The ZPG Text 30th January 2018

Mann and Thompson - ZPG Theme is a method of development There are three types of theme: 1. Textual eg. When…, Now… 2. Interpersonal eg. Please… 3. Topical eg. (subject in an unmarked clause) or adverbial, prepositional phrase in a marked clause) eg. Calls…, At 7.00am…

Theme progression (see diagram) (first 8 clauses) Them – Us Then Poor us! You – support National government, etc. Finally I (personal flavour)

Given and New Read aloud. A personal letter so in part spoken in part Written, but deliberately composed with high lexical density. New (information focus) “for the listener’s attention”. The rhetorical main point. Prominent motifs. At 7.00 am on October 25th, our phones started to ring. Calls jammed our switchboard all day….. ….. I hope you’ll help us monitor this remarkable media coverage by cnpleting the enclose reply form.

Mood and Modality Declarative (all but one clause which is Imperative – ‘make a contribution’). And positive. First 6 clauses past tense. Then present tense up to imperative. Then future ‘I hope you will…’ Only one modality: ‘may be’

Transitivity Material processes (33/55) but abstract actions. Verbal processes eg. answer, tell Relational processes eg. be

Lexical cohesion ZPG Urban Stress Test (diagram)

Nominalisation (12 year-old version) Cliches – help conceal the contradiction “we’re great”/“we’re weak” Grammatical metaphor with eg. Population (see diagram)

Summary Every feature can be analysed in context in terms of its alternatives – “what might have been said but was not”. Choices made in terms of theme, transitivity, etc. give the text its flavour. Grammar is created by the producer not dictate from above.