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Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.1
Unit 4Theme–Rheme (and Given–New)Clause-as-message, and information unit
Grammar presentation given on28–29.v.2013
Robert SpenceAngewandte Sprachwissenschaft
Universität des Saarlandes
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.2
..1 Introduction
..2 Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
..3 Learning Resources
..4 A sacrament as a semiotic act
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.3
The learning goals for today’s session are:
..1 To learn to analyse clauses into Theme and Rheme.
..2 To learn to analyse information units into Given and New.
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.3
The learning goals for today’s session are:
..1 To learn to analyse clauses into Theme and Rheme.
..2 To learn to analyse information units into Given and New.
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.4
Theme: an ambiguous definition
• Thema [topic] In der Thema-Rhema-Gliederung derMitteilung bzw. der Äußerung der (kommunikative)Ausgangspunkt, die Basis zur Entfaltung desMitteilungsgehalts des Satzes: das Bekannte oder das durchSituation oder Kontext Gegebene; der Teil der Äußerung, derweniger Information enthält als das Rhema. T. ist das,worüber etwas mitgeteilt wird, und auch das, was aus Kontextund Situation ableitbar ist; Rhema is das, was über dasThema mitgeteilt wird, was aus Kontext und Situation nichtableitbar ist – die neue Information (Daneš 1970, 1976).Th. Lewandowski: Linguistisches Wörterbuch 3.Heidelberg/Wiesbaden: Quelle & Meyer [UTB 1518]: 1990(5., überarbeitete Auflage).
• But this definition is ambiguous (!!!)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.4
Theme: an ambiguous definition
• Thema [topic] In der Thema-Rhema-Gliederung derMitteilung bzw. der Äußerung der (kommunikative)Ausgangspunkt, die Basis zur Entfaltung desMitteilungsgehalts des Satzes: das Bekannte oder das durchSituation oder Kontext Gegebene; der Teil der Äußerung, derweniger Information enthält als das Rhema. T. ist das,worüber etwas mitgeteilt wird, und auch das, was aus Kontextund Situation ableitbar ist; Rhema is das, was über dasThema mitgeteilt wird, was aus Kontext und Situation nichtableitbar ist – die neue Information (Daneš 1970, 1976).Th. Lewandowski: Linguistisches Wörterbuch 3.Heidelberg/Wiesbaden: Quelle & Meyer [UTB 1518]: 1990(5., überarbeitete Auflage).
• But this definition is ambiguous (!!!)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.5
Theme: the Systemic Functional approach
• The concepts ‘Theme’ (what the message is about) and‘Given’ (that which is derivable from the situation or thecontext) are kept distinct.
• ‘Theme’ is treated as a function in the structure of theclause-as-message (‘Theme–Rheme structure’).
• To signal that you want something to be Theme in English,you put it first.
• ‘Given’ is treated as a function in the structure of theinformation unit.
• Normally (but not always), one information unit coincideswith one clause.
• The information unit is realized by intonation: one informationunit is expressed as one ‘tone group’ (or ‘intonation unit’).
• The culmination of the ‘New’ information is signaled by theFocus (informally: the ‘main stress’)
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.6
Learning Resources
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’: shows all four possible waysTheme–Rheme and Given–New can map onto each other:http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle.pdf
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’ (color): (similar to the above):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle-farbe.pdf
• ‘Now comes the President here’: worksheethttp://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/nowcomesthepresidenthere.txt.pdf
• ‘Textuality’ (four-page summary in English, to read forhomework; will become part of chapter 4 of the coursenotes):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/textuality.pdf
• one-page summary in German of the differences betweenTheme–Rheme and Given–New structure (slightly dogmatic):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/themrhem2.pdf
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.6
Learning Resources
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’: shows all four possible waysTheme–Rheme and Given–New can map onto each other:http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle.pdf
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’ (color): (similar to the above):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle-farbe.pdf
• ‘Now comes the President here’: worksheethttp://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/nowcomesthepresidenthere.txt.pdf
• ‘Textuality’ (four-page summary in English, to read forhomework; will become part of chapter 4 of the coursenotes):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/textuality.pdf
• one-page summary in German of the differences betweenTheme–Rheme and Given–New structure (slightly dogmatic):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/themrhem2.pdf
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.6
Learning Resources
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’: shows all four possible waysTheme–Rheme and Given–New can map onto each other:http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle.pdf
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’ (color): (similar to the above):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle-farbe.pdf
• ‘Now comes the President here’: worksheethttp://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/nowcomesthepresidenthere.txt.pdf
• ‘Textuality’ (four-page summary in English, to read forhomework; will become part of chapter 4 of the coursenotes):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/textuality.pdf
• one-page summary in German of the differences betweenTheme–Rheme and Given–New structure (slightly dogmatic):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/themrhem2.pdf
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.6
Learning Resources
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’: shows all four possible waysTheme–Rheme and Given–New can map onto each other:http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle.pdf
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’ (color): (similar to the above):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle-farbe.pdf
• ‘Now comes the President here’: worksheethttp://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/nowcomesthepresidenthere.txt.pdf
• ‘Textuality’ (four-page summary in English, to read forhomework; will become part of chapter 4 of the coursenotes):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/textuality.pdf
• one-page summary in German of the differences betweenTheme–Rheme and Given–New structure (slightly dogmatic):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/themrhem2.pdf
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.6
Learning Resources
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’: shows all four possible waysTheme–Rheme and Given–New can map onto each other:http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle.pdf
• ‘Helmut Kohl went to Halle’ (color): (similar to the above):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/halle-farbe.pdf
• ‘Now comes the President here’: worksheethttp://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/nowcomesthepresidenthere.txt.pdf
• ‘Textuality’ (four-page summary in English, to read forhomework; will become part of chapter 4 of the coursenotes):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/textuality.pdf
• one-page summary in German of the differences betweenTheme–Rheme and Given–New structure (slightly dogmatic):http://spence.saar.de/courses/grammar/unit04/themrhem2.pdf
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.7
A sacrament as a semiotic act
• “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God,and in the face of this congregation, (…)”
• Anyone who was raised in the Church of England knows thatthis is the beginning of a wedding ceremony, or to give it itsofficial title: The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony.Matrimony, a.k.a. marriage, is one of the “sacraments” of theChurch of England. But what is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is defined in the Catechism of the Church ofEngland as “an outward and visible sign of an inward andvisible grace”. (The word “sign” here really means ‘signifiant’;the “grace” (= gift from God) is the ‘signifié’.)
• The groom says the following words:“With this Ring I thee wed,with my body I thee worship,and with all my wordly goods I thee endow”
• What comments would you make on the order of the parts ofeach clause? And what intonation would you use if you weresaying this aloud?
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.7
A sacrament as a semiotic act
• “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God,and in the face of this congregation, (…)”
• Anyone who was raised in the Church of England knows thatthis is the beginning of a wedding ceremony, or to give it itsofficial title: The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony.Matrimony, a.k.a. marriage, is one of the “sacraments” of theChurch of England. But what is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is defined in the Catechism of the Church ofEngland as “an outward and visible sign of an inward andvisible grace”. (The word “sign” here really means ‘signifiant’;the “grace” (= gift from God) is the ‘signifié’.)
• The groom says the following words:“With this Ring I thee wed,with my body I thee worship,and with all my wordly goods I thee endow”
• What comments would you make on the order of the parts ofeach clause? And what intonation would you use if you weresaying this aloud?
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.7
A sacrament as a semiotic act
• “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God,and in the face of this congregation, (…)”
• Anyone who was raised in the Church of England knows thatthis is the beginning of a wedding ceremony, or to give it itsofficial title: The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony.Matrimony, a.k.a. marriage, is one of the “sacraments” of theChurch of England. But what is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is defined in the Catechism of the Church ofEngland as “an outward and visible sign of an inward andvisible grace”. (The word “sign” here really means ‘signifiant’;the “grace” (= gift from God) is the ‘signifié’.)
• The groom says the following words:“With this Ring I thee wed,with my body I thee worship,and with all my wordly goods I thee endow”
• What comments would you make on the order of the parts ofeach clause? And what intonation would you use if you weresaying this aloud?
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.7
A sacrament as a semiotic act
• “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God,and in the face of this congregation, (…)”
• Anyone who was raised in the Church of England knows thatthis is the beginning of a wedding ceremony, or to give it itsofficial title: The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony.Matrimony, a.k.a. marriage, is one of the “sacraments” of theChurch of England. But what is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is defined in the Catechism of the Church ofEngland as “an outward and visible sign of an inward andvisible grace”. (The word “sign” here really means ‘signifiant’;the “grace” (= gift from God) is the ‘signifié’.)
• The groom says the following words:“With this Ring I thee wed,with my body I thee worship,and with all my wordly goods I thee endow”
• What comments would you make on the order of the parts ofeach clause? And what intonation would you use if you weresaying this aloud?
Theme–Rheme (andGiven–New)
Robert Spence
Goals
Introduction
Theme: the SystemicFunctional approach
Learning Resources
A sacrament as asemiotic act
4.7
A sacrament as a semiotic act
• “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God,and in the face of this congregation, (…)”
• Anyone who was raised in the Church of England knows thatthis is the beginning of a wedding ceremony, or to give it itsofficial title: The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony.Matrimony, a.k.a. marriage, is one of the “sacraments” of theChurch of England. But what is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is defined in the Catechism of the Church ofEngland as “an outward and visible sign of an inward andvisible grace”. (The word “sign” here really means ‘signifiant’;the “grace” (= gift from God) is the ‘signifié’.)
• The groom says the following words:“With this Ring I thee wed,with my body I thee worship,and with all my wordly goods I thee endow”
• What comments would you make on the order of the parts ofeach clause? And what intonation would you use if you weresaying this aloud?
