Grammar II, UNIT 5

En este episodio vamos a estar hablando de INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (Unit 5). Vamos a tratar: system of theme, system of information, information structure, method of development, thematic progression y syntactic strategies to manage information. DEFINICIONES ÚTILES: THEME: the point of departure the speaker has chosen for his/her clause. It indicates what the message will be about and takes the initial position in the clause. RHEME: the rest of the clause that is not the theme. It generally provides new information. SIMPLE THEME: consists of only a topical theme (marked or not) MULTIPLE THEME: consists of the topical theme plus a textual and/or interpersonal theme before it. TEXTUAL THEME: provides the frame for the interpretation of the textual meaning of the clause by relating the clause logically with what has gone before, by means of conjuncts. INTERPERSONAL THEME: expresses the speaker or writer's attitude toward the message in a clause, through modal adjuncts, adverbs, prepositional phrases or vocatives. EXAMPLE OF A MULTIPLE THEME: Well, probably, Mike, Geography is not your main interest. --> Well = textual theme; probably and Mike= interpersonal theme; Geography = topical/experiential theme; is not your main interest= rheme END-WEIGHT PRINCIPLE: principle by which longer structures that carry more info tend to occur later in the clause. END-FOCUS PRINCIPLE: principle by which the most newsworthy info in the message is placed towards the end of the clause. METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT: Chronological Topographical From whole to parts From general to particular THEMATIC PROGRESSION (the sequencing of themes and the way in which they are related to previous themes and rhemes in the text) Linear thematic progression (THEME A + RHEME B --> THEME B + RHEME C --> THEME C + RHEME C) Derived themes (THEME A [rodents] + RHEME --> THEME B [squirrels,rats, etc] + RHEME) Topic continuity or constant theme (THEME A + RHEME A --> THEME A + RHEME B --> THEME A + RHEME C) Theme with divided rheme ( THEME A + RHEME B+C --> THEME B + RHEME x --> THEME C + RHEME x) SYNTACTIC STRATEGIES TO MANAGE INFORMATION Fronting/thematization Postponement Clef sentences Passivization