A Systemic Functional Study Of The English Relative Clauses

Relative clause is not only a common language phenomenon but also an important structure in English syntax.Therefore,it has always been regarded as a research focus of scholars from different schools.Generally speaking,there are still some weaknesses in the current studies.The classifications of the English relative clause are not comprehensive,clear and systematic enough.Besides,the semantic functions and logico-semantic relation of the English relative clause are also not given enough attention.Qualitative method is used in this thesis and the examples are adopted from relevant grammar works and the British National Corpus in order to ensure the authenticity and accuracy.In the framework of two main branches of Systemic Functional Linguistics: the Sydney Grammar and the Cardiff Grammar,this thesis studies the English relative clause from the following aspects.Firstly,the classification of the English relative clauses is provided.Secondly,embedding and the interdependency and the logico-semantic relation as well as form and meaning between the English relative clauses and other elements in the same clause or clause complex are analyzed respectively.The major findings of the study are as follows:(1)According to different forms and meanings,the English relative clauses can be divided into three types: the integrated relative clause,the supplementary relative clause and the connective relative clause,which all can be further divided into the finite English relative clause and the non-finite English relative clause.(2)In the Sydney Grammar,the clause containing the integrated relative clause or the supplementary relative clause is a simple clause because the integrated relative clause and the supplementary relative clause are embedded in the nominal group.However,the clause with the connectiverelative clause is clause complex whose interdependency relation is parataxis and the logico-semantic relation is extension.(3)In the Cardiff Grammar,the integrated relative clause and the supplementary relative clause are also qualifiers of the nominal groups through embedding.Nevertheless,the connective relative clause is an independent clause rather than an embedded element of the nominal group.This study provides some new ways of classifying and analyzing the English Relative clause in the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics...