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Halliday’s systemic-functional grammar, especially the theories of three metafuncions. II Theoretic Framework: Hallidayan Systemic-Functional Grammar M.A.K. Halliday has developed systemic-functional grammar stemming from Firth’s theories in the London School. Systemic-functional grammar has two components: systemic grammar and functional grammar. It is based on two factors: (1) language users are actually making choices in a system of systems and trying to realize different semantic function in social interaction; and (2) language is inseparable from social activities of man (胡壮麟2001: 408). According to Halliday, a functional grammar is “essentially a ‘natural’ grammar, in the sense that everything in it can be explained”. He believes that language is what it is because it has to serve certain functions. Halliday perceives language as having three metafunctions: the ideational, the interpersonal, and the textual function. These metafunctions appear at a new level in the linguistic system. This chapter previews the Hallidayan systemic-functional grammar, especially the three metafunctions. 2.1 An Overview of Hallidayan Systemic-Functional Grammar H.A.K.Halliday believes that language has evolved to satisfy human needs; and the way it is organized is functional with respect to these needs—it is not arbitrary (1985: 39). He says that a functional grammar is essentially a “natural” grammar, in this sense that everything in it can be explained, ultimately, by reference to how language is used (1985: 39). Furthermore, he defines that the fundamental components of meaning in language are functional components. All languages are organized around two main kinds of meaning, the “ideational” or reflective, and the “interpersonal” or active. These components, called “metafunctions” in the terminology of the present theory, are the manifestation in the linguistic system of the two very general purposes which underlie all uses of language: (i) to understand the environment (ideational), and (ii) to act on the others in it (interpersonal). Combined with these is a third metafunctional component, the “textual”, which breathes relevance into the other two (1985: 39). 2.2 Three Metafunctions Functional grammar aims to reveal that language is a means of social interaction, based on the position that language system and the forms that make it up are inescapable determined by the uses or functions which they serve (胡壮麟 2002: 693). Concluded by Halliday, there are three metafunctions: ideational, interpersonal and textual function. The ideational function aims to convey new information to the hearers, consisting of experiential function and logical function. It is a meaning potential, because whatever specific use one is making of language he has to refer to categories of his experience of the world (胡壮麟 2002: 700). It reflects the combination of people to society and is the representation of experience of the world. This function has two components: transitivity and voice. This thesis analyzes the text mainly based on transitivity. Transitivity is simply the grammar of the clause in its ideational aspect (胡壮麟 2001: 416). Its function is to divide what people see and hear in realistic world into several processes, and to point out the participants and environmental components (朱永生, 严世清, 苗兴伟 2004: 137). It consists of six different processes: material process, mental process, relational process, verbal process, behavior process, and exi