TE XT UAL

FU NCT
Textual Function: ION relevance
organize message,
to context (linguistic and social)
THEME—RHEME
Theme: (1) the starting point of the message
(2) the point of departure of the message
Rheme: the rest of the message
THEME identified by
(1) ORDER and (2) MARKER
In English, Bahasa Indonesia..., by Order
In Japanese, Bahasa Batak..., by Marker
THE ME A ND RH EME
Theme: identified as the first order of the clausal
elements (Process, Participant or Circumstance)
Rheme: the part after the Theme
Your reporter repeatedly interrupted her replies
Repeatedly your reporter interrupted he replies
Her replies were repeatedly interrupted by your
reporter.
The function of Theme is referable to Probabilistic
Theory. Once a choice is made it has
 Th eme b y Ma rk er

 Ro do amanta tu pesta i
 Amanta do ro tu pesta i
 Ro amanta do tu pesta i
 Ro amanta tu pesta i do
 Amanta ro do tu pesta i
 Amanta ro tu pesta i do
 Tu pesta i do ro amanta
 Tu pesta i ro amanta do
 Th eme a nd Rh eme
(cont)
THEME RHEME
John bought the book yesterday
Yesterday John bought the book
Johan membeli buku itu kemarin
Kemarin Johan membeli buku itu
Membeli buku itu Johan kemarin
The THEME implies
‘About John, as for John, well ….’
‘Mengenai Johan, baik saya ingin mengatakan
tentang si Johan…’
 Pr obabili stic Th eory
Equal probability to be selected; however, it does
not occur in language: the first choice has
consequence to the next one

near
storm smile
dry lake
more we and
that
car
PROBABILISTIC THEORY

CHOICE OF THEME
The choice for lake –
most probable dry
 Consequence on t he Coice of
Theme
A thematic choice has a consequence to the next one.
a. Jim went to the party yesterday.
b. Yesterday Jim went to the party
Mathematic Equation: a=b→a+1=b+1. If a+1≠b+1(e.
g. a>b, a<b); then a ≠ b
5. Who went to the party ?
Jim (went to the party yesterday)
*Yesterday (Jim went to the party)
2. When did he go to the party?
*Jim (went to the party yesterday)
Yesterday (Jim went to the party)
1 + a ≠ 2 + b, therefore a ≠ b
 Pat terns of Text ual
Development
1. T—R Marian works in a bank.
T—R The bank was built in 1942
T—R when the Japanese occupied Singapore
T—R… The occupation risked lives of peoples.

2. T—R Marian works in a bank.

T—R The bank was built in 1942.
T—R The manager is a NUS graduate
T—R Most of the customers are middle
class…

3. T—R Marian works in a bank.

T—R Her father is a doctor.
T—R Her mother is a nurse.
 Patt erns of Textual
Development
4. T—R We stayed in the hotel for one week.
T—R Our one-week stay in the hotel cost very expensive.
T—R In deed the one-week stay there costs even more
T—R since the stay in the hotel risked us a life

5. T—R We stayed in the hotel for one week.

T—R They got surprised with our one-week stay in the hotel.
T—R because they knew the expensive cost of one-week stay in the hotel.
T—R No one will ever try another stay in the hotel.
 Cons equence of Thematic
Choice
1. The choice of a linguistic unit as a Theme has
a consequence to the successive Themes.
Thus, the choice of Theme is not arbitrary
since the first choice has an effect to the next
one.
2. The text should be cohesive, i.e. related to
each other.
3. The text should also be coherent, i.e. related
to the social context.
Analogy: condolence ≠ colorful dress, religion
≠ gambling, but casual conversation →gossip
 UNM ARKED AND MARK ED
THEM E
UNMARKED: THEME conflated with or mapped
on to the SUBJECT, otherwise MARKED
(There must be reason for this)
- Miriam picked up the flowers yesterday
(Unmarked)
- Yesterday Miriam picked up the flowers
(Marked)
- Mariam memetik bunga itu kemarin (Lazim)
- Kemarin Mariam memetik bunga itu (Tidak
Lazim)
SIM PLE A ND MULT IPLE
THE ME
Simple Theme: one element of the clause functions as the
Theme.
MultipleTheme: more than one element
3. Textual Theme
4. Interpersonal Theme
5. Topical Theme (TITo in that order)
I TEXTUAL THEME
1.Conjunctions: and, because, so…
2. Relatives: who, which, whose, yang ..
3. Conjunctives: in addition, besides, in other words
4. Continuatives: well, yes, ah, ya, mm..
(I went there) and she returned home.
(He was absent) because he was ill.
 Analys is of Theme
He went there and she returned home

He went there
Theme Rheme

and she returned home

conjunction
Textual Topical RHEME
THEME
 Si mpl e and Mu ltipl e Theme
II INTERPERSONAL THEME
1.Finite: do, did, does, is, have, may, will, ada…
2. A Wh-element: what, who, where…
3. Vocative: John, son, my darling, baby…
4. Mood Adjunct: really, actually, perhaps,
often…
John, really did you love the lady?
III TOPICAL THEME
The simple Theme; as soon as the Topical
Theme is identified, the rest of the clause is the
RHEME
 Typ es o f Theme

1. Unmarked
2. Marked

4. Simple
5. Multiple
Markedness
Simplicity
unmarked marked
simple unmarked simple marked simple

multiple unmarked multiple marked multiple

 Typ es of Th eme

1. Ben saw a lion yesterday (US)

2. Yesterday Ben saw a lion (MS)
3. and she left the room (UM)
4. so yesterday they left the room (MM)
 ANA LYSI S
Well well John really do you love the lady?
Continuative Vocative Adjunct Finite Topical
Textual Interpersonal R H E M E

T H E M E
Adjunct Finite Subject Complement
Predicator
RES- MOOD -IDUE

Circ: M Process Senser : Mental Phenomenon