CLAUSE AS MESSAGE

3.1. Theme and Rheme FRAN

We know that a clause is a unit in which meanings of three different kinds are combined. Each one
of these three different structures express one kind of semantic organization and are mapped on to
one another to produce a single wording. Let’s first concentrate on the structure that gives the
clause its character as a message. This is known as THEMATIC structure.

Even though in all languages the clause has the character of a message, i.e it has some form of
organization giving it the status of a communicative event, there are different ways in which this
may be achieved. In many languages, English being one of them, the clause is organized as a
message by having a special status assigned to one part of it. One of the elements in the clause is
enunciated as the theme, which then is combined with the remainder in order to constitute a
message.

In some languages which have a pattern of this kind, the theme is announced by means of a particle:
in Japanese, for example, there is a special postposition -wa, which signifies that whatever
immediately precedes it is thematic. In other languages the theme is indicated by position in the
clause. This is the case of English, whose position to show that an item has thematic status is first (in
both speech and writing). No other signal is necessary, although it is not unusual in spoken English
for the theme to be marked off also by the intonation pattern, being spoken in a separate tone
group.

So, Theme is the term that Halliday chooses, following the terminology of the Prague school of
linguists, to describe the element which serves as the point of departure of the message. The
remainder of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed, is called in Prague school
terminology the Rheme. So, as a message structure, a clause consists of a Theme accompanied by a
Rheme. The Theme is the starting-point for the message; it is the ground from which the clause is
taking off. So part of the meaning of any clause lies in which element is chosen as its Theme. There is
a difference in meaning between...

The difference may be characterized as 'thematic'; the clauses differ in their choice of theme.

Halliday says that there is no automatic reason why the Theme function should be realized in this
way. But if in any language the message is organized as a Theme - Rheme structure, and if this
structure is expressed by the sequence in which the elements occur in the clause, then it seems
natural that the position for the Theme should be at the beginning, rather than at the end or at
some other specific point.

The Theme is not necessarily a NOMINAL GROUP, like those above. It may also be an ADVERBIAL
GROUP or PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE, like in…
 3.2. Simple themes of more than 1 group or phrase MAE

As a first step Halliday made some assumptions: that the theme of a clause consists of just one
structural element, and that that element is represented by just one unit- one nominal group,
adverbial group or prepositional phrase. E.g.: Millie is sad. However, it can also be made up of
complex, heavily modified phrases forming a single structural unit. E.g.: The first child of the queen
of England has been named Charles… Another instance could be that of apposition as in
“Motivation, a key factor for learning, has been defined above.”

In addition, nominalizations (clauses functioning as nouns) can function as themes too. An example
of this would be: “What the teacher gave me was the exam.” This last example can be regarded as a
“THEMATIC EQUATIVE” because it sets up the Theme + Rheme structure in the form of an equation,
where 'Theme=Rheme'. In a thematic equative, all the elements of the clause are organized into two
constituents; these two are then linked by a relationship of identity, a kind of 'equals sign', expressed
by some form of the verb be. E.g.: “The man you saw is my brother”. The verb “to be '' in any form
is considered to be a tool to link the rheme to the theme (for analytic purposes it is considered as a
part of the rheme). However, in the case of “What happened was that she stole my money”
meaning 'I want to tell you that something happened', every component of the happening is put into
the Rheme.

In the typical instance the nominalization functions as the Theme, because in a Theme-Rheme
structure it is the Theme that is the prominent element. All the examples above were of this type.
But as so often happens in language - in contrast with the typical pattern there is a MARKED
alternative. exemplified by “You're the one I blame for this”.

The thematic equative actually realizes two distinct semantic features, which happen to correspond
to the two senses of the word identify. On the one hand, it identifies (specifies) what the Theme is;
on the other hand, it identifies it (equates it) with the Rheme. The second of these features adds a
semantic component of exclusiveness: the meaning is 'this and this alone'. I.E.: I only blame YOU for
what happened, nobody else.

3.3. Theme and mood:

Independent clauses select for mood.

E.g. John! or Good night! (Minor clauses that have no thematic structure and therefore will not be
considered)
Major clauses can be either indicative or imperative in mood; if indicative it can be declarative or
interrogative; if interrogative it is either polar interrogative (yes/no) or content interrogative (wh-q).

These moods from the point of view of their thematic structure:

3.3.1. Theme in declarative clauses:
The typical pattern is one in which Theme is conflated with Subject.
eg: The Shepherd has lost his sheep → The shepherd is both Subject and Theme.
We shall refer to this pattern as the UNMARKED THEME of a declarative clause. Here the subject is
the element that is chosen as Theme.
In everyday conversation the item most often functioning as unmarked Theme
(subject/theme) in a declarative clause is the first person pronoun I (messages concerned with
ourselves, what we think and feel). Next after that come the other personal pronouns you, we, he,
she, it, they; and the impersonal pronouns it and there. Then come other nominal groups (with
common nouns or proper nouns as head) and nominalizations.
A Theme that is something other than the Subject is referred to as MARKED THEME. The most
usual form of marked Theme is an adverbial group. Eg: today, suddenly; or a prepositional phrase.
Ex: at night, in the corner, without much hope; both functioning as Adjunct in the clause.
The “most marked” type of Theme in a declarative clause is a COMPLEMENT, which is a nominal
group that is not functioning as Subject. Eg: Nature I loved, This responsibility we accept wholly.
Examples:
Function Class Clause example

Unmarked Subject nominal group: pronoun I # had a little nut-tree

Theme as Head she # went to the baker’s

Subject nominal group: common a wise old owl # lived in an oak

or proper noun as Head Mary # had a little lamb

Subject nominalization what I want # is a proper cup of coffee

Marked Adjunct adverbial group: merrily # we roll along

Theme prepositional phrase on saturday night # I lost my wife

Complement nominal group: a bag-pudding # the King did make what

nominalization they could not eat that night # the Queen
next morning fried

There is one sub-category of declarative clauses which has a special thematic structure: the
exclamative. These typically have an exclamatory WH-element as Theme:
Example: THEME + RHEME
How cheerfully that boy is
What an easy question you asked

3.3.2. Theme in interrogative clauses ANI Y ANGIE

The typical function of an interrogative clause is to ask questions and this is an indication that the
speaker wants to be told something. The Theme of a question is “what I want to know”.
There are two types of questions: the polarity question (yes/no question) and the content question
(WH- question).
● In a yes/no question the element that functions as a Theme is the finite verbal operator. The
finite operator is put first before the Subject and the meaning is “I want you to tell me whether or
not”.
In a yes/no interrogative, theTheme includes the finite verb; but it extends over the Subject. Finite
verbs plus the Subject form a two-part Theme.

E.g. Theme 1 + Theme 2 + Rheme

CAN YOU go to my birthday tonight?
WOULD YOU like to hang out with me?
ARE THEY studying for the exam?
DO YOU still hang out at the pool hall?
● In a WH-question, which is intended to search for information about something, the element that
functions as Theme is the WH-element. The WH-element is always put first no matter what
function has in the mood structure of the clause. The meaning is “I want you to tell the person,
the thing, the manner, the place, etc.”
In a WH-interrogative, the Theme only consists of the WH-element i.e. the group or phrase in
which the WH-word occurs:

E.g. Theme + Rheme

WHO is your brother?
WHERE do you come from?
TO WHOM should I talk?
WHICH PLACE do you live in? (If the WH word forms part of a nominal group functioning as a
complement in a prepositional phrase, this nominal group functions as a Theme).

There is a strong tendency for the speaker to choose the unmarked form and not to override it by
introducing a marked Theme out front. However, marked Themes can also occur in interrogatives:
E.g. Theme + Rheme
In your house who is the cook?
After tea will you tell me a story?

3.3.3. Theme in imperative clauses ANGIE

Message: “I want you to do something” or “I want us to do something”. Although “you” can be made
explicit, this is a marked Theme.
Another type usually begins with “let’s”; in this case let’s is the unmarked Theme.
The function of the verb in the mood structure is that of a predicator. In this case, it is the predicator
of the unmarked Theme.
In negative imperatives, the unmarked Theme is DON’T plus the following element, either Subject or
Predicator. There is a marked form with you. There is also a marked contrastive form of the positive
where the Theme is DO plus the Predicator TAKE.
The imperative is the only type of clause in which the Predicator is found as Theme:
E.g. Theme + Rheme
ANSWER all those questions!
FIRST catch your fish
DON’T EAT the leftovers yet!
LET’S play a game!
DON’T LET’S . play a game!
How do we know which element of the clause is chosen as Theme? It depends on the choice of
Mood.

3.4. Other characteristic themes DELFI y ALE

There are other elements that have a special status in the thematic structure of the clause. These
elements tend to be or in some cases have to be thematic.

Typically thematic: They are typically, though not obligatory, thematic. They consist of two sets of
items, almost all of them adverbs or prepositional phrases, functioning as adjuncts in the clause.
They tend to come at the beginning of the clause

● Conjunctive adjuncts: they relate the clause to the preceding text

 ● Modal adjuncts:those which express the speaker's judgement regarding the relevance of the
message.

Obligatory thematic:

● Conjunctions: items which relate the clause to a preceding clause in the same
sentence. They are similar in meaning to conjunctive adjuncts but they differ in that,
while conjunctive adjuncts set up a semantic relationship with what precedes,
conjunctions set up a relationship which is grammatical- they construct the two
parts into a single structural unit.

“You can go to the cinema or stay at home”

● Relatives: they are items which relate the clause in which they occur to another
clause, in a structural relationship. But unlike conjunctions, they do not form a
separate word class, they are either nouns or adverbs.
○ A relative group or phrase functions as a whole as the theme of the clause
in which it occurs.

The man whose house is next to mine is there”

● They have a dual function: subject, adjunct or complement and on the other
hand with a special value of their own- either
○ Questioning (interrogative) or
○ Marking some form of dependence (relative)
■ e.g Where are you going? (you have to tell me) →
interrogative
■ Wherever you are going (it doesn't matter) → relative

Principle of ordering in the English clause: those which are obligatorily thematic have as it
were migrated to the front of the clause and stayed there.

When using if, or but, the speaker does not choose whether or not to make it thematic,
according to the occasion; the thematic status comes as part of a package, along with the
meaning of the conjunction.

As these items are thematic by default, when one of them is present it does not take up all
the thematic potential of the clause. Whatever is chosen to follow it will still have thematic
force, although not as much as when nothing precedes it at all.

This argument involves 2 steps:

1. it is still possible to introduce a marked theme after one of these conjunctions.

2. Such marked themes are less common in this environment, suggesting that some of
the quantum of thematicity has been taken up by conjunction.

The same principle extends to the items which are typically though not obligatorily thematic. The
speaker makes a choice, though with a distinct tendency towards making the modal or discourse
adjunct thematic. following one of these items, it is even less likely for the speaker to choose a
marked theme:
The subject, adjunct or complement following one of these characteristic themes is itself thematic.
(this does not apply to relatives because they are themselves at the same time subject, adjunct or
complement)

3.5. Multiple themes ROCA

So far we have focused on themes having one or more than one group or phrase in it, called simple
themes as they form a single constituent in the structure of the clause. Now, we are going to
introduce what is called a multiple theme.
Where 1) conjunctive and modal Adjuncts, and 2) Conjunctions and relatives do NOT exhaust the
thematic potential of the clause means that the next element in the clause is also a part of the
theme. To decide where the Theme ends, we have to refer to a system of transitivity.
The Theme always contains one, and only one of the EXPERIENTIAL elements, this means that the
theme of a clause ends with the first constituent that is either participant, circumstance, or process.
Since a participant in the thematic function corresponds to what is called the “topic” in a topic-
comment analysis, we refer to the experiential element in the Theme as the TOPICAL THEME.

To sum up, and continue: The Theme extends from the beginning of the clause up to (and including)
the first element that has a function in transitivity, this element is the topical theme.

Organization of a multiple theme:

As the theme only includes one experiential element, this may be preceded by textual or
interpersonal elements. The typical ordering is: TEXTUAL + INTERPERSONAL + EXPERIENTIAL
(anything following the experiential element is part of the rheme)
The experiential component has already been defined as the TOPICAL THEME. Now, we are going to
specify some details of the textual and interpersonal components of the Theme:
-The TEXTUAL THEME: It is any combination of continuative (yes, no, well, oh, now), structural (3.4
and 3.5), and conjunctive (3.2), in that order.

-The INTERPERSONAL THEME: It is any combination of vocative (personal name used to address,
modal (3.3), and mood marking elements (finite verbal operator, if preceding the topical theme, or a
WH-interrogative when not preceded by another experiential element, functioning as a topical
theme simultaneously).

3.6. Clauses as themes ALE

We have been considering THEME-RHEME as a structure within the clause, but at the same time,
we find thematic organization appearing both above the clause and below it.
● Below the clause, the verbal and nominal group incorporate the thematic principle into
their own structure.
● Above the clause, the same principle lies behind the organization of paragraphs in written
discourse.
○ For example, the TOPIC SENTENCE of a paragraph = THEME
Then, we need to focus on one type of complex structure → HEAD (dominant) CLAUSE + MODIFYING
(dependent) CLAUSE.
“Give that teapot away if you don’t like it”
In this example we have a MODIFYING CLAUSE which is following the HEAD CLAUSE, but the order
can be reversed.
“If you don’t like that teapot, give it away”
Other examples of theme in the clause complex:
“If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no need for tinkers”
“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
“Where I come from, they’re all mad”
“When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall”

Here we have an example of grammatical metaphor → There’s always a reason for the choices that
a speaker makes. In this case, its function is to get the THEME-RHEME STRUCTURE the way the
speaker wants it.

Examples of a CLAUSE AS THEME resulting from a grammatical metaphor.

As they can occur in the interpersonal component, a good example can be:
 “I don’t believe that pudding ever will be cooked” → the man is expressing the MODALITY “in my
opinion… not likely” in the form of a HEAD; and the theses “that pudding … cooked” in the form of
a MODIFYING CLAUSE