable set of functions in identifyingrelational clause, the other set of functions being Identified and Identifier. The two sets of roles can freelymap onto one another to form different coding processes: decoding process and encoding process. Owingto the discovery of Token-Value structure, Halliday successfully explained the determination of voice inidentifying relational clause; and in interpreting an identifying relational clause this structure can also helpsto clarify some ambiguities.Based on a different interpretation of the nature of Token-Value structure put forward by Halliday,Davidse (1996) distinguishes the Token-Value structure into two modes: expressive and motivative. Thetwo modes of Token-Value structure have a different distribution of abstraction levels from Halliday’soriginal definition of this structure. Davidse’ problem involves how to understand the nature ofToken-Value structure and therefore deserves further study.In light of Halliday’s metaredundancy concept about language strata (Halliday,1992:25), this thesisaims to explore the nature of Token-Value structure and point out where and why Davidse’ problem comesabout. The basic research finding of the thesis is: what Halliday means with ‘function’ or ‘meaning’ todefine the ‘value’ in the Token-Value structure is not to designate ‘function’ or ‘meaning’ in the lexicalzone, but in the grammatical zone, the grammatical value or function in a relevant structure or system.Hence value is always at a higher level of abstraction than token is.This thesis adopts a dynamic approach to the study of Token-Value structure. By manipulating theoperation of the structure in the whole transitivity system one way or the other, let the structure manifest itsown function and nature. And such a research process also reveals that some significant concepts andrelationships involving Halliday’s linguistic philosophy such as ‘grammatical metaphor’,‘grammar andmeaning’,‘language and meaning’ are all related to the nature of Token-Value structure. Hence,Token-Value structure is not merely one type of transitivity process, the structure is unique in that it alsohas a special cognitive significance and is attached with a rich flavor of linguistic philosophy.