THEME AND RHEME
IN NEWS STORY TEXTS OF THE JAKARTA POST
A THESIS
Submitted to the English Applied Linguitiscs Study Program in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement For the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By
PUJI HARIATI
Registration Number : 8146111050
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
▸ Baca selengkapnya: jakarta post researchers have found a technique
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ABSTRACT
Hariati, Puji. Theme and Rheme in News Story Texts of The Jakarta Post A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Postgraduate School. State University of Medan. 2016.
This study presents a research conducted Theme and Rheme in News Story Texts of The Jakarta Post. The objectives of the study are to find out the uses of Theme and Rheme found in the news story texts of The Jakarta Post, to describe the Theme and Rheme developed in the news story texts of The Jakarta
Post, and to investigate some reason of why the Theme and Rheme developed the
way they are. This study was conducted to descriptive qualitative design. The sources of the data were The Jakarta Post where there were six news story texts in different editorials. The findings indicate that firstly, the uses of Theme and Rheme are to examine thematic structure and thematic progression. In analyzing the Thematic structures, there are three kinds of Themes: textual, interpersonal, and tpical/ideational. The textual theme are analyzed through conjunctive and continuative, and ideational Themes are further categorized as unmarked and marked. Unmarked Themes are grammatical sentence subjects in declarative clauses, and can be realized as simple and complex nominal groups. The marked Themes are further subcategorized into three types: circumstantial adjunct, subordinating clause and attributive clause. Secondly, Theme in the News Story Texts of The Jakarta Post can be developed through Thematic Progression. Finally, the reasons why they are developed through thematic progression are to have the potential in developing the flow of information in the texts and improve writing skills more efficiently.
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ABSTRACT
Hariati, Puji. Theme and Rheme in News Story Texts of The Jakarta Post A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Postgraduate School. State University of Medan. 2016.
Penelitian ini menyajikan tentang Theme dan Rheme in news story texts of the Jakarta Post. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kegunaan Theme dan Rheme yang ditemukan dalam teks berita The Jakarta Post, untuk menggambarkan Thema dan Rheme yang dikembangkan dalam teks berita The
Jakarta Post, dan untuk menyelidiki beberapa alasan mengapa Thema dan Rheme
dapat dikembangkan dengan cara tersebut. Bentuk penelitian ini adalah deskriptif dengan desain kualitatif. Sumber data adalah koran The Jakarta Post di mana ada enam edisi yang berbeda. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa kegunaan Rhema dn Rheme adalah untuk memaparkan struktur tematik dan progresi tematik. Dalam menganalisis struktur Tematik, ada tiga macam Tema yaitu tekstual , interpersonal, dan tpical/ideasional. Tema tekstual dianalisis melalui kata penghubung dan kata kontinuatif, dan Tema ideasional yang lebih dikategorikan sebagai bertanda dan ditandai. Tema ditandai subyek kalimat tata bahasa dalam klausa deklaratif, dan dapat diwujudkan sebagai kelompok nominal sederhana dan kompleks. Tema yang ditandai lebih lanjut subcategorikan menjadi tiga jenis : adjunct, subordinasi klausa dan atributif. Kedua, Tema dalam teks berita di The
Jakarta Post dapat dikembangkan melalui Progresi Tematik. Akhirnya, alasan
mengapa mereka dikembangkan melalui Progresi tematik yang memiliki potensi dalam mengembangkan arus informasi dalam teks dan meningkatkan keterampilan menulis lebih efisien .
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IV DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Data Analysis... 37
4.1.1 Theme and Rheme Boundary ... 37
4.1.2 Theme and Rheme Structure... 38
4.1.3 Thematic Progression ... 46
4.2 Findings ... 60
4.3 Discussion... 61
V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION 5.1 Conclusions ... 64
5.2 Suggestions ... 64
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
English as the first foreign language is taught in the public schools in
Indonesia from the Secondary up to the University levels. This is to point out that
it is an important language to be taught in schools. And it is a fact that because it
is an international language, in this globalization era, some private schools start
introducing it beginning from the Elementary School or even The Playgroup. The
other evidence of its importance is shown by the opening of some Playgroup
institutions and Kindergarten Schools focusing on English as a means of
communication among the teachers and children.
Being able to communicate effectively in English does not only mean to
be proficient in the various language skills involved in the communication
progress, but also mean to be able to use it effectively. In the various
communications depending on the nature of interaction, knowledge about English
grammar is believed to be the basis for the skills. When one is explaining
something to another person, whether in speech or writing, s/he instinctively tries
to organize what she/he says in a way that will make it easier for the hearer or the
reader to understand. Therefore, it needs an exchange of experience by human
beings.
Speech function is used to fulfill human needs in exchange of experience
which is oriented to System Functional Linguistics (SFL). It is also used to give
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information needs more explicit analysis of English grammar to improve the
knowledge and understand language use in context. The needed of description of
English starts out from a social and interactive perspective on language as
discourse and shows in a consistent way how lexicogrammar acts to enable
encoding purposeful message appropriately in text. Halliday (1994:34) states that
language is simultaneously used as representation, exchange and organization of
experience. It means that that human can not live in isolation. They need to
interact with others in order to fulfill their needs. In this case, Rheme and theme is
very interesting to be understood to message of the text.
Theme and Rheme are derived mainly from textual function. Halliday
(1985:45) states that the textual function of the clause are that of constructing a
message’ and the Theme/Rheme structure is the ‘basic form of the organization of
the clause as message. It means that Theme and Rheme, on which the clause
depends for its orientation within the context, takes initial position in the clause.
Theme is viewed as "the starting point of the message" and as "an orienter
to the text" providing a framework for the interpretation of the message (Fries
1995:318). These two characteristics of Theme have led to the formulation of
hypotheses concerning its usefulness as a guide to the understanding of the text.
As a device for organizing meanings, theme does not only operate at the local
level, indicating how the writer has chosen to order information within the clause,
but also helps to structure the flow of information in ways that shape
interpretation of the text as a whole (Martin 1992:45). While Wang (2007:166)
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Theme. It describes what the writer is writing about the Theme. It typically
contains unfamiliar or new information, what the writers want to tell their readers.
Theme and Rheme are two terms which represent the way in which
information is distributed in a sentence. The definition of Theme given by
Halliday (1985:38) is that Theme is given information serving as “the point of
departure” of a message. The given information is the information which has
already been mentioned somewhere in the text, or it is shared or mutual
knowledge from the immediate context. In other words, Theme typically contains
familiar, old or given information.
Theme provides the settings for the remainder of the sentence is Rheme. It
is called as remainder of the message in a clause in which Theme is developed. It
typically contains unfamiliar or new information because it is knowledge that a
writer assumes the reader does not know, but needs to have in order to follow the
progression of the argument. The boundary between Theme and Rheme is simple:
Theme is the first element occurring in a clause; the remainder clause is Rheme.
For example:
1). The commitment of Sudan’s government to the CPA has always been equivocal.
Theme Rheme
2). The negative stigma attached to IMF financing is a thing of the past.
Theme Rheme
(The text is adapted from News Story of The Jakarta Post, September 17 th 2015)
Studying Theme and Rheme can be found in news story texts which it
contains some interesting information. It includes accounts of eyewitnesses to the
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interviews, polls, and debates on the topic. Usually, news story can be used to
focus the reader’s attention on a particular (or main) part of the article by giving
facts and detailed information. Therefore, most of the readers always pay attention
through the news story to get the message.
When read the news story of the Jakarta Post, it is difficult to understand
the meaning of the text, for example, Lack of qualified insurance is a serious
problem. (News Story of The Jakarta Post, September 25th 2015). In this text,
Rheme ‘a serious problem’ is not clear to explain any information for the reader
because some information is not written to explain the Rheme. The question arises
toward Rheme, what means of a serious problem? It is agent, the company, the
system or the services of the insurance. In this case, Rheme should be described
the initial place because it has an enormous importance in a clause. Whatever is
chosen to be in the first place will influence a reader’s interpretation of everything
that comes next. In cohesive writing, ‘given’ information in a clause needs be
presented in Theme position, which acts like a signpost signaling a reader where
the meanings have come from and where they are going to. The new information
needs to be located in Rheme position. The balance and movement of a clause
between Theme and Rheme is an essential component in composing a cohesive
text. If a writer fails to control the flow of information from Theme to Rheme, his
or her text is difficult for a reader to follow, because there is no clear signpost
directing the reader, who therefore cannot easily follow the progression of an idea
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So, the writer is very much interested in searching closely about the
Theme and Rheme in news story texts of the Jakarta Post which are directed to
the importance of exchange experience. It can guide the readers to understand the
texts easily.
1.2 The Problem of the Study
In line with the background of the study, the problems are formulated as
the following.
1. What are the uses of Theme and Rheme found in news story text of The Jakarta
Post?
2. How are the Theme and Rheme developed in the news story texts of The
Jakarta Post ?
3. Why are the Theme and Rheme developed the way they are?
1.3 The Objectives of the Study
Theme and Rheme is constituted by the element(s) of sentence carrying
the lowest level(s) of communicative dynamism within the sentence. They are
identified through clauses in the sentences. It should be very interesting and
motivating when it is realized thematic structure and progression. In the line with
the problems, the objectives of this study are.
1. to describe the uses of Theme and Rheme found in the news story texts of The
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2. to describe the Theme and Rheme developed in the news story texts of The
Jakarta Post.
3. to investigate the reasons for the development of Theme and Rheme.
1.4 The Scope of the Study
In this study, the writer discusses only on Theme and Rheme on the news
story texts of The Jakarta Post. It is important to describe the information in a
sentence from Theme to Rheme which is crucial in achieving communicative
effectiveness in a message. It means that the uses of Theme-Rheme are to
examine the Thematic structures and the Thematic progressions.
1.5 The Significance of the Study
A research that is conducted should show some applicable results, so that
it can contribute some ideas that can enhance the quality of the knowledge. The
study is expected to improve the teaching - learning process, especially in this
case to identify the Theme and Rheme in news story texts of the Jakarta Post. It is
also hoped that the findings of the study will enrich the readers’ knowledge of the
SFL. It is also intended to show that they can understand the text in a natural
setting when function of language is developed through a text.
Therefore, the findings of this study are important to provide some
information about Theme and Rheme in the news story texts of The Jakarta Post.
In this case, the findings of this study are expected to offer both theoretical and
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1. Theoretically, findings of the study potentially enlarge and enrich linguistics
theories.
2. Practically, the readers and writers realize that the demands on news are not
only give entertainment, but also to understand the information which can
improve their interaction and bring them into positive thinking. In addition,
the findings of this research are expected to gain benefit because it provides
some valuable information particularly to another researcher who would like
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION
5.1 Conclusions
After analyzing the data, conclusions are drawn as the following.
(1)The uses of Theme and Theme in the news story text of the Jakarta Post are
for setting the thematic structure. It means that the uses of Theme and rheme is
examine thematic structure and thematic progression. In thematic structure,
there are described textual, interpersonal, and topical / ideational themes.
(2)Theme in the News Story Texts of The Jakarta Post were developed through
thematic progression. There are eight kinds of thematic progression, such as
constant, linear, split, combination constant with split, combination linear
with split, combination split with constant, combination split with linear, and
combination constant, split, and linear.
(3)The reasons of Theme and Rheme are developed through thematic
progression to have the potential in developing the flow of information in the
texts and improve writing skills more efficiently.
5.2 Suggestions
In relations to the conclusions, the following suggestions are stated.
(1) it is suggested that the readers should have good knowledge of Theme and
Rheme by which they can obtain the interesting message for the newspaper.
(2) It is suggested that the copywriter can develop their knowledge of Theme and
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(3) It is advised that the students can understand the story text news through
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