ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the study of the information structure in spoken Chinese, with a view to explore the functional constraints on Chinese word order. It highlights the information focus in the rheme by putting secondary information in the thematic part of the clause. Recognizing three kinds of thematic components and identifying information focus by means of clause stress are also of reference value in the analysis of Chinese information structure. The chapter introduces two typical representations of the thematic structure in spoken Chinese. The thematic structure of spoken Chinese can be subdivided into three categories: the ideational component, the interpersonal component and the textual component, which will be correspondingly referred to as the ideational theme, the interpersonal theme and the textual theme. Co-occurrence of multiple themes is more common in the narrative style because in narration speakers have an easier time, which renders it possible to sequence information in a more reasonable manner.
