Textual metafunction, as proposed by Michael Halliday, is one of the three metafunctions that he used to analyze language use. The textual metafunction focuses on how language is structured to create coherent and cohesive texts. Here's a brief review:
1. Primary Function: The textual metafunction is primarily concerned with the organization and structure of language to form a meaningful and coherent text. It deals with how elements within a text are linked to create a unified whole.
2. Key Elements:
• Theme: The theme is the initial element of a clause or sentence, setting up the point of departure for the message. It establishes the starting point or the given information in a text.
• Rheme: The rheme follows the theme and provides new or focused information. It is the part of the clause that carries the message forward.
3. Cohesion: Halliday emphasizes cohesion as a crucial aspect of the textual metafunction. Cohesion involves the use of grammatical and lexical devices to link elements within a text, creating a sense of unity and flow. This includes referencing (pronouns, demonstratives), conjunctions, and lexical repetition.
4. Information Flow: The textual metafunction is concerned with how information flows within a text. It explores how different parts of a text are connected to convey a coherent and logical progression of ideas.
5. Genre and Register: Halliday's systemic functional linguistics considers the influence of genre and register on textual structure. Different types of texts (genres) have distinct organizational patterns, and the register of a text influences its linguistic features and style.
6. Texture: Texture refers to the quality of a text that emerges from its cohesive and coherent structure. A well-structured text with clear thematic progression contributes to a smooth and effective communication process.
In summary, the textual metafunction in Halliday's systemic functional linguistics focuses on how language is structured at the level of the text to create coherence and cohesion. It involves analyzing the relationship between the theme and rheme, understanding cohesion devices, and considering the impact of genre and register on textual organization.
1. Function in Communication: The textual metafunction focuses on the organization and cohesion of language to create coherent and meaningful texts. It deals with how language is structured to fulfill communicative purposes.
2. Cohesion: As regards Halliday, emphasizes the importance of cohesion in texts. Cohesion refers to the ways in which elements within a text are connected to create a unified whole. This includes lexical cohesion (through repeated words or synonyms) and grammatical cohesion (achieved through reference, ellipsis, and conjunctions).
3. Text Structure: It addresses the macrostructure of a text, examining how information is organized on a larger scale. This involves the arrangement of ideas, topics, and themes to create a logical and comprehensible flow.
2. They were traditionally called the ¨pseudo-cleft¨
You need to write me an official letter ….
B. Whorf picked up Boas´example and used it.
THEMATIC EQUATIVES
What you need to do
What I want to talk about
What happened
is to write me an official letter asking for an
extension.
is the nature of certain kinds of evidence used in
the courts.
was that B.Whorf picked up Boas´example and
used it.
theme rheme
4. PREDICATED THEME
Traditionally called ¨cleft sentences¨
It´s not the technology
It is we
It isn´t his painting
It is the second of these points
It wasn´t until 1986
which is wrong.
who haven´t learnt how to use it.
which has once again brought him
into the public eye.
that I´ll concentrate on in the talk.
that we finally came back to work
in the UK.
theme rheme
5. Natural themes:
The tecnology is not wrong. We have not
learnt how to use it.
I shall concentrate on the second of these
points in the talk.
We finally came back to work in the UK in
1986.
6. Thematised comment
Thematise their own comment on the value or validity of what they are about to
say. They, traditionally, were called anticipatory ¨it.
It is true
It is difficult
It s regretted
It is a pity
It is said
that it took five years to change it.
to know how to characterise that.
that this school is unable to provide continuous nursing.
that you can’t come to my party.
that he is a good man.
Theme Rheme
7. PREPOSED THEMES
It happens in impromptu speech or in writing which imitates
speech. The speaker announces his Theme as a separate
constituent and then substitute a pronoun in the appropiate
place.
Happiness,
Your Mum,
that´s what life is about.
does she know you´re here.?
Theme Rheme
8. THEME IN CLAUSE COMPLEXES
Compare
As the universe expanded, the temperature of radiation decreased.
Theme Rheme Theme Rheme
One second after the big bang, it would have fallen to about ten thousand
million degrees.
Theme Rheme
9. As the universe expanded the temperature of the radiation decreased
Theme1 Rheme1
Theme2 Rheme2 Theme3 Rheme3
My Dad
I
Down
died when I was five.
do it because it´s an addiction.
she ran to the kitchen, where there were voices.
Theme Rheme
