On prepositions and particles: a case for lexical representation in systemic functional linguistics

The focus of this paper is on lexical items which are traditionally referred to as prepositions, adverbs and particles, grouped here under the term P-items. It is argued that the relative lack of detail concerning lexical representation within systemic functional linguistics (SFL) theory means that there are some issues related to the status of lexis within the framework that require some development. As Tucker (2009: 424) points out, “if the theoretical principles are not fleshed out by way of description of both the actual grammatical and lexical resource of a given language, it is of little use to the majority of consumers, those who adopt if for (ultimately) the socio-semantic analysis of actual texts”. By examining the treatment of P-items within the SFL framework and by drawing on the rich literature on this topic in cognitive linguistics, this paper aims to offer some proposals for integrating a more comprehensive, cognitively informed approach to lexis in SFL