The Minor Range Of A Prepositional Phrase

 Matthiessen (1995: 627):

As already noted, a prepositional phrase is like a mini-clause — more specifically, it is like a mini relational clause. For example, corresponding to the relational clause The fence surrounds the property, we have the prepositional phrase around the property. While the finite clause represents both participants entering into the relation (Token + Value, or Carrier+ Attribute), the phrase only represents one of them (the one construed in the clause as Value or Attribute).

Blogger Comments:

To be clear, since, for Halliday (1994: 151-2), a prepositional phrase is like a relational or verbal clause, the minor Range of a prepositional phrase may also correspond to the Verbiage or Sayer of a verbal clause — the former when the phrase serves as Matter, the latter when it serves as Angle.