characteristically used to exchange information is the indicative; within the category of indicative, the characteristic expression of a statement is the
declarative, that of a question is the interrogative; and within the category of interrogative, there is a further distinction between yesno interrogative for polar
question, and WH-interrogative, for content questions. These features are typically expressed as follows:
1. the presence of mood element, consisting of subject plus finite, realizes the feature “indicative”
2. within the indicative, what is significant is the order of subject and finite: 1 the order subject before finite realizes “ declarative”
2 the order finite before subject realizes “yesno interrogative” 3 in a WH-interrogative the order is:
a. subject before finite if the WH-element is the Subject b. finite before subject otherwise
2.3.2 Meaning of Subject and Finite
According to Halliday 1994: 75, people need to consider each of these elements in turn, since both are semantically motivated but the contribution they bring to
the clause is not the same. These are the further definition of finite and subject: 1 finite element has the function of making the proposition finite. It relates the
proposition to its context in the speech event. This can be done in one of two
ways. One is by reference to time of speaking, for example is in A young man is
crossing the river. The other is by reference to the judgment of the speaker,
for instance should in You should come on time. This means that in
grammatical terms, the first is primary tense, and the second is modality. Primary tense means past, present, or future at the moment of speaking. A
proposition may become arguable by having its relevance to the speech event specified in these temporal terms. Whereas modality means the speaker’s
judgment of the probabilities, or the obligations, involved in what is said. A proposition may become arguable by being presented as likely or unlikely,
desirable or undesirable. In other words, it relates to modal terms. 2 subject element provides the rest of what it takes to form a proposition by
reference to which the proposition can be affirmed or denied. In a goods and service clause, the Subject specifies the one that is actually responsible for
realizing the offer or command. For example, I’ll open this door, shall I offer and Don’t disturb me, It’s a holiday command. So, the typical subject of an
offer is the speaker and that of a command is the person being addressed. In passive form of offer and command, subject is dissociated from the Actor, but
it still specifies the one who is responsible for the success of the proposal. But in a proposition this means the one on which the validity of the information
made to rest. The Subject also has the same principle at work in statement and questions.
2.4 Appraisals as a Discourse System
