Theme and Topic: What They are and What They Do
Information Structure in Spoken English - A Systemic Functional Linguistics View - Gerard O'Grady
Gerard O'Grady [+]
Cardiff University
Description
Chapter 2 provides a critical in depth examination of Hallidayan Theme. It first reviews work which influenced Theme and shows not only how the work of Prague School scholars influenced and motivated Halliday but also why Halliday separated Theme and Information. I will review apparent inconsistencies in definitions of Theme which emerge from attempting to conflate Mathesius’ three aspects of theme into Theme and Information. Theme is as Gómez González (2001) argued, identified both by place and matter metaphors. In order to rectify the divergence I examine the cognate notion of topic in order to motivate an analysis which codes for both Theme and topic. Topic unlike Theme is argued to be “the matter of current concern” whereas Theme is shown to be an orienting device which relates the clause to its context. It is shown that a clause must have a Theme but that topic is potentially optional though in the unmarked case Theme and topic will be conflated.