Sentence Topic in Comment Articles

Abstract

[Abstract] Although it competes with subject and theme as a key concept within the field of discourse analysis, there is much to be gained by utilising the sophisticated treatment of sentence topic developed by theorists working within the frameworks of functional and cognitive grammar. The claim that there is a tendency for sentence topics to coincide with grammatical subjects and familiar referents is examined in relation to texts drawn from two different genres and text-types. It is argued that the alignment of topic and grammatical subject may be more clear-cut in brief expository biographical notes than in longer argumentative comment articles, where clarity and coherence may not be the primary objective. Finally, it is suggested that the preference for sentence topics and familiar referents to be realized by grammatical subjects might vary according to texttype and genre.