Topic
What are we going to say something about?
Betekenis
A topic is the starting point of a message: who or what we are going to say something about. It may already be under discussion, or the speaker may choose it now. Languages can mark it with word order, pauses, or special words, but some have no separate topic marker. Topic sets the frame; Focus and emphasis highlights the main answer, new point, or correction.
Zo herken je het
Look for the person, thing, or setting that provides the starting point for the information added by the rest of the message.
In de taal die je leert
In English, the subject often provides the topic, but a time or place phrase can also set the frame. As for explicitly introduces or returns to a topic. Ordinary topic choices often depend on context rather than a special marker.
This room gets very cold in winter.
In a conversation about the room, the subject provides the topic and the rest adds information about it.
As for the tickets, I'll buy them tomorrow.
As for explicitly introduces or returns to the tickets as the topic.
On Saturdays, we have breakfast late.
The opening phrase sets a time frame for the rest of the sentence.
Learners whose language freely puts objects before the verb may copy this order into neutral English sentences, where subject–verb–object order is usually expected. Learners whose language regularly marks topics with a special word may overuse as for, making ordinary statements sound like repeated topic changes.