CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

In social life, language is not only used as a tool to communicate and interact between
two or more people. Moreover, through language people can express their ideas, thoughts, and
feelings about knowledge, technology, art, culture of many things in the world. So language is
very important for people to communicate to express what they are thinking and feeling in
order to the listener can get the purpose of the speaker.

Discourse analysis is based on the understanding that there is much more going on when
people communicate than simply the transfer of information. It is not an effort to capture
literal meanings; rather it is the investigation of what language does or what individuals or
cultures accomplish through language. This area of study raises questions such as how
meaning is constructed, and how power functions in society. The study of the ways in which
language is used in the texts and contexts. Magazine RackA discourse can be studied as
something separate from the individual authors or speakers. It can refer to something that
exists in society and upon which we draw in order to communicate with others.

One of the sub focus in discourse analysis is called as “Theme and Rheme.” To study
more about theme and rheme there are many linguist stuck with investigating about the
message structure of a clause. This condition drive them to the center of theme and rheme.
The first linguists who put forward about the concepts of theme and rheme is Mathesius
(1993). According to him, theme is the part that comes first in a sentence and rheme remains
the following part”. In order to investigate more about theme and rheme, the writer decide to
make a paper study about theme and rheme.

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1.2 Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background of the study above, the writer formulate the problem as follow:
1. Explain the definition of theme!
2. What are the functions of theme?
3. Explain the types of theme!
4. Explain the definition of rheme!
5. Give analysis about theme and rheme!

1.3 The Purpose of the Study

Based on the formulation above, the purposes are to know about:

1. The definition of theme.
2. The functions of theme.
3. The types of theme.
4. The definition of rheme.
5. The analysis of theme and rheme.

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 CHAPTER II

CONTENT

2.1 Definition of Theme

Of the various structures which, when mapped on to each other, make up a clause, we
will consider first the one which gives the clause its character as a message. This is known as
thematic structure. We may assume that in all languages the clause has the character of a
message: it has some form of organization giving it the status of a communicative event. But
there are different ways in which this may be achieved. In English, as in many other
languages, the clause is organized as a message by having a special status assigned to one part
of it. One element in the clause is enunciated as the theme; this then combines with the
remainder so that the two parts together constitute a message.1

Theme, Textual clause function is the point of departure of the clause as message. It sets
up the local context for each clause. This local context often relates to the method of
development of the text: the Theme is selected in such a way that it indicates how the clause
relates to this method and contributes to the identification of the current step in the
development.2

To make it simple, here are the definition of theme:

a. the starting point of the clause message

b. realized in English by first position in a clause

c. must contain a participant, process or circumstance

d. includes any element preceding the first participant, process or circumstance

1
Halliday, M. & Matthiessen, C. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar. 3rd ed. London:
Arnold. P.37
2
Halliday, M. 1985. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Arnold
3
 Here are the simple example of theme in a sentence:

a. Andi kicks the ball.

b. Her bike is broken.

In these examples, theme (Andi/Her bike) is in the initial position. This is the most
common position for theme in English. Due to SVO (subject-verb-object) structure of a
typical English sentence, theme is often the subject of the sentence; however, passive voice
violates this rule. It is worth mentioning that in some other languages (e.g. Japanese), the
common place for theme is the end of a sentence. In languages with free word order (e.g.
Ukrainian), theme can be found in the middle of a sentence.

2.2 The Function of Theme

The main function of the theme is to signal the relationship between the thought in the
speaker’s mind and its expression in discourse. The function of Theme in text, especially its
role as a device for structuring text, is then discussed. Theme is valuable both as an analytical
tool and a pedagogic resource. Theme enhances the understanding of language at various
levels:
a. In Text, Theme helps us understand the way in which the message is organized, and it is a
major device that helps us understand a text as coherent.
b. In Clause, theme helps in understanding the starting point of the message.
c. In Genre, theme helps us understand some of the generic conventions which exist in a
given genre.
d. In Cites hyper, theme choices such as “One major effect of World War II”, “Another
effect of the war”, “A third consequence of the war” as hyper-Themes of a history text.

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2.3 The Types of Theme

There are three main types of theme, namely: ideational/topical theme, textual theme,
and interpersonal theme. And for the addition, there are theme in interrogative sentence and
theme in imperative sentence. Here are the explanation about the types of theme:

a. Ideational/Topical Theme

A clause at least has one theme, that is the topic of the clause, which is called as topical
theme. Based on the ideational type, theme can be identified as marked and unmarked one.

1) Unmarked Topical Theme (keyword, theme = subject)

- Usually identified as the subject of the clause

- Found in the form of nominal group (pronoun, proper, or common noun as

head) and nominalization.

Example:

- The boys play football together

Note: the boys = subject (common noun)

- Lea eat the food deliciously.

Note: Lea = subject (proper noun)

2) Marked Topical theme (keyword, theme ≠ subject)

- Found in the form of complement or circumstantial adjunct.

Example:

- Quietly Jack walk in the dark.

Note: the theme is not subject (quietly)

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 - Under the table Bryce put her kitten

Note: under the table is a theme but not the subject.

b. Textual Theme

Usually found in the first string of themes. Include continuatives and/or conjunctive
adjunct, and conjunction. Show the logical or temporal relationship between what has just
been said and what is being said in the current clause.

Textual Theme Characteristic words use

Continuatives Yes, no, well, oh, now, Okay, right, of course

(in the beginning of the sentence)

Conjunctive Adjuncts Additive (moreover, in addition, besides),

adversative (however, conversely) concessive
(nevertheless, despite that), causal (therefore,
as result)

Conjunctive Paratactic (and, or, nor, either, neither, but,

yet. So, then, for, etc.), Hypotactic (when,
while, before, after, until, because, if,
although, unless, since, etc.)

Example:

- Continuatives: Okay, I will go right now. (okay = theme)

- Conjunctive adjuncts: In addition, she got me wrong. (theme = in addition)

- Conjunctive: Before she goes, I ask her to live. (before = theme)

c. Interpersonal Theme
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 - Vocatives as the theme

Are names or other terms of address used to get attention of the hearer or
reaffirm the speaker-hearer relationship. For instance, personal name, my dear,
honey, darling, and any other address. Only thematic if they occur before the
topical theme, a finite verb, or a modal adjunct.

Example:

Darling, you need to wake up now. (Darling is a theme because it is vocatives)

- Process as theme

Example:

Explain the things you have done right now. (explain is a theme because it shwos
process).

d. Theme in Interrogative Sentence

- WH questions, theme = WH words.

Where are you?

What are you doing right now?

- Yes/No questions, theme = Finite + subject

Are you busy right now?

Would you like some coffee?

Could you help me, please?

e. Theme in Imperative Sentence

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 - Don’t look at me!

- Listen me carefully!

- Watch out your step!

2.4 Rheme

Rheme is the things that the speaker want to say about the theme 3. Therefore it is the
element which comes after the theme. Rheme is the part in which the theme is developed. In
other word rheme serves the extended information toward to the theme. 4 An interesting
application of the theory was realized by Djonov (2005; 2007; 2008) who used theme – rheme
relationships to analyze website navigation. Successful Web navigation, according to her,
should be cohesive, similar to theme and rheme in verbal texts. Links on one page, in this
case, represent the theme of the website while the destination page represents its rheme.

Example:

- Andi kicks the ball.

- Her bike is broken
- Mariah sings the song.

In the example we can see that Andi, Her bike, and Mariah is a subject of the sentence
and the theme of the sentence. While the whole sentence after theme is indicate as the rheme.
So from the example, the rhemes are: kicks the ball, is broken, and sings the song.

2.5 Analyzing Theme and Rheme

In this section, the writer puts the differences between theme and rheme and also
analyzing the example of both.
3
Baker,M. (2011) in Other Words. In USA .Routledge

4
Ibid 64-65
8
 THEME RHEME

Element which come first in the clause The rest of the clause. Typically contain new
information

What the clause is going to be about What i am saying about

Looks backwards, relating the current Points both backwards and forward by
message to the previous one picking up on information which is already
available and adding to it and by presenting
new information.

Example:

THEME RHEME

Well, as expected, he Won the game

Susan Love to feed her cat

Andy and Luna Wen to Jakarta together

Would you Like some tea?

Under the tree Bryan think about his future.

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

3.1 Conclusion

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 a) Theme, Textual clause function is the point of departure of the clause as message. It
sets up the local context for each clause. This local context often relates to the method
of development of the text: the Theme is selected in such a way that it indicates how
the clause relates to this method and contributes to the identification of the current step
in the development.

b) The main function of the theme is to signal the relationship between the thought in the
speaker’s mind and its expression in discourse. The function of Theme in text,
especially its role as a device for structuring text, is then discussed.

c) There are three main types of theme, namely: ideational/topical theme, textual theme,
and interpersonal theme. And for the addition, there are theme in interrogative
sentence and theme in imperative sentence.

d) Rheme is the things that the speaker want to say about the theme 5. Therefore it is the
element which comes after the theme. Rheme is the part in which the theme is
developed. In other word rheme serves the extended information toward to the theme

3.2 Suggestion

In this era, English is the language that can be so very important to be learnt. That is
why being master of English is one of the things that many people want to do. As the English
education student, absolutely learning the structure of the text is a must. One of that is Theme
and Rheme that can help student to organize and classify the sentence. In order to understand
more about English structure.

5
Baker,M. (2011) in Other Words. In USA .Routledge
10
 After all this paper is made for helping a beginner or an English education student to
learn more about Theme and Rheme in order to understand more about structure, so that can
use English good both spoken and written language.

REFERENCES

Alghazali T. 2014. Rheme and Theme in Arabic. International Journal of Science and
Research (IJSR). ISSN (Online): 2319-7064

Djonov, E. (2005). Analysing the organisation of information in websites: from hypermedia

design to systemic functional hypermedia discourse analysis. PhD dissertation, School

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 of English and School of Modern Language Studies Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia.

Halliday, M. & Matthiessen, C. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar. 3rd ed. London:
Arnold. P.37

Halliday, M. 1985. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Arnold

Matthiessen. C. & Halliday M. 1997. Systemic Functional Grammar: A First Step into the
Theory. electronic

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