THEME AND RHEME

Arranged to comply the task of Functional Grammar by the lecturer Kelik Wachyudi, S.S.,
M.Hum

Arranged by:
Anggi Noviyanti
1610631060015

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPERBANGSA KARAWANG
2019
 Theme and Rheme

Theme is the element that serves as the point of departure of the message; it is that which
locates and orients the clause within its context. The speaker chooses the Theme as his or her
point of departure to guide the addressee in developing an interpretation of the message; by
making part of the message prominent as Theme, the speaker enables the addressee to process
the message. The remainder of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed, is called
in Prague school terminology the Rheme. As a message structure, therefore, a clause consists
of a subject matter in the midst of a Rheme; and also the structure is expressed by the order –
no matter is chosen because the Theme is put first. The message thus unfolds from thematic
prominence – the part that the speaker has chosen to highlight as the starting point for the
addressee – to thematic nonprominence.

Theme is divided into three, such as:

1. Textual
2. Interpersonal
3. Topical.
Explanation are below:
A. Textual and interpersonal Themes
The Theme of a clause includes an obligatory topical Theme and may also include
optional features such as textual and interpersonal Themes. Textual Themes help
structure the text by developing links to other clauses and are realised by Conjunctive
Adjuncts, e.g. and, however, conjunctions, e.g. before, after and relatives, e.g. how,
which. Interpersonal Themes function to explicitly construe writer viewpoint and are
realised by Modal Adjuncts, e.g. unfortunately, in my opinion, generally. The one
feature they have in common, Halliday notes, is that they do not exhaust the potential
of Theme and cannot be counted on their own as the Theme of a clause.

These are elements that are either textual or interpersonal in function, playing no part
in the ex periential meaning of the clause. They can be summarized as shown in Table
3-3.
Table 3-3 Textual and interpersonal Themes
Textual: Continuative
 Conjunction [‘structural Theme’]
Conjunctive Adjunct
Modal/Comment Adjunct
Vocative
Interpersonal:
Finite verbal operator [in yes/no
interrogative]

Interpersonal Theme:

Example: Maybe Mr Hanung will teach today

Maybe Mr will teach today

Hanung

Mod
Top
Interp. Rheme

Theme

e.g. Neng, will you marry me?

Neng, Will You marry me?

Voc Mod
Top
Interp. Rheme

Theme

B. Topical Themes
Topical Theme is an obligatory part of Theme. Following Halliday (1994), Theme can
embrace everything up to the primary topical (ideational) component. In the present
study, as previously noted, Theme will include everything up to and including the
Subject. A topical Theme can be realised by a Circumstantial Adjunct, e.g. in October,
after the meeting, tomorrow, etc., a participant, e.g. The Director of Housing, the
 programme, or a process, e.g. decide, to be examined, obtain. Generally for a process
to be the Theme, i.e. for a process to be the first ideational feature in a clause, it is part
of an imperative structure, e.g. please ensure. In this example, as is usual in imperative
clauses, the Finite will and Subject you have been ellipsed. Topical Theme is a term
used to refer to any or all of the above features which are found in the Theme of a clause
or clause complex.
Topical theme:

 Appears in the first clause

 Has transitivity function (process, participant, circumstance)

Mr Hanung Has taught me yesterday

Theme Rheme

Yesterday Mr Hanung has taught me

Theme Rheme
 The Relationship between Theme and Rheme with Education

Improve the students’ writing ability through wide reading. Reading a lot of English articles
can help students understand the thinking mode of the westerners, and master the textural
structure of westerners in reading. During reading, teachers should appropriately introduce the
theme theory and thematic progression model to the students, so that the students can gradually
form the habit of English thinking. By improving the students’ writing ability through a lot of
exercises, teachers can start from the topic of composition and ask students to modify the
composition topic according to the theme theory and theme progression model, so as to form a
habit of using this theory. In addition, during the composition practice of students, teachers
should make evaluation well, and help students analyze the language, content and structure of
the excellent compositions. First, help students master how to distinguish the theme and rheme
and use the iconic theme. Appropriately using multiple theme, clausal theme and iconic theme
can make the articles rich and attractive.
 References
Halliday, M. A., & Matthiessen, C. (2014). Halliday's Introduction to Functional Grammar. Oxon:
Routledge.

Hu, S. (2015). Enlightenment of Theme-Rheme Theory to English Writing Teaching. International

Conference on Education Technology, Management and Humanities Science (ETMHS 2015)
(p. 808). Dalian: International Conference on Education Technology, Management and
Humanities Science (ETMHS 2015) Press.

Ridha, N. S. (2016). Theme and Rheme : Types and Problems in EFL University Students' Written. 94-
114.