Possession As Participants: Decoding & Encoding

(1) decoding the possessed (‘Whose is this DVD?’)

this DVD	is	mine
Identified	Process: intensive	Identifier
Token: possessed		Value: possessor

the identity decodes the Token: possessed by reference to the Value: possessor

(2) encoding the possessor (‘Which is yours?)

mine	is	this DVD
Identified	Process: intensive	Identifier
Value: possessor		Token: possessed

the identity encodes the Value: possessor by reference to the Token: possessed

See Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 247).

Possession As Identifying Process: Decoding & Encoding

(1) decoding possession (‘Which do you own?’)

I	own	this DVD
Identified	Process: possession	Identifier
Token		Value

the identity decodes the Token by reference to the Value

(2) encoding possession (‘Who owns this DVD?)

this DVD	is owned by	me
Identified	Process: possession	Identifier
Value		Token

the identity encodes the Value by reference to the Token

See Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 247).

Possession As Attributive Process: 'Lack' & 'Deserve'

you	lack (‘don’t have’)	common decency
Carrier	Process: possession	Attribute

you	deserve (‘should have’)	an agonising death
Carrier	Process: possession	Attribute

See Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 244-6).

Verbless Dependent Enhancing Attributive Clause

fair or not	the NFL was looking at a possible public relations hit	if Sam was not drafted
x b	a ( a	x b )

whether	it	is	fair or not
	Carrier	Process	Attribute

Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 425):

There is one type of non-finite dependent clause which is often not recognised because it has no verb in it; for example, with no-one in charge, with everyone so short of money. These are in fact ‘attributive relational’ clauses, with zero alternation of the non-finite verb being (less commonly they may be identifying, eg with that the only solution). The verb be will always be present in the agnate finite clause (eg since no-one is in charge); and in the non-finite it is always possible to insert being, with very little difference in meaning.