Thematic Organization Throughout English Texts--A Systemic-functional Approach To Text Analysis

This thesis is centered on textual function, one of the three metafunctions in systemic-functional grammar. Starting with thematic structure, one of the three integral parts of textual function, the thesis discusses patterns of thematic progression and their application to text analysis, and then illustrates the limitations when the theory is used in analyzing an actual written text. To interpret the actual written text with this theory, the paper turns to Halliday's claim that "... we find thematic organization appearing in different guises throughout the system of the language, with manifestations both above the clause and below it." When the fact is established that Halliday does not explore this issue at length, attempts are made in the thesis to uncover thematic organization at the other levels of a text. Then it is shown and illustrated that thematisation, as a device for organizing message beyond clauses, does exist at the levels of paragraph and the whole text. Moreover, thematic progression is applied to the analysis of some narrative and expository texts. By comparing the types of Theme and the patterns of thematic progression arising in the two sorts of texts, the thesis reveals the major differences, in the perspective of theme theory, concerning the texts of the two genres.