Language blocks
F02 extended
Information structure Topic

Topic Lane / Current Aboutness

What are we talking about now?

intermediate Topic Theme Topic marker

Meaning

The already established or chosen frame that the sentence comments on.

How to spot it

Ask what the sentence is about before asking what new information it adds.

Examples

Words

as for|about|this topic|that person

Phrases

as for me|about the price|regarding your question

Sentence

As for the price, it is too high.

Visual guide

Basic shape
Topic = current lane
As for the price,
[TOPIC: price]
        |
        v
[COMMENT]
it is too high
Compare shape
Same comment, topic marked:
position: PRICE | too high
particle: price TOP | too high
pronoun: price | it is too high
omission: Ø(price) | too high
Ask: what is the frame?

Language View

In your native language

English
Presence
medium
Importance

English can mark topics, but often relies on ordinary clause structure and context rather than dedicated topic markers.

As for the price, it is too high.

the price = topic lane

In your learning language

Spanish
Presence
strong
Difficulty

Topics often appear at the beginning and can be resumed with a clitic.

El coche, lo vendí ayer.

The car, I sold it yesterday.

Typical learner issue

Learners may produce unnatural topic structures without the required clitic.

Good transfer potential

This block behaves relatively similarly, so you can transfer intuition more safely between the two languages.

Related language blocks

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