Word order

Prosodic means

The rheme is usually associated with nucleus of the final intonational group. In Russian non-emphatic sentences, the nucleus usually coincides with the last stressed unit of the tone group, but in English the nucleus can be often placed on a non-terminal stressed unit.

E.g. theme

They met Mary at the station.

In Russian we can place Mary at the end of the sentence considering this information to be important, but in English we can’t do it, thus the position of the nucleus can serve as a formal linguistic device to compensate for the role of word order in pointing out FSP in non-emphatic utterances. Pauses are used to point out FSP. They show the border line between theme and rheme.

E.g. theme rheme rheme

She leaned forward – eagerly.

The isolated part of a sentence is dynamic and rhematic. The sentence acquires a new dynamic force to the one already expressed.

The extreme case of detachment is the so-called syntactic split, when one structural unit is represented by several utterances in speech.

E.g. rheme rheme rheme

He wanted me to go to see him. In London. To fix things up.

Another prosodic phenomenon, which is relevant to expression of FSP, is emphatic stress. It is used to give to an element contrasting it to another one. The contrasted word becomes the rheme of the sentence.

E.g.

Give me the notebook. Give me the notebook. Give me the notebook.

Pragmatic means

An important place among the pragmatic means belongs to pronouns and articles, which help to point out some thing. The indefinite article and adverbs are used as intensifiers and are rhematic in character.

E.g.

Even Peter didn’t notice the difference. Peter didn’t even notice the difference.

Special constructions can signal theme-rheme relations.

1. There is. This construction usually introduces new information.
E.g. There was a cold, bitter taste in the air.

2. Sentences with emphatic it.
E.g. It was yesterday that I saw her.

3. Three-member passive constructions.
E.g. The door was opened by Alice.

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