Theme Will Tear Us Apart Again

But in Halliday ± Matthiessen (1985, 1994, 2004, 2014), in cases of predicated Theme, the embedded clause is also analysed for Theme:

Targeting Authority On One's Own Behalf

Role As Identifier Value

Clause-Final Subject

'Used To'

 The Finite used to conflates the meaning of a temporal Adjunct with past tense:

'As Usual' vs 'Usually'

as usual serves as a comment Adjunct of the type 'predictable'.

See Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 191).

'Be' As Material Process

Attribute As Unmarked Theme

Subject As Marked Theme Of Imperative Clause

Finite/Predicator As Theme Of Declarative Clause

 For Finite/Predicator as Theme, see Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 98n-9n).

Polarity In Mood vs Residue

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 175):

Finally, we should note that the negative word not occurs in two functions: either it is simply a formal or written variant of the Finite negative element n’t, in which case it is part of the Finite; or it is a distinct modal Adjunct in Mood or Residue. In the latter case it is phonologically salient and may also be tonic…

Adverbial Group Complex As Unmarked Theme

Adverb As Head Of Nominal Group

Alternatively:

Theme vs Subject

Attribute As Marked Theme Of Dependent Clause

In The Absence Of Isochronicity Or Synchrony

This question was asked by Jim Martin on the asflanet discussion list. Strangely, he received no replies. Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 272): 

So the more the extent of grammatical metaphor in a text, the more that text is loaded against the learner, and against anyone who is an outsider to the register in question. It becomes elitist discourse, in which the function of constructing knowledge goes together with the function of restricting access to that knowledge, making it impenetrable to all except those who have the means of admission to the inside, or the select group of those who are already there. It is this other potential that grammatical metaphor has, for making meaning that is obscure, arcane and exclusive, that makes it ideal as a mode of discourse for establishing and maintaining status, prestige and hierarchy …

Subject As Unmarked Theme And Unmarked New

// 13  ៱ she had a / delicate / taste had / Irma //

Existent As Marked Theme

Negative Polarity: Finite vs Adjunct; Mood vs Residue

 Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 145):

you may not leave before the end (‘are not allowed to’): not is part of Finite

you may not stay right to the end (‘are allowed not to’): not is part of Residue

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 177):

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 176n):

The principle is rather complex, but it works as follows: if the agnate finite clause is negative (as shown by the tag; e.g. she was never given a proper chance, was she?) then the negative Adjunct functions as Mood element. If the agnate finite clause is positive (e.g. she could not have known about it, couldn’t she?) then the negative Adjunct forms part of the Residue.

'Sing Out' As Attributive Process?