Misrepresenting Paratactic Verbal Group Complexes

Martin, Matthiessen & Painter (2010: 181):

Verbal groups may be combined into complexes. When combined as additions or alternatives, the relationship is referred to as paratactic (see Chapter 6) and the groups are numbered in sequence. For example:

Blogger Comments:

Here the authors confuse the expansion relation of extension ('additions or alternatives') with the interdependency relation of equal status (parataxis), and thereby give the misleading impression that extension is the only relation that obtains in paratactic verbal group complexes.

To be clear, the three types of expansion obtain in paratactic verbal group complexes. Halliday (1994: 274-5) provides the following examples:

• elaboration (1 = 2): (Unfortunately she) got killed, got run over, (by one of those heavy lorries).
• extension (1 + 2): (I) neither like nor dislike (it).
• enhancement (1 x 2): (He) tried, but failed, (to extract the poison).