The Role of Grammar and Context in Meaning-Making: A Literature Review from an SFL Perspective

Abstract

This literature review examines the interdependent roles of grammar 
and context in meaning-making from the perspective of Systemic 
Functional Linguistics (SFL). Drawing on studies across educational 
and linguistic settings, the review highlights that grammar functions as 
a system of meaning choices realized through the ideational, 
interpersonal, and textual metafunctions. Evidence from previous 
research shows that students’ texts are dominated by material 
processes, indicating a descriptive rather than analytical orientation, 
while the limited use of mental and relational processes reduces 
evaluative and conceptual depth. Context defined through field, tenor, 
mode, and genre strongly shapes grammatical choices and influences 
how meanings are constructed, negotiated, and interpreted. The 
synthesis reveals that inadequate integration of grammar and context in 
instructional practices leads to texts that lack cohesion, criticality, and 
rhetorical effectiveness. Overall, the review affirms that meaning 
emerges from the dynamic interaction between grammar and context, 
and that SFL offers a comprehensive framework for understanding this 
relationship.