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THEME &
RHEME
BY MARIANA MÁSPERO AND LARA CANTOR KAP
 What is Language?
system of interrelated meanings

There are three types of meanings

Ideational Interpersonal Textual

our perception communication organization of

of the world the text
 Clause

THEME + RHEME

-topic -extension
-initial position -follows the theme
 Elements of the theme
1 2 3

IDEATIONAL INTERPERSONAL TEXTUAL

 A participant
Subject or Object
Ideational
theme A circumnstance
information about time, place,
manner, cause (adjunct)
Topical element
First element in the clause
“representational” meaning
Obligatory A process
Verbs
 Ideational theme
A participant
e.g. “Lennon was killed in December 1980 in New York.”

A circumnstance
e.g. “On 8th December 1980, one of the most terrible events in rock history took
place in New York.“

A process
e.g. “Says Sholin: 'So John is saying, "Well, our car isn't here.”
 A vocative
Identifying the addressee (Normally

Interpersonal names)

theme Interpersonal adjunct

Adverbs → speaker’s attitude: perhaps,
maybe, of course, fortunately, honestly

Interaction The finite

Exchange of information Auxiliary verbs → answer/response
is required: do, could, would.
Non-obligatory
WH-element
Also topical
How, why, what, when, etc.
 Interpersonal theme
A vocative
e.g. "Alan, I've got to take care of this."

Interpersonal adjunct
e.g. “Fortunately, Lennon and McCartney repaired their friendship in the years
following their split”

The finite
e.g. "Would I please come and do something about it?"
WH-element
e.g. “How did Chapman kill Lennon?”

Textual
theme
It is related to the
organization of the text or
discourse.
It helps to maintain
coherence and flow in a text
Continuatives
They indicate a relationship to a
previous discourse: well, now, oh
Conjunctives
They provide a cohesive link back to a
previous discourse
For example, that is, however, in fact,
consequently, therefore, furthermore
Structural conjunctions
COORDINATORS (link two clauses in a
coordination relation) and
SUBORDINATORS (mark one clause as
dependent on another)
And, or, but, // so, because, while, after,
before, if, since, whether
 Textual theme
Continuative
e.g. “Well, did he say John Lennon?”

Conjunctive
e.g. “However, in an emotional interview today, she reveals the words she heard
John Lennon utter.”

Structural conjunction
e.g. “And he had just learned that his new album in partnership with Yoko,
Double Fantasy, had gone gold.”
 Theme
Simple Multiple

one topical element one or more

interpersonal/textual elements
e.g. “It is a serious matter to shoot
a working elephant” (Shooting an e.g. “But I could get nothing into perspective”
Elephant, George Orwell. 1936) (Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell. 1936)
 Theme
Unmarked Marked

Participant (Subject) Something other than the

subject
e.g. “The young Buddhist priests
e.g. "One day something happened which
were the worst of all.” (Shooting an
in a roundabout way was enlightening.”
Elephant, George Orwell. 1936)
(Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell. 1936)
 ank yo
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 Bibliography:
Jazmin Aga’s Booklet

Martin et.al. (1997) Working with Functional Grammar, chapter 2: Theme

O'Gorman, M. (2022, December 8). Who killed John Lennon? The story the Beatle's shocking murder. Radio X.
Retrieved from https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/john-lennon/who-killed-john-lennon-the-story-of-how-the-beatle-
was-murdered/

The Economic Times. (n.d.). John Lennon assassination's anniversary: See what happened on fateful day. Retrieved
from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/john-lennon-assassinations-anniversary-see-what-
happened-on-fateful-day/articleshow/96093883.cms?from=mdr
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1335829/John-Lennon-NEW-eyewitness-account-30th-anniversary-
Beatles-murder.html

Summers, S. (2010, December 5). John Lennon’s last day: A gripping NEW eyewitness account on the 30th anniversary
of Beatle’s murder.Mail Online. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1335829/John-Lennon-
NEW-eyewitness-account-30th-anniversary-Beatles-murder.html

Vaughn, B. (n.d.). Was Lennon Alone? Examining The Evidence Surrounding John Lennon’s Tragic Death. Ben Vaughn.
Retrieved from https://www.benvaughn.com/was-lennon-alone-examining-the-evidence-surrounding-john-lennons-
tragic-death/
Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant”. Classic Short Stories. Retrieved from
https://www.classicshorts.com/stories/shootelp.html