Application of Thematic Structure into English Discourse Analysis_英语专业毕业论文.docVIP

Application of Thematic Structure into English Discourse Analysis Abstract: Theme is an extremely important concept in Systemic Functional Grammar. The theory of theme and rheme is widely used in discourse analysis as well. This paper tries to explore thematic structure in systemic functional linguistics and its application in English discourse analysis. To start with, we review marked theme and unmarked theme. Then, we have discussion and make analysis on simple theme, multiple theme and clausal theme. Eventually, we also probe into thematic progression and its application in discourse analysis. Key Words: theme, rheme, thematic progression, discourse analysis I. Introduction The term “Theme-rheme” is first introduced by a Prague School linguist, Mathesius (1939). According to him, the initial element of a clause plays a special role in communication, thus each sentence has a theme, “the starting point of the utterance”, and a rheme, everything else that follows in the sentence which consists of “what the speakers states about, or in regard to, the starting point of the utterance” (Mathesius, 1942). They believe that a sentence contains a point of departure and a goal of discourse. The point of departure is equally present to the speaker and to the hearer—it is their rallying point, the ground on which they meet. This is what they called the theme (indirect quotation from Hu Zhuanglin, 2002: 678). The goal of discourse presents the very information that is to be imparted to the hearer. This is what they called the rheme. It is believed that the movement forms the initial notion (theme) to the goal of discourse (rheme) reveals the movement of the mind itself. Language may use different syntactic constructions, but the order of ideas remains basically the same. Halliday assimilated Prague School’s idea and produced his Systemic Functional Grammar. Spontaneously, one would define the theme as the object of a message, the reason for communication, echoing Halliday’s