The Syntax of <i>Let</i> Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach

Dajun Xiang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach

Dajun Xiang

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 4, Issue 3)

Received: 21 March 2016 Accepted: 30 March 2016 Published: 21 April 2016

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Abstract

The syntactic issue of English let construction has long been one of the hot topics in linguistic research. Opinions about its syntax are various among grammarians, especially about the problem of how to deal with let. Systemic functional grammar claims that the relationship between meaning and form is realization, e.g. meaning is realized in form. Meaning is the generative base of systemic functional grammar. Therefore, the principle of functional syntactic analysis is that functional syntactic analysis should be “meaning-centered.” Based on the basic principle of functional syntax and COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) data, the paper aims to investigate the syntax of let construction within systemic functional approach. It is concluded that English let construction has two different functional structures: one is canonical imperative let construction; the other is specialized imperative let construction. As for the functional syntax, let within the canonical imperative let construction should be analyzed as the Main Verb, and let within the specialized imperative let construction should be analyzed as the direct element of the clause, that is Let element. Functional syntactic analysis has its own principles, features, and methods. The academic explorations based on systemic functional theory are of great significance both theoretically and practically.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 4, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
Page(s)	89-95
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Let Construction, Functional Syntax, Main Verb, Let Element, Systemic Functional Grammar

References

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[3]	Fawcett, R. P. (2008). Invitation to systemic functional linguistics through the Cardiff grammar: An extension and simplification of Halliday’s systemic functional grammar (3^rd ed.). London: Equinox.
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[5]	Seppänen, A. (1977). The position of let in the English auxiliary system. English Studies (58): 515-29.
[6]	Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London: Longman.
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[8]	Clark, B. (1993). Let and let’s: Procedural encoding and explicature. Lingua, 90, 173–200.
[9]	Potsdam, E. (1998). Syntactic Issues in the English Imperative. New York: Garland.
[10]	Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finnegan, E. (1999). The Longman grammar of spoken and written English. London: Longman.
[11]	Huddleston, R. & Pullum, G. K. (2002). The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[12]	Alcazar, A., & Saltarelli, M. (2014). The syntax of imperatives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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[14]	Chomsky, N. (1995). The minimalist program. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
[15]	Xu, T. H. (1998). The syntactic and semantic analysis of let’s structure in English. Foreign Languages and their research (7): 22-23.
[16]	He, Z. Q. (2003). Reanalyzing the mood structure of imperatives in English. Journal of Tianjin Foreign Studies University (1): 14-19.
[17]	Morley, G. D. (2004). Explorations in functional syntax: A new framework for lexicogrammatical analysis. London: Equinox.
[18]	Halliday, M. A. K. (1961). Categories of the theory of grammar. Reprinted in J. Webster (ed.). 2002. Collected works of M. A. K. Halliday (Vol. 1): On grammar (pp. 37–94). London and New York: Continuum.
[19]	Fawcett, R. P. (1980). Cognitive linguistics and social interaction: Towards an integrated model of a systemic functional grammar and the other components of a communicating mind. Heidelberg: Julius Groos.
[20]	Halliday, M. A. K. (2006). Systemic theory. In Brown, K. (eds.). 2006. Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (2^nd edn.). Vol 12. Elsevier: 443-447.
[21]	Halliday, M. A. K. (1976). Functions and universals, In Kress, G. (ed.) Halliday: System and function in language. London: Oxford University Press: 26-35.
[22]	Hopper, P. J. & Traugott, E. C. (2001). Grammaticalization. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

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Dajun Xiang. (2016). The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(3), 89-95. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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Dajun Xiang. The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2016, 4(3), 89-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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Dajun Xiang. The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. Int J Lang Linguist. 2016;4(3):89-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11,
  author = {Dajun Xiang},
  title = {The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {4},
  number = {3},
  pages = {89-95},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20160403.11},
  abstract = {The syntactic issue of English let construction has long been one of the hot topics in linguistic research. Opinions about its syntax are various among grammarians, especially about the problem of how to deal with let. Systemic functional grammar claims that the relationship between meaning and form is realization, e.g. meaning is realized in form. Meaning is the generative base of systemic functional grammar. Therefore, the principle of functional syntactic analysis is that functional syntactic analysis should be “meaning-centered.” Based on the basic principle of functional syntax and COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) data, the paper aims to investigate the syntax of let construction within systemic functional approach. It is concluded that English let construction has two different functional structures: one is canonical imperative let construction; the other is specialized imperative let construction. As for the functional syntax, let within the canonical imperative let construction should be analyzed as the Main Verb, and let within the specialized imperative let construction should be analyzed as the direct element of the clause, that is Let element. Functional syntactic analysis has its own principles, features, and methods. The academic explorations based on systemic functional theory are of great significance both theoretically and practically.},
 year = {2016}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach
AU  - Dajun Xiang
Y1  - 2016/04/21
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
AB  - The syntactic issue of English let construction has long been one of the hot topics in linguistic research. Opinions about its syntax are various among grammarians, especially about the problem of how to deal with let. Systemic functional grammar claims that the relationship between meaning and form is realization, e.g. meaning is realized in form. Meaning is the generative base of systemic functional grammar. Therefore, the principle of functional syntactic analysis is that functional syntactic analysis should be “meaning-centered.” Based on the basic principle of functional syntax and COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) data, the paper aims to investigate the syntax of let construction within systemic functional approach. It is concluded that English let construction has two different functional structures: one is canonical imperative let construction; the other is specialized imperative let construction. As for the functional syntax, let within the canonical imperative let construction should be analyzed as the Main Verb, and let within the specialized imperative let construction should be analyzed as the direct element of the clause, that is Let element. Functional syntactic analysis has its own principles, features, and methods. The academic explorations based on systemic functional theory are of great significance both theoretically and practically.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Dajun Xiang

School of Foreign Languages, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Normal College, Jishou University, Hunan, China

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APA Style

Dajun Xiang. (2016). The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(3), 89-95. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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ACS Style

Dajun Xiang. The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2016, 4(3), 89-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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AMA Style

Dajun Xiang. The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach. Int J Lang Linguist. 2016;4(3):89-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11,
  author = {Dajun Xiang},
  title = {The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {4},
  number = {3},
  pages = {89-95},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20160403.11},
  abstract = {The syntactic issue of English let construction has long been one of the hot topics in linguistic research. Opinions about its syntax are various among grammarians, especially about the problem of how to deal with let. Systemic functional grammar claims that the relationship between meaning and form is realization, e.g. meaning is realized in form. Meaning is the generative base of systemic functional grammar. Therefore, the principle of functional syntactic analysis is that functional syntactic analysis should be “meaning-centered.” Based on the basic principle of functional syntax and COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) data, the paper aims to investigate the syntax of let construction within systemic functional approach. It is concluded that English let construction has two different functional structures: one is canonical imperative let construction; the other is specialized imperative let construction. As for the functional syntax, let within the canonical imperative let construction should be analyzed as the Main Verb, and let within the specialized imperative let construction should be analyzed as the direct element of the clause, that is Let element. Functional syntactic analysis has its own principles, features, and methods. The academic explorations based on systemic functional theory are of great significance both theoretically and practically.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Syntax of Let Construction in English: A Systemic Functional Approach
AU  - Dajun Xiang
Y1  - 2016/04/21
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 89
EP  - 95
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20160403.11
AB  - The syntactic issue of English let construction has long been one of the hot topics in linguistic research. Opinions about its syntax are various among grammarians, especially about the problem of how to deal with let. Systemic functional grammar claims that the relationship between meaning and form is realization, e.g. meaning is realized in form. Meaning is the generative base of systemic functional grammar. Therefore, the principle of functional syntactic analysis is that functional syntactic analysis should be “meaning-centered.” Based on the basic principle of functional syntax and COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) data, the paper aims to investigate the syntax of let construction within systemic functional approach. It is concluded that English let construction has two different functional structures: one is canonical imperative let construction; the other is specialized imperative let construction. As for the functional syntax, let within the canonical imperative let construction should be analyzed as the Main Verb, and let within the specialized imperative let construction should be analyzed as the direct element of the clause, that is Let element. Functional syntactic analysis has its own principles, features, and methods. The academic explorations based on systemic functional theory are of great significance both theoretically and practically.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download