On Martin's Claim That Discourse Semantics Can Turn Non-Participant Meanings Into Things By Referring To Them

Bateman (1998: 11): 

In addition, parallel to the grammar’s being able to turn non-participant meanings into participant-like ones through processes such as nominalisation, the discourse semantics can also turn non-participant meaning into ‘things’ by referring to pieces of text (e.g., who told you that, I can’t believe that).

Blogger Comments:

Some of the thoughts that didn't occur to Bateman here are that

1. Martin confuses the textual metafunction ('referring to pieces of text') with the ideational metafunction (construing non-participants as participants);
2. Martin confuses the textual cohesive function of that (anaphoric demonstrative co-reference) with its experiential clause structure functions (Verbiage/Phenomenon participants);
3. Textual reference does not "turn non-participant meaning into things";
4. Textual reference is a lexicogrammatical system.

For a critique of Martin's misunderstandings in this regard, see

• Confusing IdeationalConstrual With Textual Reference, and 
• Confusing Metafunctions And ConfusingTypes Of Cohesion.