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UNIT 2

METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT
THEMATIC PROGRESSION
(brief revision)
THEMATIC PROGRESSION concerns
how a text unfolds as determined by where
Themes come from and how they relate to
other Themes and Rhemes of the text. It pays
attention to the content of the Themes ONLY
to determine where a particular Theme
comes from: if from a previous Theme
(constant pattern), a previous Rheme
(linear/zig-zag pattern), from a more general
previous Rheme (split-rheme pattern), or
from the field the text relates to (derived
pattern).-
METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT
The way a text or a segment/section of
a text unfolds or develops (i. e. the
organizational pattern of a text or
section/segment of a text), determined by
the overall purpose of the text or the
function of the particular segment.

It determines theme selection (= the
content of themes) and is signalled/
shown by theme selection.
Method of development
&
Thematic progression:
comparison and contrast
As suggested in the definition, method
of development does not depend on
where Themes come from (as thematic
progression does), but only on the
content/referent of Themes, and it is
signalled/shown by the content of
Themes.


Method of development:
different types
Depending on the overall purpose of the
text and the types of themes selected, there
can be:

Chronological method of development
Sequential method of development
Topographical method of development
Classificatory Method of development
Meronymyc method of development
Contrastive method of development
Text 1- George Bernard Shaws biography
George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin,
Ireland, on July 26, 1856. He attended four
different schools, but his real education came from
a thorough grounding in music and painting, which
he obtained at home. In 1871, he was apprenticed
to a Dublin estate agent, and later he worked as a
cashier. In 1876, Shaw joined his mother and
sister in London, where he spent the next nine
years in unrecognized struggle and genteel
poverty.
From 1885 to 1898, he wrote for
newspapers and magazines as a critic of art,
literature, music and drama. But his main interest
at this time was political propaganda and, in 1884,
he joined the Fabian society.
Text 1- George Bernard Shaws biography:
Theme Rheme Analysis
George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin,
Ireland, on July 26, 1856./// He attended four
different schools,// but his real education came
from a thorough grounding in music and painting,//
which he obtained at home./// In 1871, he was
apprenticed to a Dublin estate agent,// and later
he worked as a cashier./// In 1876, Shaw joined
his mother and sister in London,// where he spent
the next nine years in unrecognized struggle and
genteel poverty.
From 1885 to 1898, he wrote for
newspapers and magazines as a critic of art,
literature, music and drama./// But his main
interest at this time was political propaganda//
and, in 1884, he joined the Fabian society.
Text 1 - Observations/ Comments on Theme
selection
Many topical themes with reference to Shaw or
aspects of his life (G. B. Shaw, he, his real
education, his main interest at this time)

Many marked topical themes where
Circumstances of temporal location are made
thematic (In 1871, and later, in 1876)

Constant + Derived Themes patterns of
progression (we know from genre [= biography]
and field [= the life of G. B. Shaw] that a life
unfolds through time and are not surprised by
Circumstances of time in thematic position, even
when these themes do not come from previous
Themes or Rhemes;
Text 1 Observations and Comments
The high proportion of marked topical themes
would seem to be distinctive of this text and the
Thematic progression analysis alone, does not
enable us to capture all that is involved in Theme
selection in this text.

To capture this we could say the method of
development, i. e. the approach to the
organization of the text, is chronological. This
chronological method of development affects
the text as a whole, and determines the high
proportion of circumstances of temporal location
in thematic position as marked themes

CHRONOLOGICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT

Approach to the organization of a text
that re-contextualizes the events in the text
temporally at different points through
Circumstances of temporal Location in
thematic position as Marked theme,
providing a temporal orientation to the
events in the text.

Typical of biographies and historical
recounts and accounts

CHRONOLOGICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT:
A further example: Text 2
How the British gained colonial power over
Sri Lanka
The French revolution resulted in a major
shake-up among the European powers and in 1796
the Dutch were easily supplanted by the British, who
also managed to subdue the Kingdom of Kandy and
become the first European power to control the whole
island. Until 1802, the British administered Sri Lanka
from Madras in India, but in that year it became a
Crown colony, and in 1818, three years after the
incorporation of Kandy, a unified administration for the
entire island was set up. In 1832, sweeping changes
in property laws opened the door to British settlers [...]
[Source: Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
Cartography, page 577]

CHRONOLOGICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT:
A further example: Text 2
How the British gained colonial power over
Sri Lanka
The French revolution resulted in a major
shake-up among the European powers// and in 1796
the Dutch were easily supplanted by the British,// who
also managed to subdue the Kingdom of Kandy// and
(who managed to) become the first European power
to control the whole island./// Until 1802, the British
administered Sri Lanka from Madras in India,// but in
that year it became a Crown colony,// and in 1818,
three years after the incorporation of Kandy, a
unified administration for the entire island was set
up./// In 1832, sweeping changes in property laws
opened the door to British settlers [...]
[Source: Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
Cartography, page 577]

Text 3- The formation of alluvial fans
After flash floods, desert streams from upland areas
carry heavy loads of silt, sand and rock fragments. As they
reach the flatter areas of desert basins, they slow down
and their waters may soak quickly into the basin floor.
Then, the streams drop their loads; first they drop the
heaviest material the stones, then [they drop] the sand
and finally [they drop] the silt. Soon, these short-lived
streams become choked by their own deposits and they
spread their load in all directions. After some time, fan or
cone-shaped deposits of gravel, sand, silt and clay are
formed around each valley or canyon outlet. These are
called alluvial fans.
(Adapted from Sale, C. , Wilson, G. And Friedman B. 1980:
Our changing world. Bk 1. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 54)
Text 3- The formation of alluvial fans
After flash floods, desert streams from upland
areas carry heavy loads of silt, sand and rock fragments.///
As they reach the flatter areas of desert basins,// they
slow down //and their waters may soak quickly into the
basin floor./// Then, the streams drop their loads; //first
they drop the heaviest material the stones, //then [they
drop] the sand// and finally [they drop] the silt./// Soon,
these short-lived streams become choked by their own
deposits //and they spread their load in all directions.///
After some time, fan or cone-shaped deposits of gravel,
sand, silt and clay are formed around each valley or
canyon outlet. ///These are called alluvial fans.
(Adapted from Sale, C. , Wilson, G. And Friedman B. 1980:
Our changing world. Bk 1. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 54)
Text 3 Observations and comments
Constant pattern of thematic progression and linear
theme pattern in clauses where there are
circumstances of temporal location as Marked topical
themes (this is a process and a process happens in
time).

Textual themes: conjunctive adjuncts of the
sequential (first, finally) and temporal kind (soon,
then)

Again thematic progression alone is not enough to
account for what is peculiar to Theme selection in this
text. The Marked Themes in initial position and the
textual sequential themes are best explained by
saying the method of development is sequential, i.e.,
shows a sequence of events in time. This is different
from chronological, in that in the chronological
method the events do not form a sequence.

SEQUENTIAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT
Achieved through sequential/ temporal
conjunctive adjuncts as textual theme (conjunctive
adjuncts indicating sequence in time) in
complementarity with...

Marked themes (Circumstances of temporal
location & dependent clauses of enhancement:
temporal in Theme position)

Typical of process texts (how the fetus evolves
in the womb, for example) and instructional texts
giving instructions to carry out a certain process
(recipes, instructions to assemble an appliance,
instructions to do some handicraft kind of work, of
argumentative texts and of anticipations of
development in academic texts, e. g.)
Text 4 - Guidebook description of Singapore
On the Empress Place side of the river a
statue of Sir Stamford Raffles stands imperiously
by the water. Its in the approximate place where
he first set foot on Singapore island. There is a
second statue of Raffles in front of the clock tower
by Empress Place. Nearby is the Supreme Court
and City Hall, across from which is the open
green of the Padang, site for cricket, hockey,
football and rugby matches. There are some
memorials to civilians who died because of the
Japanese occupation and to Ling Bo Seng, a
resistance leader killed by the Japanese.
Text 4 - Guidebook description of Singapore
On the Empress Place side of the river a
statue of Sir Stamford Raffles stands imperiously
by the water./// Its in the approximate place
where he first set foot on Singapore island.///
There is a second statue of Raffles in front of the
clock tower by Empress Place./// Nearby is the
Supreme Court and City Hall,// across from
which is the open green of the Padang, site for
cricket, hockey, football and rugby matches.///
There are some memorials to civilians who died
because of the Japanese occupation and to Ling
Bo Seng, a resistance leader killed by the
Japanese.

Text 4 Observations and comments
Existential there + be alternates in thematic
position with circumstances of spatial location as
Marked Themes.

Thematic progression would seem to be of the
Linear/Zig-zag progression type, combined with
Derived Themes. (= informing on what there is to
see in Singapore and the locations where
important sights are to be found).

Again thematic progression alone does not
capture whats peculiar to this text, namely, the
high proportion of Circumstances of Spatial
location as Marked Themes, best captured by
saying the method of development is
topographical.
TOPOGRAPHICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT

Achieved through Circumstances of
spatial location in Thematic position as
Marked themes

Typical of guide-books, descriptions
of pictures, and any other text that
seeks to help interlocutor find his way
through a place, picture, scene, etc.
TOPOGRAPHICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT:
A further example text 5

Text 5 - The trail of meat
The land was cold and white and savage. Across it
there ran a thread of frozen waterway, with dark spruce forest
looming on either side. Along this waterway toiled a string of
wolfish dogs, hauling a sled of birch-bark. On the sled, along
with the camp-outfit, was lashed a long and narrow oblong
box. In front of the dogs, on wide snowshoes, toiled a man.
Behind the sled in the box laid a third man, whose life was at
an end a man whom the wild had beaten down and
conquered. The bodies of the live men were covered with
soft fur and leather. Their faces were blurred and shapeless
under a coating of crystals from their frozen breath. All
around them was silence which seemed to press upon them
as water does upon a diver.
(excerpt from Jack London White Fang, in Martin,
Matthiessen & Painter 1997, page 51)

TOPOGRAPHICAL METHOD OF
DEVELOPMENT:
A further example text 5

Text 5 - The trail of meat
The land was cold and white and savage./// Across it
there ran a thread of frozen waterway, with dark spruce forest
looming on either side./// Along this waterway toiled a string
of wolfish dogs, hauling a sled of birch-bark./// On the sled,
along with the camp-outfit, was lashed a long and narrow
oblong box./// In front of the dogs, on wide snowshoes,
toiled a man./// Behind the sled in the box laid a third man,//
whose life was at an end a man whom the wild had beaten
down and conquered./// The bodies of the live men were
covered with soft fur and leather. ///Their faces were blurred
and shapeless under a coating of crystals from their frozen
breath./// All around them was silence which seemed to
press upon them //as water does upon a diver.
(excerpt from Jack London White Fang, in Martin,
Matthiessen & Painter 1997, page 51)

Text 6 Computer programs

Programs issue instructions to the
computer. Many programs process files. For
example, a message program can, by following
your commands, create and [it: a message
program can] send a message and [it: a message
program can] manipulate a file of messages. A
text-editing program can follow commands to
create a text-file and edit it, while a text-formatting
program can follow commands to format texts by
centering a heading, enumerating a list, italicizing
a name, etc. Programs are stored as files in the
system.

[Source: Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
Cartography, page 579]
Text 6 Computer programs

Programs issue instructions to the
computer./// Many programs process files./// For
example, a message program can, by following
your commands, create //and [it: a message
program can] send a message // and [it: a
message program can] manipulate a file of
messages./// A text-editing program can follow
commands to create a text-file // and [it can] edit
it, //while a text-formatting program can follow
commands to format texts by centering a heading,
enumerating a list, italicizing a name, etc.///
Programs are stored as files in the system.

[Source: Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
Cartography, page 579]
Text 6 Observation and comments

The contents of themes are names of the class
of thing being considered (programs =
hyperonym) or of members of that class (different
kinds of programs = hyponyms)

Thematic progression could be said to be
completely constant, but this says little about the
organization of the text. We need to add that the
approach to the text seems to involve a move
from the general class, to the more specific
members of the class and back to the class again.
The method of development is classificatory.
THE CLASSIFICATORY
METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT

Achieved through topical unmarked
themes that refer to a class of entities
or to members of that class

Typical of instructional texts
presenting classifications or
taxonomies (school textbooks;
introductory textbooks to different
areas)

THE CLASSIFICATORY METHOD
OF DEVELOPMENT
A further example - Text 7

The fuels of the body are carbohydrates,
fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are the principal
source of energy in most diets. Fats make up the
second largest source of energy in most diets.
Proteins are essential for the growth and
rebuilding of tissue.
(Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
cartography, page 582)


THE CLASSIFICATORY METHOD
OF DEVELOPMENT
A further example - Text 7

The fuels of the body are carbohydrates,
fats and proteins./// Carbohydrates are the
principal source of energy in most diets./// Fats
make up the second largest source of energy in
most diets./// Proteins are essential for the growth
and rebuilding of tissue.
(Matthiessen, C. Lexicogrammatical
cartography, page 582)


Text 8 The numbat

The numbat is an unmistakeable slender
marsupial with a pointed muzzle and short erect
ears. The body is reddish brown, but the rump is
much darker and has about six white bars across
it. The eye has a black stripe through it and the
long bushy tail is yellowish. The toes are strongly
clawed and very effective in digging out termites.
The tongue is extremely long as in all mammalian
ant or termite eaters. Unlike most marsupials, the
numbat is active during the day. It shelters in
hollow logs. It was once relatively common but
now lives only in a small area of S. W. South
Australia.
(Adapted from The Concise Encyclopedia of
Australia 2
nd
ed Buderim, Queensland)


Text 8 The numbat

The numbat is an unmistakeable slender
marsupial with a pointed muzzle and short erect
ears./// The body is reddish brown,// but the
rump is much darker // and (it) has about six
white bars across it./// The eye has a black stripe
through it // and the long bushy tail is yellowish.
/// The toes are strongly clawed and very
effective in digging out termites./// The tongue is
extremely long as in all mammalian ant or termite
eaters./// Unlike most marsupials, the numbat is
active during the day./// It shelters in hollow
logs./// It was once relatively common // but (it)
now lives only in a small area of S. W. South
Australia.
(Adapted from The Concise Encyclopedia of Australia 2
nd
ed
Buderim, Queensland)


Meronymy defined

Meronymy is the kind of semantic relation between
two or more lexical items in which one of them refers
to an entity as a whole and the other to a part of that
entity.
Meronym is a lexical item that expresses a part of an
entity as a whole: branch, root, leaf, flower are
meronyms of the lexical item tree. They are co-
meronyms among themselves.
The difference between co-hyponyms and co-
meronyms can be seen if we think of fir, oak, and
pine as hyponyms to tree and co-hyponyms
among themselves and branch, root, etc. as
comeronyms of tree.


Text 8 Observations and comments

The text could be said to have a constant
pattern of Thematic progression, because all the
Themes have the same or comparable referent
(the numbat; the eye (= the eye of the numbat) ).

If we pay attention to the content of the
Themes, we see the text progresses from the
numbat (= the whole) to parts of the numbats
body (= parts of the whole). This pattern is not
captured by just saying the pattern of thematic
progression is constant but could be captured by
referring to a part-whole or meronymyc method
of development.

MERONYMYC (= part-whole)
METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT

Achieved through a combination of
unmarked themes that refer to the whole
of an entity and unmarked themes that
refer to parts of it;

Typical of encyclopaedic entries or
sections of textbooks (zoology, biology,
etc.) that describe plants, animals, etc.


The meronymic method of development
further exemplified
Text 9

The buffalo berry, also called rabbit berry or Nebraska
currant, is a 2 to 6 metre shrub of the oleaster family, with
whitish, somewhat thorny branches and small, oblong silvery
leaves. It is a very hardy shrub, growing wild among stream
banks in the Great Plains of North America. The fruit, borne in
profusion in August or September, is a currant-sized, scarlet-red
or golden-yellow berry with a tart flavour. The berries are used to
make a meat relish and jelly. Male and female flowers are borne
on separate plants, and in cultivation where fruit is desired it is
necessary to set out one male plant for every four to six females.
A smaller relative, the Canadian buffalo berry, grows to
about 2 meters high Its fruits are edible, but not highly
esteemed. (British Encyclopaedia, Micropedia, volume 2).
The meronymic method of development further
exemplified
Text 9

The buffalo berry, <<also called rabbit berry or
Nebraska currant,>> is a 2 to 6 meter shrub of the oleaster
family, with whitish, somewhat thorny branches and small,
oblong silvery leaves. ||| It is a very hardy shrub, || growing wild
among stream banks in the Great Plains of North America. |||
The fruit, <<borne in profusion in August or September,>> is a
currant-sized, scarlet-red or golden-yellow berry with a tart
flavour. ||| The berries are used || to make a meat relish and
jelly. ||| Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants,
|| and in cultivation [[where fruit is desired it is necessary
[[to set out one male plant for every four to six females]]. |||
A smaller relative, the Canadian buffalo berry, grows
to about 2 meters high ||| Its fruits are edible, ||| but
(they) are not highly esteemed. (British Encyclopaedia,
Micropedia, volume 2).
Text 9 The nature of the US participation in
the two world wars

Although the United States participated heavily
in World War I (WW I), the nature of that participation
was fundamentally different from what it became in
World War II (WW II). The earlier conflict was a one-
ocean war for the Navy and a one theatre war for the
Army; the latter was a two-ocean war for the Navy
and one of five major theatres for the Army. In both
wars a vital responsibility of the Navy was escort-of-
convoy and anti-submarine work, but in the 1917-
1919 conflict it never clashed with the enemy on the
surface; whilst between 1941-1945 it fought some
twenty major and countless minor engagements with
the Japanese.
Text 9 The nature of the US participation in
the two world wars

Although the United States participated
heavily in World War I (WW I),// the nature of that
participation was fundamentally different from what
it became in World War II (WW II)./// The earlier
conflict was a one-ocean war for the Navy and a one
theatre war for the Army;/// the latter was a two-
ocean war for the Navy and one of five major theatres
for the Army./// In both wars a vital responsibility of
the Navy was escort-of-convoy and anti-submarine
work,// but in the 1917-1919 conflict it never
clashed with the enemy on the surface;// whilst
between 1941-1945 it fought some twenty major and
countless minor engagements with the Japanese.
Text 9 The nature of the US participation in
the two world wars

American soldiers who engaged in WW I were
taken overseas in transports and (they were) landed on
docks or in protected harbours; in WW II the art of
amphibious warfare had to be revived and developed,
since assault troops were forced to fight their way ashore.
Airpower, in the early conflict, was still inchoate and
almost negligible; in the latter it was a determining factor.
In WW I the battleship still reigned queen of the sea, as
she had, in changing forms, since the age of Drake.
Battle Line fought with tactics inherited from the age of
sail; but in WW II the capital naval force was the air-craft
carrier task group, for which completely new tactics had to
be devised.

(Morrison, S. E. 1963: The two ocean war. Boston:
Little Brown)
Text 9 The nature of the US participation in
the two world wars

American soldiers who engaged in WW I were
taken overseas in transports //and (they were) landed on
docks or in protected harbours; // in WW II the art of
amphibious warfare had to be revived and developed,
//since assault troops were forced to fight their way
ashore./// Airpower, in the early conflict, was still inchoate
and almost negligible; // in the latter it was a determining
factor./// In WW I the battleship still reigned queen of the
sea, //as she had, in changing forms, since the age of
Drake./// Battle Line fought with tactics inherited from the
age of sail; // but in WW II the capital naval force was the
air-craft carrier task group, //for which completely new
tactics had to be devised.

(Morrison, S. E. 1963: The two ocean war. Boston:
Little Brown)
Text 9 Observations and comments on
Theme selection
Themes refer alternately to one or the other
war (both the unmarked and the marked themes)

Thematic progression would seem derived
(airpower and battle line for example), an some
isolated instances of constant pattern and linear
at the very end.

If we pay attention to the alternation of the
elements being compared in thematic position
(WWI and WWII), we see a pattern emerging that
could be seen as a contrastive/comparative
method of development.
Text 9 Observations and comments on
Theme selection
The contrastive/ comparative method of
development is achieved through alternation
of the entities being compared in Thematic
position, whether as Unmarked or as
Marked Theme. There could also be
conjunctive adjuncts like On the other
hand, On the contrary, etc.

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