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RHEME:
Rheme (in some sources, also “comment,” “focus,” or “pre dictation”) is the
destination where the presentation moves after the departure point: Or rheme is the
remaining part of a clause. The rheme of a clause is what is actually said about the
theme of the clause.
EXAMPLES:
3)Tom likes traveling.
4)Smoking is harmful to our health.
In examples 3 and 4, rheme is represented by “like traveling” and “is harmful to
our health”. Structurally, rheme usually follows a theme in English. Theme –
rheme relationship produce cohesion making parts of a sentence a communicative
whole. The boundary between Theme and Rheme is simple but not always obvious
enough resulting innumerous cases of terminological confusion which are further
enhanced by the various definitional criteria. Thus for „theme‟, we find the terms
„topic,‟ „background,‟ „presupposition, and for ‘rheme,’ ‘comment,’ ‘focus,’
‘predication’ (in various combinations). The theme is thefirst element occurring in
a clause; the remainder clause is Rheme,