Processes Of Verbal Impact

Matthiessen (1995: 285):

Processes of verbal impact are also on the borderline between the verbal domain and the material domain. Like verbal processes, they have a Sayer, which can be a speaker as well as some other symbol source; but the participant addressed is not construed as a Beneficiary that may be marked by to, but rather as a Goal-like Target of verbal impact. Verbs occurring in this type of clause include:

accuse, blame, congratulate, criticise.praise, rebuke

Blogger Comments:

To be clear, the 'Goal-like' Target (Medium) of such verbal clauses demonstrates that they are effective, not middle, in agency, contrary to Matthiessen (1995: 283).