A clause is a unit in which three meanings are combined to produce a single wording. In all languages clauses constitute messages and make themselves recognizable as such by granting a distinct status to the thematic structure. In English this is achieved through word order: it is placed first and, following the terminology of the Prague School, we call it Theme. It is the starting point for messages, and the rest of the message is used to develop it, this is what we call Rheme. A clause, therefore, consists of Theme and Rheme.
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Themes set the scene for the clause and position it in relation to the text. The speaker, then, selects the desired Theme depending on his or her preference (+ indicates the boundary between Theme and Rheme): – The duke + has given my aunt that teapot – My aunt + has been given that teapot by the duke – That teapot + the duke has given to my aunt
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Theme must not necessarily consist of a nominal group. Theme is the first group with a function in the structure of the clause, and that the most common one is that of a participant realized by a nominal group. Sometimes these are focused on by announcing them with a formula like with regard to, as for, or about... Themes may also be marked through intonation when they’re realized by adverbial groups, or when the nominal group is not the object, or any time when word order is unexpected.
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Structural elements can be formed with a complex of two or more groups like: –
The Walrus and the Carpenter + were walking close at hand
On the ground or in the air + small creatures live and breathe
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There is a special thematic resource whereby different structures are grouped into one Theme + Rheme structure: thematic equatives. In these, all elements of the clause are grouped into two constituents, linked by an 'equals sign' realized by verb be: – What the duke gave to my aunt |was,=| that teapot – The one who gave my aunt that teapot |was,=| the duke
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Mood determines the elements typically chosen as Theme in English clauses. Clauses can be imperative or indicative in mood; the latter can be declarative or interrogative, and these yes/nointerrogatives or WH-interrogatives.
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Theme in declarative clauses
The typical pattern is a Theme = Subject structure: the unmarked Theme. Most often this is realized by personal pronoun I; then come the rest of pronouns you, we, he, she, it and they; the most usual after that are impersonal pronouns it and there; last come other nominal groups with common or proper nouns as head, and nominalizations.
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A Theme which is not subject we call marked Theme: adverbial groups, prepositional phrases (Today, at night...) or any elements functioning as Adjunct. The most marked Theme in declaratives is a Complement: a nominal element which could have, but has not, been selected as subject, and that has been foregrounded to Theme position: –
This responsibility we accept wholly
That I could do without
A special case of thematic structure is that of exclamatives, they normally have a WH-element as Theme: –
How dreadful she sounds!
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Theme in interrogative clauses
The typical function of interrogatives is requesting information, either through the indication of polarity 'yes/no', or expecting the hearer to come back with some piece of information depending on the thematic element chosen: who means the speaker expects to hear a person's name, when a point in time, and so on. This mechanism has become part of the English language system: –
Who + wants a glass of white wine?
Where + did you get that from?
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Theme in imperative clauses
The basic meaning of imperatives is giving commands or advice. The subject can be made explicit, but since that is not usual, doing so would render a marked sentence; curiously enough, the predicator is here the unmarked Theme: –
You + keep quiet! (marked)
As for you + keep quiet! (marked)
Keep + quiet! (marked)
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In negative imperatives, the unmarked element is don't plus any element, and expressing a subject renders a marked form: –
Don't argue + with me (u)
Don't you + argue with me (m)
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Textual, interpersonal and topical themes
The clause construes an expression of human experience: processes, participants and circumstances. Themes contain one and only one of these elements, so the Theme of a clause ends with the first constituent belonging to those categories, which is called topical Theme. There may be other elements in the clause preceding the topical Theme which, in any case, play no experiential role, and normally no more than one or two of them occur.
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To illustrate multiple themes with several elements we’ll use an example: “well but then surely Jean wouldn’t the best idea be to join in.”
1. Well, textual, continuative. Signals a move in discourse or a transition in the same speaker’s turn.
2. but, textual, conjunction. Links or subordinates two clauses.
3. then, textual, conjunctive Adjunct. Adverbial or Prepositional groups that relate the clause to previous text.
4. surely, interpersonal, modal comment Adjunct. Expressions of the speaker’s judgment on the content of the message.
5. Jean, interpersonal, vocative. Typically personal names used to address.
6. wouldn’t, interpersonal, Finite verbal operator. Auxiliary verbs that construe tense and modality; also typical unmarked Themes of yes/no interrogatives.
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The information unit: Given and New
Textual resources to create discourse are of two kinds: structural and cohesive. Grammar provides structural units up to the rank of the clause complex. From there on semantics provides other nonstructural resources for creating links that work equally within or across sentences. These are called collectively ‘cohesion’. Among structural means we have two systems working: Theme, which construes messages in the form of Theme + Rheme; and Information, which does not belong to the clause but to the information unit, a unit parallel to the clause and the rest of its rank scale. Since it is parallel, it is length-variable and may extend over more than one or less than one clause; in unmarked cases, it is co-extensive.