A linguist years ago told me everything we say can be broken up into
either of the three for analysis: interpersonal, experimental, and 
textual. Is there a good book to buy or paper to read online on this?

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Request for Question Clarification by muhammad-ga on 28 Aug 2005 14:52 PDT

Hello!

Various linguists have used different approaches in classifying
semantics. I did some preliminary research and found the following
nearest to what you are looking for:

The linguist approaching the study of text can identify "the selection
of options in a corresponding component of the semiotics" (201) as
follows:
 
Field (type of action) 	        is associated with
                                the experiential component 

Tenor (role relationships)  	is associated with the interpersonal component.

Mode (symbolic organization) 	is associated with the textual component.

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Text as Semantic Choice

M.A.K. Halliday. "Text as Semantic Choice in Social Contexts."
Grammars and Descriptions (Studies in Text Theory and Text Analysis).
Eds. Teun A. van Dijk and Janos S. Petofi. New York: Walter de
Gruyter, 1977. 176-225

Read more about this at
http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/3.1/reviews/eiler/semantic.html

Please let me know if this is what you are looking for.

Regards,
muhammad-ga

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Clarification of Question by j_philipp-ga on 29 Aug 2005 12:50 PDT

I saw this article before, it's not very elaborate and mildly
confusing. Thanks though.

I suppose I meant: experiental, instead of experimental. I would
prefer a solid, easy-to-understand online essay (the length of several
pages) or a book. (In the meantime, I already bought the book
"Verbatim", but not so much because it would explain to me the concept
I'm looking for, but rather because it sounded interesting too and was
one of the first hits for "Linguism" at Amazon.)


Philipp