16. The actual division of the sentence.

A long side of the grammatical division into the sentence into the sent. constituency, (члены предл.) there exists the so called ‘actual division of the sentence’ (ADS) into thematic and rhematic sections. The concept of ads was offered by the members of Prague school in the 1930 with the purpose to describe the functional components of the declarative sentences. They suggested dividing a sent. 2 sections: the theme and rheme, in order to expose the affirmative perspective of the sent. Theme – topic. Rheme – comment.

The theme expresses the starting point of communication. It denotes the object of phenomenon about which something is reported.

The rheme expresses the basic informative part of the sentence. It is communication centre of the sentence.

The communicative purpose of the speaking person, who express his or her thoughts in a declarative sentences is to inform somebody about something. That is why the rheme can be considered as the communicative component of the utterance.

e.g. Their baby girls(T), weight four kilos(R).

A declarative sentence always have a rheme.

The ads is fully expressed only in a concrete context of speech.

e.g. Taken in isolation, the sentence Dunfield accompanied Mrs. Traffold to the door.

Direct ads – when the subject of the sentence coincides with the theme and its predicate with the rheme. The theme may or may not coincide with the subject of the sent. the rheme may or may not coincide with the predicate of the sent.

There are some means which distinguish the theme:

• it is used with the definite article.

• A direct word order and the rising tone

• A loose parenthesis introduced by: ‘as to, as for’, which introduce the anti-theme.

e.g. As for the children. They were happy to spend all.

Rheme:

• the indefinite article

e.g. This map will do. (T)

Any map will do. (R)

• An inverted word order

e.g. On the right was a small public part with his founder.

- constitutions with introduces

e.g. It was Bossiney, who first noticed her.

- Constructions

Many has planted the flowers.

Special intonation (rhematic accent falling tone)

Go in!

Ill tell Ted!

You are here!