What is an external relation?

Definition
	An external relation is an interpropositional relation which relates the situations described in the propositions by experiential, extralinguistic reality as opposed to relating them by the solely communicative usage of propositions.

Examples (English)
	If it doesn’t rain, there will be a party at Bill’s house.
	This example contrasts with the following sentence, which is an example of an internal relation sequence:
	If you’re free tonight, there’s a party at Bill’s house.
	This example can be understood as If you’re free tonight, then I offer that there’s a party at Bill's house.

Generic
	An external relation is a kind of
	What is an interpropositional relation?

Source
	Halliday and Hasan 1976 239–241

Context for this page:

Concept module: external relation
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): E
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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