GRAMMAR FOR EXPRESSING PROCESSES: ACTION VERBS, SAYING VERBS,

SENSING VERBS, RELATING VERBS, EXISTING VERBS

1.1 GRAMMAR
Grammar can be defined as the way of describing how a language works to make meaning
(Derewianka, 2011). Furthermore, if there is no grammar rule, English would be almost
impossible to understand. As an example, the utterance “store to buy cheese go the tea girls
store” would barely understand and meaningful; while, “The girls are going to store to buy tea
and cheese” is can be understood.

2.1 A MULTI-PURPOSE GRAMMAR

Grammar has two basic purposes which are identified as meaning and form (Derewianka,
2011). To do with meaning, it focuses on how linguistic choices create certain meanings so it
will lead to extend and interpret meanings. Meanwhile, when to focus is on the form, it deals
with how various grammatical features are structured. Instead, there is a connected relationship
between meaning and form, it portrays how different grammatical categories are involved in the
construction of meaning which answer certain qualifications such as:
1. What range of meanings do verbs express?
2. How can my choice of nouns affect the meaning of the text?
3. How can I use certain types of adjectives to express my opinion about something?
4. Which grammatical features are involved in skills such as classifying, defining, describing,
generalising, and exemplifying?
5. Which linguistic features can help me produce a text that is coherent and cohesive?
6. How do grammatical patterns change from text to text? Why and with what effect?
7. How does the context affect the kinds of grammatical choices made?

3.1 LANGUAGE FOR EXPRESSING IDEAS

The most fundamental function of language is to represent experience, to express and to
understand what goes in life (Derewianka, 2011). In the academic context, it includes using and
understanding the language of the different areas of the curriculum. In this case, the language

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used in Science, History, English literary text will be different from each other because they
develop knowledge and understandings relevant to that area.
One of the ways to observe what is happening in the world is by observing the clause which
can be called as the basic unit of meaning. Clauses represent the world by providing information
about what is going on, who or what is taking part, and any circumstances surrounding the
activity such as when, where and how. In addition, when the students observe the clause, they
will be able to think in terms of chunks of meaning rather than individual words.

4.1 GRAMMAR EXPRESSES PROCESS

There are different processes that capture the meaning or function the experience. Processes
typically take the form of verbs or verb groups. Through the verb groups, we can express
different aspects of our experience, which are;
a. What we do (action verbs),
b. What we say (saying verbs),
c. What we think, feel and perceive (sensing verbs),
d. How we create links between bits of information (relating verbs),
e. How we refer to things that simply ‘exist’ (existing verbs).

4.1.1 Action Verbs

Much of experience consists of physical activity. The words that involve physical activities
are called action verbs. They express the notion that some entity ‘does’ something (Halliday,
1994). Particularly, action verbs can be found in texts such as procedures, recounts, and
narratives.

The example of action verbs are:

Blow Buy Come Do Drive

Eat Fly Get Give Live
Limp Make Play Roam Rub
Run Shake Slip Take Work
Verbs often represent actions and that the choice of more expressive verbs makes an action
more vivid. In this case, there are some differences of choosing the words between younger and

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older students. Younger students tend to choose expressive action verbs while older students tend
to choose selected action verbs to construct a series of events in an historical account.
Furthermore, professional writers tend to use action verbs to indicate action sequence to create a
sense of dynamic action.

However, it must be noted that not all actions verbs represent physical activities.
Sometimes they are relatively abstract such as

“Can you manage all right?”

“She retained her sense of humour.”

“The inflation rate has increased lately.”

There is also a group of similar to action verbs that are sometimes referred to as
“behavioural processes” (Derewianka, 2011). It involves bodily actions usually only with one
participant such as “stare, listen, worry, dream, breathe, sneeze, cough, hiccup, burp, faint, yawn,
sleep, cry, laugh, smile, fawn, sleep, cry, laugh, etc.”

4.1.2 Saying Verbs

Not all experience is represented directly through action, but it is reported verbally. It is
called saying verbs or verbal processes according to Halliday (1994). It includes all modes of
expressing and indicating, even if they need not be verbal, such as "showing". The content of
what is said or indicated can be realised as a full projected clause, a participant (verbiage), or a
circumstance (matter). See examples below.

The x-ray shows a small lump in Alvin's throat

Pt: Pr: Pt: Circ:

Sayer Verbal Verbiage Location

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 The doctor expressed some concern

Pt: Pr: Pt:

Sayer Verbal Verbiage

Alvin complained about the discomfort

Pt: Pr: Circ:

Sayer Verbal Matter

He mumbled that the ball ruined his appearance

Pt: Pr: [Separate ranking clause]

Sayer Verbal

Below are the lists of some common saying verbs.

Ask Deny Plead Respond Stammer

Claim Explain Promise Say Suggest
Continue Imply Reply Scream Tell
Cry Murmur Report Shout Whisper

To determine whether a verb is a saying verb or not, it can be tested by asking whether it
can be followed by items such as ‘that’, whether’ or ‘what’, such as:

She promised that she would come back.

She claimed that it was a plot.

She explained what had been troubling her.

She asked whether she could go home.

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 Another test is to see whether the verb can take a ‘receiver’:

She promised him …;

She explained to her mother...;

She asked the teacher…;

It must be noted that to testify whether a verb is a saying verb or not will depend on the
context. For example;

“He screamed that he was hungry.” (Saying verb)

“The baby didn’t stop screaming.” (Action verb)

Saying verbs are found most commonly in stories because the characters show how they
speak and interact with others. In the following passage, for example, J.K. Rowling could have
simply said that Dudley was a spoilt child, but instead she gives an insight into his personality
through the choice of saying verbs:

“Make it move,” he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass but the snake didn’t budge.

“Do it again,” Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed
on.

“This is boring,” Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling

Different saying verbs used in a text such as pleaded, whispered, responded, sighed can be
more effective than said because it will help the reader to build up the character and mood
(Derewianka, 2011).

4.1.3 Sensing Verbs

Sensing verbs reflect processes of ‘internal world’ which typically used only in relation to
humans or non-humans given human-like qualities – describing what they think, feel, desire and
perceive.

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Below are some examples:

Thinking Feeling and wanting Perceiving

Know Decide Like See
Reflect Consider Hate Taste
Comprehend Recall Dislike Hear
Believe Hypothesise Want Smell
Imagine Wonder Wish Observe
Forget Understand Need Notice
Remember Assume Fear Sense
Recollect Recognise Enjoy
Realise Infer
To testify whether a verb is a sensing verb or not, a sensing verb will usually take a simple tense
such as

“She forgot …,”

“She realized….”

Instead of progressive “She was forgetting…”

In a story, sensing verbs can give the readers insight into the characters of the story by
describing what is going on in their minds. They are often employed when the characters reflect
on the action or evaluate what is happening in the story. Thinking verbs are used to express
processes of cognition and can feature in text such as arguments and discussions.

Sensing verbs are concerned with people’s feelings and desires too. It can be seen from the
text such as romance novels, poems, songs and blogs.

It encompasses actions of perception too which involve the use of senses such as hearing,
seeing, tasting, and smelling

4.1.4 Relating Verbs

There are some verbs that do not represent actions, speaking, thoughts or feelings. Their
job is to link two pieces of information. As the term ‘relational’ suggests, this is not being in the

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sense of existing (Halliday, 1994). These are called relating verbs. The most common relating
verbs are the verbs be and have and variations on these.

Being Having
Am, is, are Represent Have, has, had
Was, were Remain Own
Mean Is called Possess
Become Equal Include
Turn into Symbolize Comprise
Seem Lack
Appear Encompass

In some cases, a link is being made between the thing being described and its description.

Thing being described Relating verb Description

The girls become close friends
The sky Grew darker
In other cases, the link is between a thing and how it is being identified or defined.

Thing being identified Relating verb Identifier

A solid refers to a figure having three
dimension
The land is symbolized by the colour red
In the case of a true definition of a true definition, it is possible to reverse the two participants

A bat Is the only mammal that can

fly
The only mammal that is a bat
can fly
It has to be noted that some of the verbs above appear to be the same as sensing verbs.
Generally, however, if they are followed by a describing item (eg.using adjective), they have a
relating function, linking something to its description.

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The bread tastes stale.

The flowers smelled divine.

I felt sore all over.

It looked suspicious.

All the sentences above use sensing verbs but the function change into relating verbs
because it is used in different context. Furthermore, it is important to remember that a word can
have a different function depending on the context.

4.1.5 Existing Verbs

Another type of verb is where there is no action or relationship being described which is
called existing verb. The verb represents that something exists or happens.

“There was an old house on the hill”

“There are no decent shows on television.”

The word there has no representational function but it is needed as a subject. In this case,
‘there’ refers to the existence of something, not a place.

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REFERENCES

Derewianka, B. (2011). A new grammar companion for teachers. Australia: Primary English
Teaching Association.

Halliday, M. A. (1985). 1994. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.