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Different views on theme-rheme in english

The definition of Theme used in this paper places Theme at the point where the grammar of the clause meets the surrounding text and also relates to the thought in the speaker's mind. However, before the position is further expounded, a discussion of the different definitions and views of Theme-Rheme is provided to shed more light over the issue. Basically, the different views can be divided into four categories, based on different definitions of the Theme itself: Theme as topic, Theme as given or known, Theme as having the least degree of communicative dynamism, and Theme as message onset. Each of these will now be discussed in turn. | T1p chÝ Khoa hac hqghn ngo 1i ng- T.xxII Sè 2 2006 DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THEmE-RHEmE IN ENGLISH Do Tuan Minh 1. Introduction Theme has been defined in a variety of different ways and for this reason some analysts find the dismissal of the Theme Rheme distinction easily defensible. For example Stephen Levinson 1983 x attributes the exclusion of the concept from his book to the following Terminological profusion and confusion and underlying conceptual vagueness plague the relevant literature to the point where little may be salvageable. An answer to this will be attempted further on. It is interesting to juxtapose this view of Theme with the fact that it is an analytical tool which has been increasingly gaining in popularity in the last few years. Mauranen 1993a 104 attributes this popularity to its interesting position at the interface of grammar and discourse . The definition of Theme used in this paper places Theme at the point where the grammar of the clause meets the surrounding text and also relates to the thought in the speaker s mind. However before the position is further expounded a discussion of the different definitions and views of Theme-Rheme is provided to shed more light over the issue. Basically the different views can be divided into four categories based on different definitions of the Theme itself Theme as topic Theme as given or known Theme as having the least degree of communicative dynamism and Theme as message onset. Each of these will now be discussed in turn. 2. Theme as Topic Vande Kopple 1986 74 points out that Mathesius was one of the first linguists to describe the Theme Rheme distinction and his words probably still capture what most theorists mean by theme In 1930 Mathesius published his essay On Linguistic Characterology with illustrations from modern English. The publication was regarded as the beginning of the Prague School tradition. It analyzed the grammar of a language with the focus on the functions it served and the information .