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5.0 Summary In
this Unit, we have examined two related but different aspects of information organization in the English clause Information Structure and Thematic Structure. We looked at how speaker/writers organize the clause in such away that they are able to place the information that is important to them before the others. We also identified different types of Theme in the clause structure. The concept of Multiple Themes was also examined and we saw how language users can give thematic status to more than one element. This is a departure from what we had been discussing before, where only one element of the clause structure took up the thematic position.
6.0 Tutor-marked Assignment (i) Select two poems each of Niyi Osundare and Wole Soyinka. Identify and describe how marked themes are used in the poems. ii) Use a tape recorder to record any natural conversation and identify and discuss the multiple themes used in it.
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