The textual metafunction and its realisation through the

systems of the theme-rheme and information focus.

CLAUSE AS MESSAGE

Group 3:
Nguyen Hoai An
Nguyen Nhu Binh

Instructor: Hoang Van Van, Prof. Dr.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02 03
•Theme & Rheme •Textual, interpersonal
and topical Themes •Theme and mood

04 05 06
•Given + New • Predicated Themes
•The information unit:
Given + New • Theme + Rheme

07 08
• Theme in bound, • Thematic
minor and elliptical interpretation of a
clauses text
 01
THEME &
RHEME
 Thematic
THEME RHEME
structure

“The Theme is the element that “The remainder of the message, the
serves as the point of departure of part in which the Theme is developed,
the message.” is called the Rheme.”
(Halliday, 2014, p. 88) (Halliday, 2014, p. 88)

The Theme can be identified as that or those element(s) which come(s) first in the clause.
The rest of it is called the Rheme.
 My sister visits the village this morning.

THEME RHEME

I want to show you “My I give you the information

“This is what I am talking “This is what
sister” as something I talk about the ITheme
am saying
about.”
about. about it.”
(what “My sister” do).
NOTE The theme is not necessarily a NOMINAL GROUP.
It may also be an ADVERBIAL GROUP or PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.

The duke has given my aunt that teapot.

My aunt has been given that teapot by the duke.
THEME RHEME

Once upon a time there were there bears.

Very carefully she put him back on his feet again.
THEME RHEME

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 TYPES OF THEME

1. Topical 2. Textual 3. Interpersonal

Unmarked Continuative Modal/ Comment

Marked Conjunctive Adjunct Adjunct

Conjunction (structural Vocatives

theme) Finite Verbal Operator

 1. Topical Theme
Participant
1. I love you every day.
Circumstance

2. Every day I love you.

3. Love you every day.

Process
 1. Topical Theme

Topical Theme is usually but

not always the first nominal group in the clause.

Group complexes

Adverbial group

Prepositional phrases

Embedded clause
 1. Topical Theme

Subject Subject
=
Topical Theme
≠
Topical Theme

Unmarked Marked
1. I drink tea in the morning.
Marked?
2. In the morning I drink tea.
Unmarked?
3. Tea I drink in the morning.
I /shot /an arrow /in to the air/.
A/P /G /C
S/F+P / C
I
/Adjunct
T/R
Into the air/ I shot an arrow.
C / A/P /G
An arrow I shot into the air.
G /A/P /C
An arrow was shot into the air (by me).
G /P /C /C (agent)
WELL, Binh I/shot /an arrow /in to the air/.
A/P /G /C
S/F+P / C /Adjunct
Text/ Interpersonal/Topical
Theme/Rheme
WELL, Binh into the air/ I shot an arrow.
C / A/P /G
A / S /F+P/CO
Text/Inter/Marked Topical
Theme /Rheme

An arrow I shot into the air.

G /A/P /C
CO /S/F+P/Ci
Theme /Rheme

An arrow was shot into the air (by me).

G /P /C /C (agent)
S /F+P /A /A (agent)
Theme /Rheme
 Unmarked Topical Theme
1 John went up the hill.
Theme Rheme
Nominal group

2 John and Jack went up the hill.

Theme Rheme
Nominal group complex

3 What John and Jack did was go up the hill.

Theme Rheme
Embedded clause
 Marked Topical Theme
1 Down John fell.
Theme Rheme
Adverbial

2 Up the hill John and Jack went.

Theme Rheme
Prepositional phrase

3 His glassess he broke.

Theme Rheme
Complement
 2. Textual Theme

 Textual Theme relate the clause to its context.

 Textual Theme consists of:

 Continuity: signals the beginning of a new move

 Conjunctive adjuncts: relatively flexible in position
 Conjunctions (structural): relatively static in position
Textual Theme 1. Continuity

 Continuities are a small set of items which, if they are there, are
always at the beginning of the clause and signal that a new move
is beginning.
 Such as: well, right, OK, now, anyway, of course

Eg: Well, what we will should do for to today examination is do our best!

Well, what we will should do for to today examination is do our best!

Cont. Topical theme Rheme

 Textual Theme 2. Conjunctives

 Conjunctives relate the clause to preceding text by providing a

logical link between the messages.

Eg: Well, on the other hand, we could wait.

Well, on the other hand, we could wait.

Cont. Conjunctive Topical theme Rheme
Textual theme
Textual Theme 3. Conjunctions

 Conjunctions almost always occur at the beginning

of a clause and carry the logico-semantic relations
between clauses.
Eg: Well, on the other hand, if we wait until tomorrow.

Well, on the other hand, if we wait until tomorrow.

Cont. Conjunctive Conjunction Topical theme Rheme
NOTE


Well
Well we we on theonother
the other
hand handcould
couldwait
wait
Cont.
Cont. Topical Conjunctive
Topical
Textual
Textual Textual
THEME THEME RHEME RHEME
 3. Interpersonal
 Interpersonal elements occurring before the Topical Theme.
 Interpersonal theme functioning to code the speakers or writers’ personal judgement on meaning
or to express the feeling and create attachment.
 They may be Modal Adjunct, Vocatives and Finite (Polarity and Comment adjunct).

1. Perhaps, we can wait until next week.

Modal Adjunct
2. Ann beloved, we will go to Italy tomorrow.
Vocative
3. What wonderfully question you ask.
Wh-element
 3. Interpersonal

She may be right. = Maybe she is right.

Topical Rheme Interpersonal Topical
Theme Rheme
Theme Theme

I love you Rosy. Rosy I love you.

Topical Rheme Interpersonal Rheme
Theme Theme Topical
Theme
 02
THEME & MOOD
What is the element that is typically chosen as THEME in an English clause?

MOOD

Minor clauses Major clauses

• John!
• Declarative
• Good night! • Interrogative (Wh + Yes/No)
• Imperative
 Thematic structure
Table 3-1: Examples of Theme in declarative clauses. Theme-Rheme boundary is shown by #. (Matthiessen, 2014, p. 100)
 One type of declarative clause.
 Theme in interrogative clauses.

Polarity (Yes/No)
interrogative WH- interrogative

Finite
Topical
Interpersonal
 Theme in imperative clauses.

‘I want you to do something’ or

Let’s ……!
‘I want us (you and me) to do something’

Unmarked theme Marked theme

You keep quiet. Let’s drink coffee.

We open the book. Let’s go home now.
Imperative clauses may have a marked Theme, as when a locative Adjunct in thematic in
a clause giving directions
The Adjunct part of a phrasal verb may serve as unmarked Theme in an imperative clause with an
explicit Subject
 ANALYSE
THE STORY
THE BOY AND THE APPLE TREE
A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day.
He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow…. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play
with him. Time went by…. The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no
longer a kid, I do not play around trees anymore”, the boy replied. “I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
“Sorry, but I don’t have money… but you can pick all my apples and sell them. Then you will have money.” The boy was
so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples.
The tree was sad. One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me” the tree said. “I don’t
have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?”
“Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches
of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy.
The tree was again lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play
with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?”
“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He
went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No
more apples for you…” the tree said.
“I don’t have teeth to bite” the boy replied.
“No more trunk for you to climb on”, “I am too old for that now,” the boy said.
“I really can’t give you anything … the only thing left is my dying roots” the tree said with tears.
“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.
“Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down
and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.
 (1) A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree.

A long time ago there was a huge apple tree

Marked Topical Theme Rheme

(2) A little boy loved to come and play around it every day.

A little boy loved to come and play around it every day

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(3) He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow.

He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow.

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(4) He loved the tree / and the tree loved to play with him.

He loved the tree

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

and the tree loved to play with him

Textual (conj) Unmarked topical
Theme Rheme

(5)Time went by….

Time went by
Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme
(6) The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

The little boy had grown up

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

and he no longer played around the tree every day

Textual (conj) Unmarked topical
Theme Rheme

(7) One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
One day the boy came back to the tree
Marked Topical Theme Rheme

and he looked sad

Textual (conj) Unmarked topical
Theme Rheme
(8) “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy.

Come and play with me the tree asked the boy

Unmarked Theme Rheme

(9) “I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore”, the boy replied.

I am no longer a kid
Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

I don’t play around trees anymore

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

the boy replied

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme
(10) “I want toys. I need money to buy them.”

I want toys
Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

I need money to buy them

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(11) “Sorry, but I don’t have money… but you can pick all my apples and sell them.
Sorry but I don’t have money
Unmarked
Interpersonal Textual (conj)
Topical
Theme Rheme

but you can pick all my apples and sell them

Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Theme Rheme
(12) “Then you will have money.”

Then you will have money

Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme

(13) The boy was so excited.

The boy was so excited

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(14) He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.

He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme
(15) The boy never came back after he picked the apples.

The boy never came back after he picked the apples

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(16) The tree was sad.

The tree was sad

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(17) One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited.

One day the boy returned

Marked Topical Theme Rheme

and the tree was so excited

Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme
(18) “Come and play with me” the tree said.

Come and play with me the tree said

Unmarked Theme Rheme

(19) I don’t have time to play.

I don’t have time to play

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme

(20) I have to work for my family.

I have to work for my family

Unmarked Topical Theme Rheme
 (21) We need a house for shelter.

We need a house for shelter

Unmarked topical theme Rheme

(22) Can you help me?

Can you help me

Interpersonal Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme

(23) Sorry, but I don’t have a house.

Sorry but I don’t have a house
Interpersonal Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme
(24) But you can chop off my branches to build your house.

can chop off my branches to build your

But you
house
Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme

(25)So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.

cut all the branches of the tree

So the boy
and left happily
Textual (conj) Unmarked Topical
Multiple Theme Rheme

(26) The tree was glad to see him happy.

The tree was glad to see him happy

Unmarked topical theme Rheme