الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study aims at studying the use of theme as one of
Dik’s pragmatic functions. The study uses the term theme as a
certain universe of discourse about which the ensuing predication is
going to predicate something relevant. The importance of this study
stems from the fact that it draws attention to the existent linguistic
differences between English and Arabic regarding the theme
function of sentences. In this study, the use of theme is taken beyond
and away from the traditional view of the function of theme
altogether to an innovative syntactic–pragmatic framework in which
the semantic indeterminacies can be explained.
The study in hand is divided into six chapters. Chapter one is
an introductory chapter, as such it is confined to theoretical
preliminaries that include the definition of theme and its function. It
also explores the related terms in order to distinguish theme (as one
of the pragmatic functions) from other functions.
Chapter two provides a critical review of the previous
literature on the use of theme. This chapter surveys some traditional
views of theme in structural grammar and transformational grammar.
In addition, it surveys some recent views of theme.
Chapter three provides different approaches to theme: the
relation between theme and other pragmatic functions (topic, focus
and tail), the relation between theme and rheme, the Firbas’s theme,
the Halliday’s theme and the Dik’s theme. The study aims to show
that theme, as one of Dik’s pragmatic functions, stands outside the
predication proper.
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Chapter four provides an analysis of theme in Modern
Standard Arabic. Chapter five illustrates the use of theme in
Standard English sentences adopting the framework of Simon C.
Dik’s functional grammar clarified in chapter three.
Finally, chapter six is a concluding chapter which discusses
the findings of this research shedding light on some
recommendations for further research.