A linguistic system in which a small set of presumably universal categories characterise different kinds of events and processes, different kinds of participants in these events, and the varying circumstances of place and times within which events occur. These variations are closely bound up with different world views and ideological slants. Three main processes may be distinguished:

1. Material process, including action process ('Ana lifted the suitcase');
2. Mental process ('john recognised it');
3. Relational process ('such a perspective is lacking').