Cover not available
Article published In:
Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 27:1 (2014) ► pp.87–117

Discourse-organizational patterns in English and Spanish

Some notes on the thematic management of news reports

 | University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Cast within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, this paper sheds new light on the ‘thematic management’ of discourse and its interaction with ‘rhetorical management’ in particular, by exploring how the interplay between thematic structure and thematic progression is instantiated in a specific genre, news reports, in English and Spanish. The study shows that, even though there exist a number of differences that are language-determined, genre constraints seem to exert a greater influence because, generally speaking, English and Spanish news reports show greater similarities than differences.
Keywords: (un)marked Theme, (non)multiple Theme, thematic progression, news reports, Rheme
Published online: 8 August 2014
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.27.1.04gom
References (106)
Alonso Belmonte, I. (1997). Estrategias textuales y su realización temática en español: Un estudio de corpus [Textual strategies and their thematic realization in Spanish: A corpus study]. RESLA, 121, 55-74.Google Scholar
Ariel, M. (1990). Accessing noun-phrase antecedents. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Arús, J. (2007). On the ‘aboutness’ of Theme. In M. Losada, P, Ron, S. Hernández, & J. Casanova (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th International AEDEAN Conference (CD ROM Publication).
. (2010). On Theme in English and Spanish: A comparative study. In E. Swaine (Ed.), Thresholds and potentialities of Systemic Functional Linguistics: Multilingual, multimodal and other specialised discourses (pp. 23-48). Trieste: EUT Edizioni Università Di Trieste.Google Scholar
Asher, N., & Lascarides, A. (2003). Logics of conversation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bäcklund, I. (1991). Theme in English telephone conversation. Language Sciences, 14(4), 545-564. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Berry, M. (1996). What is theme? A(nother) personal view. In M. Berry, C.S. Butler, R.P. Fawcett, & G. Huang (Eds.), Meaning and form: Systemic functional interpretations. Meaning and choice in language: Studies for Michael Halliday (pp. 1-64). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar
. (2013). Contentful and contentlight subject themes in informal spoken English and formal written English. In G. O’Grady, T. Bartlett, & L. Fontaine (Eds.), Choice in language: Applications in text analysis (pp. 243-268). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Berry, M., Thompson, G., & Hillier, H. (forthcoming). Theme and variations. In M.A. Gómez, F.J. Ruiz de Mendoza, & F. Gonzálvez (Eds.), Theory and practice in functional-cognitive space. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logo
Biber, D. (1995). Dimensions of register variation: A cross-linguistic comparison. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bloor, T., & Bloor, M. (1995). The functional analysis of English: A Hallidayan approach. London: Arnold.Google Scholar
Casanova, V., & Franco, A. (2006). Tema, rema y focalización: Del enunciado al texto. Análisis de títulos y leads de prensa [Theme, rheme and focalization: From statement to text. Analysis of press headlines and leads]. Quórum Académico, 3(2), 55-81.Google Scholar
Chafe, W.L. (1994). Discourse, consciousness, and time. Chicago: Chicago University Press.Google Scholar
. (1996). Inferring identifiability and accessibility. In T. Fretheim & J. Gundel (Eds.), Referents and referent accessibility (pp. 37-46). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chao, K.H. (2002). Thematic progression in the argumentative essays of EFL senior high school students. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. National Chengchi University.Google Scholar
Clark, H.H., & Haviland, S.E. (1977). Comprehension and the given-new contract. In R.O. Freedle (Ed.), Discourse production and comprehension (pp. 1-40). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cornish, F. (1999). Anaphora, discourse and understanding: Evidence from English and French. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Daneš, F. (1974). Functional sentence perspective and the organization of the text. In F. Daneš (Ed.), Papers on functional sentence perspective (pp. 100-128). Prague: Academia.Google Scholar
Downing, A. (1991). An alternative approach to Theme: A systemic-functional perspective. Word, 42(2), 119-143. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dubois, B.L. (1987). A reformulation of thematic progression typology. Text, 7(2), 89-116. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eggins, S. (2004). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics (2nd ed.). New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Enkvist, N.E. (1973). Theme dynamics and style: An experiment. Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, 51, 127–35.Google Scholar
Erteschik-Shir, N. (1997). The dynamics of focus structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fetzer, A. (2008). Theme zones in contrast: An analysis of their linguistic realization in the communicative act of a non-acceptance. In M.A. Gómez González, J.L. Mackenzie, & E.M. González Álvarez (Eds.), Languages and cultures in contrast and comparison (pp. 3-31). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Firbas, J. (1992). Functional sentence perspective in written and spoken communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fodor, J.D., & Sag, I. (1982). Referential and quantificational indefinites. Linguistics and Philosophy, 51, 355-398. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Francis, G. (1989). Thematic selection and distribution in written discourse. Word, 40(2), 201-222. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fries, P.H. (1981). On the status of theme: Arguments from discourse. Forum Linguisticum, 6(1), 1-38.Google Scholar
. (1995). Themes, methods of development, and texts. In R. Hasan & P.H. Fries (Eds.), On subject and theme: From the perspective of functions in discourse (pp. 317-359). Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (2009). The textual metafunction as a site for a discussion of the goals of linguistics and techniques of linguistic analysis. In G. Forey & G. Thompson (Eds.), Text type and texture (pp. 8-44). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Fries, P.H., & Francis, G. (1992). Exploring theme: Problems for research. Occasional Papers in Systemic Linguistics, 61, 45-59.Google Scholar
Ghadessy, M. (1995). Thematic development and its relationship to registers and genres. In M. Ghadessy (Ed.), Thematic development in English texts (pp. 129-145). London: Pinter.Google Scholar
Givón, T. (1983a). Topic continuity in discourse: An introduction. In T. Givón (Ed.), Topic continuity in discourse: A quantitative cross-linguistic study (pp. 1-41). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (Ed.) (1983b). Topic continuity in discourse: A quantitative cross-linguistic study. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Goatly, A. (2008). Explorations in stylistics. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Gómez González,M. A. (1994). The relevance of Theme in the textual organization of BBC news reports. Word, 45(3), 293-305. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (1997). A contrastive critique of Topic and Theme in Functional Grammar (SFG). RESLA, 121, 75-94.Google Scholar
. (1998a). Towards an alternative account of FG Topic. Verba, 251, 345-356.Google Scholar
.(1998b). About topicality and thematicity in Functional Grammar (FG) and Systemic Functional Grammar. Seminarios de Lingüística, 21, 49-67.Google Scholar
. (1998c). The ins and outs of the notion of ‘aboutness’. Interface, 13(1), 19-32.Google Scholar
.(1998d). A corpus based analysis of extended multiple Themes in Present day English. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 3(1), 81-114. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (2001). The theme-topic interface: Evidence from English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (2002). First mention orientation in discourse. In L. Iglesias & S. Doval (Eds.), Studies in contrastive linguistics (pp. 37-48). Santiago de Compostela: Servicio de Publicaciones de la USC.Google Scholar
. (2004). Functional Grammar and the dynamics of discourse. In J.L. Mackenzie & M.A. Gómez González (Eds.), A new architecture for Functional Grammar (pp. 211‑243). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Grosz, B.J., & Sidner, C.L. (1986). Attention, intentions, and the structure of discourse. Computational Linguistics, 12(3), 175-204.Google Scholar
Gundel, J.K. (1978). Stress, pronominalization and the given-new distinction. Working Papers in Linguistics, 10(2), 1-13.Google Scholar
. (1988). Universals of topic-comment structure. In M. Hammond, E. Moravczik, & J. Wirth (Eds.), Studies in syntactic typology (pp. 209-239). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gundel, J.K., Hedberg, N., & Zacharski, R. (1993). Cognitive status and the form of referring expressions in discourse. Language, 691, 274-307. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994)[1985]. An introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd ed). London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (2004). An introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd ed.). London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Hannay, M., & Gómez González, M.A. (2012). Thematic parentheticals in Dutch and English. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 6(1-3), 99-127. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heim, I. (1982). The semantics of definite and indefinite noun phrases. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Irmer, M. (2011). Bridging inferences. Constraining and resolving under-specification in discourse interpretation. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jalilifar, A.R. (2010). The status of theme in applied linguistics articles. Asian ESP Journal, 6(2), 7-39.Google Scholar
Jackendoff, R. (1972). Semantic interpretation in generative grammar. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Khalil, E.N. (2005). Grounding: Between figure-ground and foregrounding-backgrounding. Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics, 31, 1-21. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lambrecht, K. (1994). Information structure and sentence form: Topic, focus and the mental representations of discourse referents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Langacker, R.W. (2009). Investigations in Cognitive Grammar. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lavid, J., Arús, J., & Moratón, L. (2010). Signalling genre through Theme: The case of news reports and commentaries. Proceedings of the 8th MAD: Signalling Text Organisation , 82-92.
Longacre, R.E. (1981). A spectrum and profile approach to discourse analysis. Text, 11, 337-59. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (1989). Two hypothesis regarding text generation and analysis. Discourse Processes, 121, 413-60. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mann, W.C., & Thompson, S.A. (1988). Rhetorical Structure Theory: Toward a functional theory of text organization. Text, 8(3), 243-281. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. R. (1992). English text: System and structure. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J.R. (1997). Analysing genre: Functional parameters. In F. Christie & J.R. Martin (Eds.), Genres and institutions: Social processes in the workplace and school (pp. 3-39). London: Cassell.Google Scholar
Martinez Lirola, M. (2009). Main processes of thematization and postponement in English. Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Mathesius, V. (1939). O takzvaném aktuálním členění věty. Slovo a slovesnost, 51, 171-174 [Translated into English in Harvard Studies in Syntax and Semantics, 1, 1975, 467-480].Google Scholar
McCabe, A. (1999). Theme and thematic patterns in Spanish and English history texts. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Aston University.Google Scholar
McCabe, A., & Alonso Belmonte, I. (2000). Theme, rheme and cognitive representation in Spanish and English texts. Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, 401, 77-94.Google Scholar
Moya, A.J. (2003). Thematic and topical structuring in three subgenres. A contrastive Study. Miscelánea, 271, 131-154.Google Scholar
Moya, A.J., & Ávila, J.A. (2009). Thematic progression of children’s stories as related to different stages of cognitive development. Text & Talk, 29(6), 755-774. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Munday, J. (1997). Systems in translation: A computer-assisted systemic analysis of the translation of García Márquez. Ph.D. thesis. University of Bradford.Google Scholar
Nwogu, K.N. (1990). Discourse variation in medical texts: Schema, theme and cohesion in professional and journalistic accounts. Nottingham: University of Nottingham.Google Scholar
Nwogu, K., & Bloor, T. (1991). Thematic progression in professional and popular medical texts. In E. Ventola (Ed.) Functional and systemic linguistics: Approaches and uses (pp. 369-384). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Ping, A.L. (2005). Talking themes: The thematic structure of talk. Discourse Studies, 71, 701-732. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Plum, G.A. (1988). Textual and contextual conditioning in spoken English: A genre-based approach. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Prince. E.F. (1992). The ZPG letter: subjects, definiteness, and information status. In S. Thompson & W. Mann (Eds.), Discourse description: Diverse analyses of a fund raising text (pp. 295-325). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ravelli, L.J. (2004). Signalling the organization of written texts: hyper-Themes in management and history essays. In L.J. Ravelli & R.A. Ellis (Eds.), Analysing academic writing (pp. 104-130). London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Reinhart, T. (1981). Pragmatics and linguistics: An analysis of sentence topics. Philosophica, 27(1), 1-38.Google Scholar
Rose, D. (2001). Some variations in Theme across languages. Functions of Language, 8(1), 109-145. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Swales, J.M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Taboada, M. (1995). Theme markedness in English and Spanish: A systemic-functional approach. MS, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.Google Scholar
. (2004). Building coherence and cohesion: Task-oriented dialogue in English and Spanish. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thompson, G., & Thompson, S. (2009). Theme, subject and the unfolding of text. In G. Forey & G. Thompson (Eds.), Text type and texture: In honour of Flo Davies (pp. 45-69). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Tomlin, R.S., Forrest, L., Pu. M., & Kim, M.H. (1997). Knowledge integration and information management in discourse. In T. van Dijk (Ed.), Discourse: A multidisciplinary introduction (pp. 63-111). London: Sage. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Trujillo, F., & Fortes, M.R. (2002). Estructura temática de las noticias de prensa sobre violencia doméstica: Un ejercicio de Análisis Crítico del Discurso [Thematic structure of news reports on domestic abuse: A Critical Discourse Analysis exercise]. In F. Trujillo Sáez & M.R. Fortes Ruiz (Eds.), Violencia doméstica y coeducación: Un enfoque multidisciplinar [Domestic abuse and coeducation: A multidisciplinary approach] (pp. 157-170). Barcelona: Octaedro.Google Scholar
Vallduví, E. (1992). The informational component. New York: Garland.Google Scholar
Vallduví,E.,&Engdahl,E.(1996). The linguistic realization of information packaging. Linguistics, 341, 459-519. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Van Dijk, T. (1981). Sentence topic and discourse topic. In T. van Dijk (Ed.), Studies in the pragmatics of discourse (pp. 177-193). The Hague: Mouton. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (2011). Discourse studies: A multidisciplinary introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Whittaker, R. (1995). Thematic development in academic and non-academic texts. In M. Ghadessy (Ed.), Thematic development in English texts (pp. 105-128). London: Pinter.Google Scholar
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/hombre/31/anos/mata/mujer/Almeria/elpepusoc/20100218elpepusoc_2/Tes
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Muere/mujer/Madrid/recibir/veintena/punaladas/manos/ex/pareja/elpepusoc/20100121elpepusoc_9/Tes
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/madrid/hombre/mata/cuchilladas/ex/novia/intenta/suicidarse/elpepiespmad/20100219elpmad_5/Tes
http://www.elmundo.es/papel/2010/02/19/espana/22717202.html
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/01/21/madrid/1264081518.html
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/02/18/madrid/1266506242.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/01/strangle-murder-trial-facebook
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/09/facebook-murderer-jailed-paul-bristol
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/30/jealous-father-killed-children
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6829756.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7055206.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7071787.ece
Cited by (4)

Cited by four other publications

Herriman, Jennifer
2024. The thematic organization of consumer safety instructions in English. English Text Construction 17:1 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Arús-Hita, Jorge
2022. A contrastive look at Theme as point of departure in English and Spanish academic writing. English Text Construction 15:1 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Arús-Hita, Jorge
2022. Theme as point of departure in English and Spanish casual conversation. Language, Context and Text. The Social Semiotics Forum 4:2 ► pp. 197 ff. DOI logo
Rabadán, Rosa, Isabel Pizarro & Hugo Sanjurjo-González
2021. Authoring support for Spanish language writers. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics 34:2 ► pp. 671 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 29 october 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.