Clause Complex Embedded As Qualifier Of Epithet

Cf I'm not very surprised…

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 275):

Submodifiers like so, very, too go with nominal groups but not with verbal groups: we can say I was very afraid of it but not I very feared it; you’re not too keen on it but not you don’t too want it.

The Function Of Demonstrative Pronoun vs Demonstrative Adjective

 

That is, both demonstratives serve as Deictic, pronoun as Head, adjective as Modifier. It's as simple as that. See, for example, Halliday (1994: 313):

The inconsistent notion of demonstrative as Thing was introduced by Matthiessen in IFG3 and IFG4. For example, Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 556; 2014: 629):

'Mere' As Post-Deictic

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 373, 374):

The post-Deictic identifies a subset of the class of ‘thing’ by referring to its fame or familiarity, its status in the text, or its similarity/dissimilarity to some other designated subset. …
The words occurring as post-Deictic are adjectives, and may also occur in the function of Epithet but with a different sense; …
In an incongruent nominal group, the post-Deictic may correspond to an interpersonal Adjunct in the related congruent clause.

For example: 

In the first two instances, the word 'mere' identifies a subset of the Thing in terms of its dissimilarity to some other designated subset. In each case it corresponds to 'merely', an interpersonal Adjunct of counter-expectancy: limiting.

In the third instance, the word 'merest' has a different sense, indicating a quality of the subset of the Thing, like 'slightest', and so functions as Epithet.

The Reification Of 'Please'

Modified 'Ago'

Nominal Group Qualifiers?

Beatriz Quiroz asked on Sysfling on 12 Apr at 5:24:

How would you analyse the underlined element in the following English nominal groups:

The year 1920
My friend John
captain Ahab
his wife Sarah
The city of Rome

Would they all be Qualifiers?

Blogger Comments:

Just the first and last.

But, even in IFG4 (p391):

Other than this type [nominal group as Attribute], Epithets and Classifiers do not normally function as Head.

England's King's Hat

The King Of England's Hat

Adverbial Group As Attribute Encoding 'The Amazing Thing About The 80s'

The Days Of Auld Lang Syne

Both units of the Qualifier realise the meaning 'in the past', with the second elaborating the first, and the relation is paratactic, because neither depends on the other:

The days of auld (old)
The days lang syne (long since/long ago)

However, on the model of Halliday (1994: 193):

 the logical structure is:

Dimension Of Measurement As Qualifier

Predicated Theme vs Postposed Subject

Note that both clauses have the same interpersonal structure, though the Subject is realised by a nominal group in the predicated Theme clause, but by an elaborating paratactic nominal group complex in the postposed Subject clause.

Note also that the predicated Theme clause is encoding (the Value is encoded by reference to the Token your good luck), whereas the postposed Subject clause is decoding (the Token is decoded by reference to the Value your good luck).

Probability Realised By Both Finite Modal Operator And Noun Of Modalisation

There are thus 2 probabilities:

1. the probability of complications or adverse effects (➘ noun of modalisation);
2. the probability of increasing that probability (➘ Finite).

For nouns of modalisation, see Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 536).

Rectifying The Situation

A More Distressing Attribute

The motivation for the discontinuous Attribute is textual: to highlight the demonstrative reference item (that), in the comparison made by the Qualifier, as the unmarked New.

Discontinuous Nominal Group (Woman … With Stab Wounds)

The motivation for displacing the Qualifier in this news story headline is textual: to make it the unmarked focus of New information, so that the Phenomenon/Subject is assigned two peaks of textual prominence: Theme and New.

Note also that the clause has no Finite or Medium through whom the Process is actualised.

Adding Classifiers To Add Appraisals

I	am	a (Full Chair)  professor
Carrier	Process: attributive	Attribute

a	(Full	Chair)	professor
Deictic	Classifier PreModifier Head		Thing

I	have delivered	(invited) keynote lectures
Sayer	Process: verbal	Verbiage

(invited)	keynote	lectures
Classifier₁	Classifier₂	Thing

(Uninvited keynote lectures must be a headache for conference organisers.)

'More About' An Indefinite Numerative as Postmodified Head

α		x β cause: purpose
Scan	the QR code	to learn	more about the Medela range
Process: material	Goal	Process: mental	Phenomenon

cf what you will learn is more about the Medela range

more	about the Medela range
Numerative	Qualifier
Head	Postmodifier

cf more facts [about the Medela range]

also: you know more [[than I (do)]], you know more [than me]


For Numerative as Head, see Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 390-1).