Functional English Grammar An Introduction for Second Language Teachers Functional English Grammar An Introduction for Second Language Teachers TRUONG VAN ANH Sai Gon Univerity Unit 8 Textual function[.]
Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for Second Language Teachers TRUONG VAN ANH Sai Gon Univerity Unit Textual function: Theme and rheme Experiential meaning is represented by processes, participants and circumstances Interpersonal meaning is expressed by many resources A system of realizing textual meaning organizes these two kinds of meaning to produce clauses and sentences In a paragraph, all mistakes have been corrected; however, the text still seems muddled There are many ways to rearrange clauses or sentences without changing the meanings The cat ate the rat The rat was eaten by the cat It was the cat that ate the rat It was the rat that the cat ate What the cat did was ate the rat Ate the rat, the cat did The cat, it ate the rat It was the rat that was eaten by the cat It was the cat that the rat was eaten by The cat did eat the rat The ten versions differ from each other and from the original clause in the textual meaning in the way where the same experiential and interpersonal meanings have been organized as a message Marked and unmarked word order The differences in textual meaning among the versions are in that the word order is the most usual or less usual The word order which is used as a kind of default word order for declarative clauses are is called unmarked word order The contrary is called marked word order Ex: Thomas stood in the room (unmarked) In the room stood Thomas (Marked) Theme and Rheme Theme is the point of departure/jumping-off point of the message in the clause The remaining is called the rheme The cat ate the rat in the kitchen The rat was eaten by the cat in the kitchen In the kitchen the cat ate the rat Marked and unmarked Themes When theme is the Subject, it is unmarked Any Themes other than the subject, they are referred to as marked Themes In yes-no interrogative mood the Finite is the unmarked Theme In wh- interrogative mood the wh word is the unmarked Theme Ex: Do you need anything? Where will you go? In imperative mood, the unmarked Theme is the Predicator Ex: Close the door unless it is preceded by a Subject Ex: You close the door Selections of marked Themes A marked Theme is moved to the front of the clause It is thematized Ex: In 1890 Uncle Ho was born The Circumstantial Adjunct in 1890 is thematized Ex: This clause I wrote The Object of the clause is thematized Thematized Objects and Complements In contrast or in emphasis, Objects or Complements are thematized when they are put in the front Ex: Most of the clauses are extracted from the novels, but this clause I wrote (contrast) Coffee I drank (emphasis) A teacher I am and a teacher I will always be Strange was the man Note: They are called highly marked Thematized Circumstantial Adjuncts In English, thematized Circumstantial Adjuncts are more common than thematized Objects and Complements Ex: In this chapter, we study Theme In the following chapter, we study complex sentences (Textual meaning) [time] In 1911, Uncle Ho left Vietnam for the way of national salvation In 1941, he returned to the country (the method of development) [time] In the living-room there are …In the kitchen there are… (the method of development) [place] ... Theme and rheme Experiential meaning is represented by processes, participants and circumstances Interpersonal meaning is expressed by many resources A system of realizing textual meaning organizes... has a nice color and an elegant shape As for the engine, it can run very smoothly and fast Absolute Themes mark a transition to a topic of the next part of the text (From color and shape to engine)... I drank (emphasis) A teacher I am and a teacher I will always be Strange was the man Note: They are called highly marked Thematized Circumstantial Adjuncts In English, thematized Circumstantial