Theme / What We Say Something About
What is the statement about?
Signification
The participant or idea that the sentence is mainly about, even if it is not actively doing anything.
Comment le repérer
Ask what the sentence is making a statement about.
Exemples
the book|this problem|my brother|it
as for the book|this problem is difficult
This book is expensive.
Visual guide
ABOUT frame:
[This book]
↓ comment about it
[is expensive]
Topic/theme = what
statement is about
Same idea, two shapes: [This book] [is expensive] subject/topic comment [As for the book], [expensive] topic frame + comment
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue maternelle
Topics can be introduced by normal order or by dislocation with a resumptive pronoun.
Ce livre, il est cher.
This book, it is expensive.
Dans votre langue d’apprentissage
L’anglais peut placer au début ce dont on parle, puis ajouter un commentaire, mais l’ordre ordinaire sujet-verbe-objet reste beaucoup plus courant.
This book, I really enjoyed.
this book = le thème, ce dont la phrase parle principalement.
Les apprenants peuvent copier des structures très centrées sur le thème depuis leur langue maternelle et produire un ordre des mots peu naturel en anglais.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.