THEMATIC PROGRESSION

ON THE STUDENTS WRITINGS.

( A case study of D III students of English Department
Dian Nuswantoro University)

by:
Sri Mulatsih
Dian Nuswantoro University

Abstract
This study is aimed at describing the thematic development the students
employ in their writing especially in paragraph. Students writing is the
object of this research. It is in the form of paragraph in which there are
more than 5 sentences in each paragraph. The students here refer to the
diploma III students of English Department, Dian Nuswantoro University
who took Writing 2 course in the Academic Year of 2005-2006. The data of
the students writing were obtained from the writing task that was given to
them. The data are the natural data. There are about 50 students writing
used as the data of this research. The result shows that the thematic
development pattern the students employ mostly in developing their
paragraphs is theme reiteration. The second preferred is zig-zag pattern.
While multiple pattern is rarely employed in their writing.

Keywords: Paragraph-Based Writing, Rheme, Students writing, thematic

development, Theme.

INTRODUCTION

Writing, like Speaking, is a productive language skill. The students cannot be

good writers unless they practice writing and learn to organize expressions they choose
to make their points precisely. They need to experiment with the language, playing with
words and manipulating phrases and sentences. The more they play with language, the
more they will be able to control it. So the teacher must let the students explore and
experiment about the language; they would improve their writing by exploring and
experimenting with language. They first way they put words together may not be right,
but if they do exercises carefully and creatively they can be expected to become a good
writer.
In writing, the students are required to produce language to express their ideas.
To do this, they should have sufficient knowledge of what to write and organization of
language. Knowing what to write will enable the flow of ideas, whereas knowing how
to organize will help them convey the ideas in a clear way to the readers. To produce

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good writing, it is necessary for the students to know how to organize Theme and
Rheme in their writing.
The organization of Theme and Rheme is usually discussed in Systemic
Functional Grammar. It is a multi-funtional view of language in which each
metafinction assigns a structure to the clause. Systemic Functional Grammar view
language as a resourse for making meaning. This grammar attempts to describe
language in actual use and so focuses on text and their context. There are three types of
meaning within grammatical structures in grammar as resource for making meaning,
they are experiential/ideational meaning, interpersonal meaning, and textual meaning.
Textual meaning is relevance to the context: both the preceding (and following) text,
and the context of situation. The textual function of the clause are that of constructing a
message. It is constructed in English in term of Theme and Rheme. The system of
Theme belongs to the textual metafunction of the language. It is concerned with the
organization the larger text. Every clause is organized as a message related to an
unfolding text.
The definition of Theme and Rheme as stated by Halliday (1994:37) is as
follows : Theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message; it
is that with which the clause is concerned. The remainder of the message, the part in
which Theme is developed is called Rheme. As a message structure, therefore, a clause
consists of a Theme accompanied by a Rheme; and the structure is expressed by the
order whatever is chosen as Theme is put first.
The Rheme is the most important element in the structure of the clause as a
message because it represents information the speaker wants to convey to the hearer. It
is the Rheme that fulfils the communicative purpose of the utterance. Gerot and
Wignel (1994:103) mention that in English the Theme can be identified as that or those
element (s) which come(s) first in the clause. This represents the point of departure of
this message from the previous one. The rest of the clause is called Rheme. New
information is typically contained in the Rheme.
Theme represents This is what I am talking about and Rheme is This is what I
am talking about it. In terms of looking at a clause as a message, the Theme looks
backwards, relating to current message to what has gone before. The interaction of
Theme and Rheme governs how the information in a text develops.

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 Paltridge (2000: 140) says that the notion of Theme and Rheme are also
employed in the examination of thematic progression, or method of development of a
text. Thematic progression refers to the way in which the Theme of a clause may pick
up, or repeat, a meaning from a preceding Theme or Rheme. There are three kinds of
thematic progression patterns, they are: reiteration or constant theme pattern, zig-zag/
linear theme pattern, and multiple theme/ split rheme pattern.
In writing, the students should pay attention not only to grammar, punctuation
and capitalization, unity and coherence, but also to its thematic progression. It means
how they develop old and new information in their writing. Based on the statements
above the writer is interested in conducting this research with several considerations.
First, the writer wants to know what are themes and rhemes in the students writing,
and second she is also eager to know what thematic progression pattern they employ in
developing their writing.
Butt et.al. (2000:114) say that if the Theme is the signpost for a speaker or
writers point of departure, then each Rheme is the temporary destination. Usually the
bit of the message that the writer or speaker considers interesting or important comes
in the Rheme. While the first clause or clause complex in a text will probably contain
all new meanings, the thematic choices for the following clauses should not be
unexpected. They should be connected with ideas that we have already met in the
Theme or Rheme of a clause or not too far before.
Because readers and addressees need to be reassured that they are following the
development of the text, many texts are signposted by placing elements from the
Rheme of one clause into the Theme of the text, or by repeating meanings from the
Theme of one clause in the Theme of subsequent clauses. This kind of text
development method is called thematic progression.
Thematic progression refers to the way in which the Theme of a clause may
pick up or repeat, a meaning from a preceding Theme and Rheme. According to Martin
and Rother in Paltridge (2000:140), there are three kinds of thematic development
patterns, they are:
1. Theme reiteration/ constant theme pattern
This pattern shows that the first theme is picked up and repeated in the
beginning of the next clause. This is the example of this pattern:

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 Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

2. A zig-zag/ linear theme pattern

It is a pattern when the subject matter in the Rheme of one clause is taken
up in the theme of the following clause. The example of zig-zag patern can be
seen below:
Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

3. Multiple theme/ split rheme pattern

In this pattern, a rheme may include a number of different pieces of
information, each of which may be taken up as the theme in a number of
subsequent clauses. The example of multiple theme pattern can be seen below:

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 Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

RESEARCH METHOD
1. Object of the Research
Students writing is the object of this research. It is in the form of paragraph in
which there are more than 5 sentences in each paragraph. The students here refer to
the diploma III students of English Department, Dian Nuswantoro University who
took Writing 2 course in the Academic Year of 2005-2006.
2. Unit of analysis
Unit of analysis in this research is every clause in the students writing.
3. Technique of Data Collection
The data of the students writing were obtained from the writing tasks that were
given to them. The data are the natural data. There are 50 students writings used as
the data of this research regardless the score they get and the level of their writing
ability.
4. Technique of Data Analysis
After the data were collected, they were then analyzed using the following steps:
a. Reading the students writing
b. Segmenting the students writing into clause
c. Identifying the Theme and Rheme of every clause of the students writing
d. Describing the thematic development of the students writing
e. Drawing the thematic progression pattern of the students writing.

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FINDING AND DISCUSSION
There are 50 students writing used as the data of this research. The writing is in
the form of paragraphs with different topics and different length, and they are
developed using cause and effect strategy. The topics given in this study are: Divorce,
Teenage Marriage, Cheating, Watching Television, Rape and Murder. In this article the
writer presents the Theme and Rheme of 6 students writings and also their thematic
progressions based on Butt et .al. analysis (2000:114).The errors concerning with
grammar or spelling are ignored.

Text 1
Topic: Divorce
Divorce can cause some bad effects to the children. One of the bad effect is
psychopathy personality. It is a kind of personality disorder. When a child relizes that
his/her parents dont get along well, and they often have a quarrel she/he will suffer
from anxiety. This feeling is really dangerous. It can make the child desparate and
eventually have negative feeling toward the world. It can lead to scepticism. It is a
tendency of iqnoring social stimulus. The child will not care about his/her surrounding
and likely want to hurt him/herself or even other people around. This kind of child does
not have a guilty feeling so that he/she will break the rule easily. That makes a child
with psychopathy personality. And It is dangerous for the society .

The Themes and Rhemes of text 1are as follows:

THEME RHEME
1. Divorce can cause some bad effects to the children.
2. One of the bad effect is psychopathy.
3. It is a kind of personality disorder.
4. When a child realizes
5. That his/her parents didnt get along well
6. And they often have a quarrel
7. She/he will suffer from anxiety.
8. It is really dangerous.
9. It can lead to scepticism.
10. It is a tendency of ignoring social stimulus.
11.The child will not care about his/her surrounding
12. And likely want to hurt him/herself or even other
people around.

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13. This kind of child do not have a guilty feeling
14. So that he/she will break rule easily.
15. That makes a child with psychopathy personality
16. And it is dangerous for society.

In text 1, the student develops the paragraph by employing three kinds of

thematic progressions, they are theme reiteration, zig-zag, and multiple patterns.
Theme reiteration pattern is employed by repeating theme 5 (his/her parents) in
theme 6 (they), theme 8 (it) in theme 9 (it), theme 11 (the child) in theme 12 ( and the
child) theme 13 (this kind of child) and theme 14 (he/she).
Zig-zag pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 2 (psychopathy) in the Theme
3 (it), Rheme 7 (anxiety) in Theme 8 (it), Rheme 9 (scepticism) in theme 10 (it), Rheme
14 (rule) in theme 15 (that), Rheme 15 (psychopathy) in Theme 16 (it).
While multiple pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 1 (bad effects to
children) in Theme 2 (one of bad effect) and Theme 4 (effect to the child).
The Thematic Progression of text 1 can be illutrated in figure 1 :
Figure 1 : Thematic Progression of text 1.

Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

Theme 9 Rheme 9

Theme 10 Rheme 10

Theme 11 Rheme 11

Theme 12 Rheme 12

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Theme 13 Rheme 13

Theme 14 Rheme 14

Theme 15 Rheme 15

Theme 16 Rheme 16

Text 2.

Topic: Teenage Marriage.

Teenage marriage can occur not only in village but also in city. In village ,it is
because of the custom of the seciety which forces teenager to marry early. It is because
many parents afraid if their son or their daughter called perjaka tua, or perawan
tua. It is also because in village there are many matching which force teenager to
marry. The teenage marriage also happens because of free association between girls
and boys like engaged in bedroom which make them want to making love. In city, many
teenagers consume drug and they think that it modern. But It can cause them do not
realise so they doing something strange like free sex. If they have done it and the girl
became preignant so they must married early.

The Themes and Rhemes of text 2 are as follows:

THEME RHEME
1. Teenage marriage can occur not only in village but also in city .
2. In Village it is because of the custom in society.
3. Which force teenager to marry early.
4. It is because many parents afraid
5. If their son or their daughter called Perjaka tu or Perawan tua.
6. It is because in village
7. There many matching
8. Which force teenager to marry.
9. The teenage marriage also happen because of free association
between girls and boys like engaged in
bedroom
10.Which make them want to making love.
11.In city many teenagers consume drug
12.And they think
13.That it modern.
14.But it can cause them not realize,

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15.So,they doing something strange like free sex.
16.If they have done it
17.And the girl become preignant
18.So, they must married early.

In thext 2, the student develops her paragraph by employing three kinds of

thematic progression, they are Theme Reiteration, Zig-Zag, and Multiple Theme
patterns.
Theme reiteration pattern is emplyed by repeating Theme 11 (Many teenagers)
in Theme 12 (They), Theme 13 (It/Consuming drug) in Theme 14 (It), Theme 15(They)
in Theme 16(They).
Zig-Zag pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 3 (Society) in Theme 4
(Which), Rheme 7 (Matching) in Theme 8 (Which), Rheme 9 (free association in bed)
in Theme 10 (Which), Rheme 11 (consuming drug) in Theme 13 (It), Rheme 14 (them)
in Theme 15 (They).
While Multiple Theme pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 1 (Teenage
marriage in village and in city) in Theme 2 (Teenage marriage in village) and in
Theme 11 (Teenage marriage in city), Rheme 2 (custom in society) in Theme 3 (Which)
and Theme 6 (It).
The thematic progression of text 2 can be seen in figure 2:

Figure 2: Thematic Progression of text 2.

Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

Theme 9 Rheme 9

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Theme 10 Rheme 10

Theme 11 Rheme 11

Theme 12 Rheme 12

Theme 13 Rheme 13

Theme 14 Rheme 14

Theme 15 Rheme 15

Theme 16 Rheme 16

Theme 17 Rheme 17

Theme 18 Rheme 18

Theme 19 Rheme 19

Text 3.
Topic: Cheating
Many students have done cheating when they do test. Cheating result from many
cases. First,students are forget to study at night whereas they must do the test
tomorrow. So they dont have many times to study and then they decide to cheat their
friend to get the answer of the test. Luckily the answer from friend are right, so they get
high score. Secondly cheating is habit and most students do it. Beside that they also
love it. Sometimes students do cheating because they are not ready to do the test and
the best way is cheating.

The Themes and Rhemes of text 3 are follows:

THEME RHEME
1. Many students have done cheating
2. When they do test
3. Cheating result from many cases.
4. First, student are forget to study at night
5. Whereas they must do the test tomorrow
6. So they dont have many times to study
7. And then they decide to chest their friends to get the answer
of the test.

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8. Luckily the answer from friend are right
9. So they can get high score.
10.Secondly. Cheating is habit
11.And most students do it.
12.Beside that they also love it.
13.Sometimes students do cheating
14.Because they are not ready to do the test
15.And the best way is cheating.

In text 3, the Thematic progression pattern the student employs mostly in

developing her paragraph is theme reiteration. It can be seen from Theme 1 (Many
students) which is repeated in Theme 2( They), Theme 3(They), Theme 4(Students),
Theme 5 (They), Theme 6 (They), Theme 7(They), and then it is repeated again in
Theme 11(Most students), Theme 12 (Students) ,Theme 13(They), and Theme
14(They).
Zig-Zag pattern is also employed by taking up Rheme 1 (cheating) in Theme 3
(Cheating), Rheme 7 (the answer of the test) in Theme 8 (The answer).
While multiple pattern in employed once by taking up Rheme 3 (many cases)
in Theme 4 (First case) and then in Theme 10 (Second case).
The thematic progression of text 3 can be illutrated in figure 3:

Figure 3 : Thematic Progression of text 3.

Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

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Theme 9 Rheme 9

Theme 10 Rheme 10

Theme 11 Rheme 11

Theme 12 Rheme 12

Theme 13 Rheme 13

Theme 14 Rheme 14

Theme 15 Rheme 15

Text 4.

Topic: Watching TV

Watching TV give two different effects. The first is positive effect to us. We can get a
lot of information from it. It is not only national information but also international
information. Beside information, we can get entertainment that can refresh our minds.
The other side is negative effect to us. We can get shore eyes if we keep our eyes in
several hours watching TV without giving a rest. If we have been addict for watching
TV, it makes us lazy to do something else and finally we become coach potato.

The Themes and Rhemes of text 4 are as follows:

THEME RHEME
1. Watching TV give two different effect
2. The first is positive effect to us
3. We can get a lot of information from it
4. It is not only national information but also
international information
5. Beside information, we can get entertainment
6. That can refresh our minds.
7. The other side is negative effect to us
8. We can get sore eyes
9. If we keep our eyes in several hours watching TV
without giving a rest
10.If we have been addict for watching TV
11.It makes us lazy to do something else
12.And finally we become coach potato

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 In text 4, the students develops his paragraph using two patterns only, they are
zig-zag and Multiple pattern.
Zig-zag pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 3 (a lot of information) in
Theme 4 (It), Rheme 10 (watching TV) in Theme 11 (It).
Multiple pattern is employed 3 times, those are done by taking up Rheme 1
(two different effect) in Theme 2 (The first (effect)) and in Theme 7 (The other side
(effect)), Rheme 2 (positive effect to us) in Theme 3 (We) and Theme 5 (Beside
information,We), Rheme 7 (negative effect to us) in Theme 8 (we), Theme 10 (We),
and Theme 12 (Finally we).
This text is considered to be a good one since there is no new Theme
(unexpected Theme) in his clauses.
The thematic progression of text 4 can be illustrated in figure 4:

Figure 4: Thematic Progression of text 4.

Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

Theme 9 Rheme 9

Theme 10 Rheme 10

Theme 11 Rheme 11

Theme 12 Rheme 12

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Text 5.

Topic: Rape

Rape can cause many negative effects to the victim such as pregnancy. If the victim
is preignant, she cannot bear a forbidden child. And because she bear a forbidden
child without a father, people will humiliate and anaccept her in their society. That
thing can make her frustrated and depressed. If the depression is very hard to her,
she can be crasy and worst she can do a suicide.

The Themes and Rhemes of text 5 are as follows:

THEME RHEME

1. Rape can cause many negative effects to the victim

such as pregnancy.
2. If the victim is preignant
3. She can bear a forbidden child
4. And because she bear a forbidden child without a father
5. People will humiliate
6. And unaccept her in their society.
7. That thing can make her frustrated and depressed.
8. If the depression is very hard to her
9. She can be crasy
10.And worst she can do a suicide

In text 5, the student uses two patterns equally in developing her paragraph,
those are Theme reiteration and Zig-zag pattern.
Theme Reiteration is employed by repeating Theme 2 (The victim) in Theme 3
(She), and Theme 4 (Because She); Theme 5 (People) in Theme 6 (And (people));
Theme 9 (She) in Theme 10( And she).
Zig-zag pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 1 (negative effect to the
victim) in Theme 2 (The victim), Rheme 6 (unacceptance in society) in Theme 7
(That thing), Rheme 7 (feeling depressed) in Theme 8 (The depression), Rheme 8
(hard to her) in Theme 9 (She). The Thematic progression of text 5 can be seen in
figure 5.

Figure 5: Thematic Progression of text 5.

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Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

Theme 9 Rheme 9

Theme 10 Rheme 10

Text 6

Topic: Murder

Murder is one kind of crimes which will cause chain reaction to the murderer. After
a murderer killing somebody ,he must have uncomfortably life. He may feel fault ,
sin, and regret. Later, there will be so many people look for him, especially the
police. When he was caught, he is going to be charged in law. He will be jailed for
long time or even for all life long. In Jail, everyhing as arranged by the rule of jail.
Eventhough he can get out of jail, public will not accept him anymore.

The Themes and Rhemes of text 6 are :

THEME RHEME

1. Murder is one kind of crimes

2. Which will cause chain reaction to the murderer
3. After a murderer killing somebody
4. He must have uncomfortably life
5. He may feel fault, sin, and regret
6. Later, there will be so many people look for him
especially the police
7. When he was caught

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8. He is going to be charged in law
9. He will be jailed for long time or even for all life
long
10.In jail everything is arranged by rule of jail
11.Eventhough he can get out of jail
12.Public will not accept him anymore
In text 6, in developing his paragraph, the student (he) only employs two kinds
of thematic progression patterns: Theme reiteration and Zig-zag patterns.
Theme reiteration pattern is employed by repeating Theme 3 (after a murderer)
in Theme 4 (He) and in Theme 5 (He). He also repeats it in Theme 7 (He) then in
Theme 8 (He) and also in Theme 9 (He).
Zig-zag pattern is employed by taking up Rheme 1 (crimes) in Theme 2 (
Which), Rheme 6 (him) in Theme 7 (He) and Rheme 10 (will be jailed) in Theme 10
(In jail).
The only Theme that is unexpected in this text is Public, and it is placed in
the last theme. The thematic progression of text 6 can be illustrated in figure 6:
Figure 6: Thematic Progression of text 6.

Theme 1 Rheme 1

Theme 2 Rheme 2

Theme 3 Rheme 3

Theme 4 Rheme 4

Theme 5 Rheme 5

Theme 6 Rheme 6

Theme 7 Rheme 7

Theme 8 Rheme 8

Theme 9 Rheme 9

Theme 10 Rheme 10

Theme 11 Rheme 11

Theme 12 Rheme 12

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CONCLUSION

From the previous discussion it can be concluded that the thematic

progression pattern the students employ mostly in developing their paragraphs is
Theme Reiteration. The second preferred is zig-zag pattern. While multiple pattern is
rarely employed in their writing.
Theme reiteration pattern is considered to be mostly preferred because this
pattern is employed by simply repeating one Theme in the previous Theme. For those
students this pattern is the easiest one because they dont need to find new theme in the
next clause. This is one of the ways the students can do to make the paragraph
coherent.
Zig-zag pattern is also employed by these students. This pattern is considered
more difficult that theme reiteration because they need to pick up the rheme of one
clause to be put as theme in the previous clause.
While multiple theme is only employed by 4 of 6 students. For students this
pattern is the most difficult one.
In writing their texts, the students have tendency to use unmarked topical
Theme in this case in the form of pronouns, whether singular or plural .
In five of six texts above, the writer still finds some new themes in the
students writings that are not expected in their texts. The more they give unexpected
theme in their texts, the worse their texts are. These unexpected theme make their
paragraph less coherent, therefore this kind of development should be avoided.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Butt, David et.al. 2000. Using Functional Grammar. An explorers Guide. Sydney:
National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research.

Eggins, Suzanne. 1994. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics. London :

Pinter Publisher.

Gerot, Linda and Wignell, Peter. 1994. Making Sense of Functional Grammar. New
South Wales: Gerd Stabler.

Halliday,M.A.K. 1994. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Second Edition.

London: Edward Arnold.

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Martin,J.R., Matthiessen, Christian M.I.M., and Painter, Clare.1997. Working with
Functional Grammar. London : Arnold.

Paltridge, Brian.2000. Making Sense of Discourse Analysis. Australia: Gerd Stabler.

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