This monograph, which was first published in 1978, outlines a general theory of the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic organization of natural languages, based on a functional view of the nature of language: a view in which a language is first and foremost conceptualized as an instrument of communicative verbal interaction. Within the model of Functional Grammar, strong emphasis lies on the relevance of functional or relational notions of three different levels: semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic functions.
At the same time, the generative power of the model is constrained by disallowing structure-changing transformations, filtering devices, and abstract lexical decomposition. Linguistic expressions are described in terms of underlying predications, which are themselves built up from ‘predicate-frames’ contained in the lexicon. Predications are mapped onto linguistic expressions by means of expression rules which determine the form and the order which the constituents of the underlying predication may or must assume, given the functional and structural properties of the underlying predication.
Much attention is paid to the requirement of typological adequacy as a standard for evaluating the theory of Functional Grammar. For that reason, most principles of Functional Grammar are developed on the basis of, and evaluated in the light of, a variety of facts drawn from languages of different types.
The text of the earlier version of this monograph evoked a considerable number of reactions, and occasioned further research along the lines suggested. It is expected that this new, revised edition will fill a need for those interested in this theory.