Visualizing texts: a tool for generating thematic-progression diagrams

Functional Linguistics

Table 1 Textual, interpersonal, and topical Themes in the Hallidayan framework

Theme type	Linguistic elements
Textual Theme	Continuatives Conjunctions or conjunctive adjuncts wh- relatives
Interpersonal Theme	Vocatives Modal adjuncts Finite operators wh- question words/groups (content interrogatives)
Topical Theme	First participant^a, first circumstantial adjunct^a, or first main verb

^aThese include wh- relatives and wh- question words/groups. These elements therefore have a dual thematic status, as both textual and topical in the former, and interpersonal and topical in the latter (Halliday and Matthiessen 2014, 112)