Abstract：Abstract: With a shared focus on language in use, Systemic Functional Linguistics and Corpus Linguistics have had some kind of dialogue on the notion of context, lexis-grammar inseparability, system-text inseparability and calculation of frequency and probability. This article takes the sublanguage of Evaluation as a focus of study to explore the complementarity between corpus-driven local grammar and Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) in general. Local grammar is concerned with functionally restricted sublanguage and describes the mapping of functional elements onto pattern elements based on word-pattern combinations identified in a specific or general corpus. It is found that local grammar of Affect and local grammar of Judgment are characteristic of providing reliable identification, functional grammatical analysis and quantitative description of attitudinal inscriptions. Therefore, they give further justification and development of the sub-system of Attitude in Appraisal Theory and complement the evaluative lexis centered approach. In addition, local grammar makes complementary contribution to SFG in general in relation to 1) horizontal and vertical co-text of co-occurrence vs. context of situation, 2) local grammar configuration vs. transitivity grammatical configuration, and 3) sublanguage-specific co-occurring text and inter-text interwoven on both syntagmatic and paradigmatic axes vs. paradigmatic system of language as a whole. A conclusion can thus be drawn that local grammar serves as a bridge for further dialogue, thus offering more opportunities for their further integration in the study of meaning in use.
