3. Manner Circumstances in Earth Science

In SFL, Manner circumstances tell us how a process happens.

They can express:

• Quality (in what way?)

• Means (by what means?)

• Comparison (like what?)

• Degree (to what extent?)

The table below summarises these four types with common prepositions and Earth Science examples.

Manner Circumstances (Quality, Means, Comparison, Degree)

Manner subtype	Meaning	Common prepositions	Example (Earth Science)
Quality	In what way the process happens	with, in	Lava flows with great force.
Means	By what means the process happens	by, with, from	Earthquakes are measured from seismic readings.
Comparison	How the process is like something else	like, as	Ash spreads like smoke in the air.
Degree	To what extent the process happens	to, with	Plates move with very little speed.