The Many Types of ‘Theme’ in English - About ISFLA

The Many Types of `Theme' in English:

their Syntax, Semantics and

Discourse Functions

Robin P. Fawcett

The Many Types of `Theme' in English: their Syntax, Semantics and Discourse Functions

Robin P. Fawcett

Emeritus Professor of Linguistics Cardiff University

This book is being worked on, intermittently, so please forgive any inconsistencies of numbering, etc. I would be very grateful if you felt able to send me your comments and suggestions for improvements, including improvements in clarity.

However, plans for publishing this work in this form in the near future have been shelved, as a result of the decision to focus on three other books: Fawcett forthcoming 2009a, forthcoming 2009b and forthcoming 2010 (for which see the References). The last of these will include material from the descriptive portion of the present work. I still intend to bring this work up to bookpublishing standard at some point in the near future. Meanwhile I am happy for it to be used and cited, if you wish.

CHANGES TO BE MADE Networks derived from Figure 2 will be added at appropriate points throughout. The figure numbers will be changed to start anew for each chapter. Notes comparing this approach with the networks in Halliday and Matthiessen 2004 and Thompson 2004 will be added (noting Thompson's use of our term `enhanced'). Other possible changes (marked by XXX) will be considered. Perhaps I shall add the `fact' that the word beginning with `t' that was looked up most frequently on in 2005 was `theme'!

Contents

Preface

1 Introduction

1.1 Three perspectives on `theme' 1.2 The components of a Systemic Functional Grammar 1.3 Functional syntax: the systems for `theme' viewed `from below' 1.4 Discourse functions: the systems for `theme' viewed `from above' 1.5 The systems for `theme' viewed `at their own level' 1.6 Is there a unified concept of 'theme'? 1.7 The goals of this book 1.8 The role of Figure 2 in this book

2 A selective overview of the literature on `theme'

2.1 The topics to be covered in this overview 2.2 The literature of `thematic progression': a critical survey 2.3 The literature concerning the structures that realize `thematic' meanings 2.4 The literature concerning the discourse purposes expressed in `thematic' meanings and

structures 2.5 The literature concerning the semantic systems for `thematic' meanings

3 The many systems for SUBJECT THEME

3.1 The structure of this chapter 3.2 Criteria in assessing system networks 3.3 How many systems are there for SUBJECT THEME? 3.4 Probabilities in systems 3.5 Form and meaning 3.6 The explicit representation of meaning - i.e. semantic features 3.7 The Performer's discourse purpose in making a Participant Role a Subject Theme 3.8 Some TRANSITIVITY system networks that do not enter the SUBJECT THEME

system

4 The many systems for MARKED PARTICIPANT ROLE THEME

4.1 Form and meaning 4.2 More on probabilities on features in systems 4.3 Changing the probabilities in systems 4.4 The units that fill Marked PR Themes 4.5 The Performer's discourse purposes in making a Participant Role a Marked PR Theme 4.6 Marked PR Themes of Location and Direction: a variant of the construction

5 The thematization of Adjuncts, Vocatives and Main Verb Extensions

5.1 Adjuncts in general 5.2 The form and meaning of a typical circumstantial Adjunct 5.3 The units that fill Adjuncts and the items that expound them 5.4 The many discourse purposes of Adjuncts 5.5 The `Respect' and `Topic-marking' Adjuncts

5.6 The Vocative 5.7 The Main Verb Extension

6 Multiple `themes'

6.1 Halliday's position on `multiple themes' 6.2 An alternative position 6.3 The problem of the claim that there can be only one `experiential' Theme 6.4 The problem of the claim that initial well and but are Themes 6.5 Summary so far 6.6 The three main sources of `multiple themes' 6.7 From `simple Themes' to `thematic structures'

7 Existential Enhanced Theme

7.1 Form and meaning: a first account 7.2 A variant of the construction 7.3 Form and meaning: a fuller account 7.4 The Performer's discourse purpose

8 `Referent as role in event' as Subject Theme

8.1 The relationship between this construction and some others 8.2 The form and meaning of the construction: a first account 8.3 Where this construction occurs (1) systemically and (2) structurally 8.4 The problems caused by the established name for this construction 8.5 The form and meaning of the `referent as role in event' construction: a fuller account 8.6 The Performer's discourse purposes

9 Experiential Enhanced Theme

9.1 The high frequency of this construction 9.2 The problems caused by the established name for this construction 9.3 Form and meaning 9.4 The two basic types 9.5 Three combinations of an experiential enhanced theme and another type of `theme' 9.6 The frequency of ellipted forms of this construction 9.7 The Performer's discourse purposes

10 Evaluative Enhanced Theme

10.1 Introduction: its place in the system network 10.2 The problems caused by the established name for this construction 10.3 Form and meaning 10.4 An alternative functional explanation of the construction 10.5 Some problematical examples: the case of the case etc. 10.6 The combination of an evaluative experiential enhanced theme with other types of

`theme' 10.7 The Performer's discourse purposes 10.8 Testing the model: variants in the form of the evaluative enhanced theme construction 10.9 Testing the model: variants in the range of `evaluative' meanings in the construction 10.10 Three final possible counter-examples 10.11 Summary

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