Candidates Debate

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
No human can live without language since language serves many human needs. Language links them with their surrounding. Language also enables them to communicate each other. Language is divided into written and spoken language. In written language, the language used allows the reader to understand what the writer conveyed. It is usually done in writing activity, available in magazines, newspaper, etc. meanwhile in spoken language, language intends to be communicated by one person to the other person orally. We can find the application of spoken language in a debate.
Debate is a formal method of interactive and position representational argument. It is usually done by two groups or two persons. One group or person competes with the other group or person by giving arguments about a certain topic supported by facts. One group or person belongs to affirmative (proposition) means they are in favor of a certain topic. The other is opposition (negative) where they should oppose a certain motion by providing arguments against the motion to counter the proposition’s case.
There are many kinds of debate. Formal debate is the most common debate held in several events (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/debate#policy_debate). It features the competition of individuals in a multi person setting. Formal debate is often practiced in many events such as presidential election. Recently, to success the US election in 2008, the two presidential candidates namely Barack Obama from Democratic Party and John Mc Cain from Republican Party had debated focused on several issues such as foreign policy, grave financial crisis, etc.
In giving their argument about a certain issue, they organize their idea in ways in order to maintain the process of communication in giving and receiving information. In this case, the process of giving and receiving information is the process of giving their arguments and opposing their negation’s arguments.

Saragih (2005:37) says that language concerned with the organization of the information within individual clauses and through this with the organization of larger text. It means that in using language, people organize their idea or message in ways to maintain the process of communication in giving and receiving information. They make a choice of their utterances which indicate how they fit in with other messages around them and the wider context in which they are talking. One way to know how the idea is organized is by identifying thematic structure.
According to Halliday (1994:47), thematic structure is one structure where one element of the clause gives the clause its character as a message. In English and in many other languages, the clause is organized as a message by having a special status assigned to one part of it. One element of the clause is enunciated as the theme. This then combines with the remainder which is known as the rheme. These two elements together constitute a message (Halliday, 2004:34).
Theme can be identified as the element which comes in first position in the clause. In other words, it is the starting point of a clause to convey a message. The choice of theme is very important because it will influence the recipient’s interpretation of everything in the discourse. It represents the angle from which the sentence is developed so that it gives a clear understanding to the reader.
Rheme comes after theme or rheme is the rest of the message of the clause after theme. Theme and rheme go together in connected text.
This study is intended to find the thematic structure in the US Presidential Candidates which was hold in before the US Presidential Election in 2008. It will be useful to know the similarities and differences of how Barrack Obama and John Mc Cain as the debaters in the debate organize their idea in delivering their arguments about certain issue so that it will oppose the negation’s argument and persuade the listener perception. By analyzing the theme and rheme, it will be known how they organize their idea so that their listener will get a clear understanding of what they say.
1.2 The Problem of the Study
As related to the background of the study, the problems of the study are formulated as the following:
1) What are the kinds of theme used in US Presidential Candidates Debate?
2) What are the types of thematic progression that used in US Presidential Candidates debate?
3) Are there any similarities and differences on the use of the kinds of theme and thematic progression in US Presidential Candidates Debate?
1.3 The Scope of the Study
The study emphasizes the analysis of textual function with reference to Halliday’s theory. Since discourse analysis refers to the larger units of languages such as paragraph, conversation, interview, speech, etc, this research 9is going to analyze the use of kinds of theme and thematic progression in Us Presidential Candidates Debate.
1.4 The Objective of the Study
The objectives of the study are:
1. To find out the kinds of theme used in US Presidential Candidate Debate.
2. To find out the types of thematic progression used in US Presidential Candidates Debate.
3. To find out the similarities and differences on the use of theme and rheme and the use of thematic progression in US Presidential Candidates Debate.
1.5 The Significance of the Study
After finishing this study, it is hoped that the study will be useful for:
1. The readers to understand more about theme and rheme and thematic progression used in a debate.
2. The students of English Department to understand about textual function.
3. The lecturers who teach functional grammar to make detailed analysis about textual function.
4. The next researchers who want to make more detailed studies about textual function.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics
Systemic functional linguistics is more relevant to the studies of language use. Language use is not separable from the social context where it occurs. In this way language evolves in line with human needs for language in their social settings. In other words, the structure of language is motivated by needs of the society where the language is used. One of the genuine strengths or systemic functional linguistics is that is applicability to study the text and its social context with two final purposes: why a text means what it does and why it gives the particular impression that it does (Halliday, 1994:366).
A sentence can be interpreted as a clause complex: a head clause together with other clauses that modify it. (Halliday, 1994:215). This means that a clause can be categorized as complex if it consists of at least two clauses, the first can be as the head or the main clause and the other is as the modifier to the main clause and vice versa.
The important unit for the systemic functional linguistics analysis is clause rather than sentence. That’s why this study will analyze textual function in clause.
2.2 Textual Function
Textual function has a close relation to the thematic structure. According to Halliday (1994:37), thematic structure is one of the various structures which when mapped on to each other, make up a clause and will be considered first the one which gives the clause its character as a message. It means that one element of a clause indicate from which the clause is developed.
In all languages, the clause has the character of a message. It has some forms of organization giving it the status of a communication event. In English, for example, the clause is organized as a message by having a special status assigned to one part of it. One element is regarded as theme and the rest is rheme. These two constituents go together in constituting a message.
Theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message. It is that with which the clause is concerned (Halliday, 1994:37). It is functionally occupied by the first element of the transitivity system of a clause. It organizes the clause as a message. Theme is followed by rheme. So, rheme is the rest of the message of the clause after the theme. Thus, the rheme is where the clause moves after the point of depature.
In the sentence “She told me the story,” ‘she’ functions as the theme and ‘told me the story’ functions as the rheme. Meanwhile in the sentence “The story was told by her to me,” theme is ‘the story’ and rheme is ‘was told by her to me.’
2.3. Marked and Unmarked Theme
Theme is defined as the starting point of a clause. Theme in clause may functions as the subject, actor, adjunct, etc. if the theme functions as a subject in the clause or the conflated to the subject, it is called unmarked theme which gives the theme no special prominence. In different ways, when the theme is not conflated with of mapped on to the subject the theme is marked and often important in strutting the larger discourse. The following clauses show the marked and unmarked theme.
She went to Japan last week
Unmarked Theme/Subject Rheme
Last week She went to Japan
Marked Theme Rheme
2.4 Simple and Complex Theme
All clauses, which have one thematic constituent, are said to have simple theme. Simple theme is coded by the first element of transitivity system. This simple theme is also called topical theme. Simple theme occurs in one clause in one clause, it means that one clause only consist of one element. Specifically, in this case, it means that one element function of clause (process, participant, or circumstance) as representation of experience is placed by word, group words or clause. How long the one group or one clause put function of theme in one clause, the clause is also called a simple theme. However, some clauses have more than one theme or what is known as a complex theme.
2.4.1 Topical Theme
Topical theme, as stated earlier, is coded by the first element of the transitivity system. Topical theme as are underlined I the following clauses.
I love the smell of jasmine.
Someday you will understand the matter.
Repeatedly she asked me the news.
Last year they went to Italy.
My eldest sister was placed in the new branch office in Kuala Lumpur.
2.4.2 Interpersonal Theme
Interpersonal theme covers one or more the elements:
1. Finite (should, did, don’t, do)
The finite typically realized by an auxiliary verb. It is presence in thematic position signal that a response is expected from the addresses.
a. Should I come to your office?
b. Would you like to help me?
c. Did you go to the party?
d. Don’t move that table.
e. Do come tomorrow.
2. A wh-element (what, who, why, where, how)
A wh-element signals that an answer is required from the addresses.
a. What will you do?
b. Who is that man?
c. Why do you let the room empty?
d. Where should I put this vase?
e. How will they come?
3. Vocative
Vocative indicate (the names of) the persons of whom information is asked. Vocative identifies the addresses in the exchange.
a. Sally, do you want to join me to the party?
b. John, you have to come here soon.
c. Tom, I agree with yopu.
d. Julie, hardwork is never useless.
e. Mike, don’t turn off the radio.
4. Adjuncts
Adjuncts commonly function as the theme. Typically, the theme is realized by an adverb which may provide the speaker’s comment, assessment or attitude towards the message. Halliday (1985:35) regards these as “Interpersonal metaphors” of modality that is, they can be regarded as comparable with adjunct like probably a treated as interpersonal theme.
a. Carefully he walked on the bridge.
b. Perhaps they are angry.
c. Probably they will go outside tonight.
d. Happily the girl comes on time.
e. Often he drinks alcohol.
2.4.3 Textual Theme
Textual theme almost always forms the first part of the theme, coming before any interpersonal themes. They give thematic prominence to textual elements with a linking function. The element of textual element theme includes:
1. Conjunctions
Conjunctions link two clauses in a coordination relation or dependency on another.
a. (I am reading a novel) and he is playing guitar.
b. (I doubt) whether he will come.
c. (The rain came) when I was sleeping.
d. (I will go) although it has late.
e. (I’ve told her the news) but she neglected it.
2. Relatives
Relatives relate a dependent clause to another clause.
a. (I know the man) who is standing near the fence.
b. (The girl loves the cat) which has a long tail.
c. (He was born in Medan) which is the capital city of North Sumatra.
3. Conjunctives
Conjunctives provide a cohesive link lack to previous discourse.
a. Furthermore, he made his mother sad.
b. In addition, they will take a part in that competition.
c. As a matter of fact, I have lost the chance. As the consequences, he has to finish the work tonight.
4. Continuatives
Continuatives indicate a relationship previous discourse.
a. Well, it’s time to go now.
b. Oh, I love the smell.
c. So, you must be careful.
d. Thus, they need more attention.
2.5 Thematic Progression
Theme and rheme as the starting point and the rest of the message are the points to develop the ideas. The development of theme and rheme can be seen by using thematic progression.
2.5.1 The Constant Theme Pattern
Theme is shared by clause and this theme equates with given information that is common in short passages. Constant theme pattern emphasizes theme as the point of departure. Rheme is not used in the ideas development. This pattern is usually found in chronological events of a text. The theme in the second clause comes from the theme in the first clause. Theme in the third clause comes from the theme in the second clause and so on.
John is a student of Senior High School
He lives in Medan
He has two sisters.
His parents work in a big company.
2.5.2 The Linear Theme
In this type, the rhyme of one clause is taken up as the subsequence clause. Each rheme becomes the theme of the next utterance. Linear pattern emphasized rheme, where rheme in the previous clause changes to be old information in the next clause. In other word linear pattern places rheme in the precious clause to be the priority or the point of departure in the following text.
The cat sleeps under the table.
The table is bought by my mother.
My mother is working in the garden now.
2.5.3 The Split Rheme Pattern
The split rheme pattern is taken place when the rheme of a clause has two components, each of which is taken is turn as the theme of a subsequence clause. The first rheme becomes the theme in the next clause and in the second rheme becomes the next theme for the following clause.
I have two cats, Pushy and Dolly.
Pushy is white.
and Dolly is black.
2.5.4 The Derived Theme Pattern
This is more complex than the others. The rheme deals with more than two components. These structures serve as a way of introducing rheme which can be taken up as rheme of subsequence clauses. Each of the sub a point develops and becomes the theme in second, third and fourth clause. It means that theme in second, third, forth clause are derived from the theme in first clause. It is usually found in long text with many topics.
John has three sisters, Jane, Cathy and Mary.
Jane is 20 years old.
Cathy is 15 years old.
Mary is 12 years old.
2.6 Developing Idea in the Text
In order to understand what someone says, a person must be able to understand what the speaker is talking about. To communicate effectively the speaker must also bring to the hearer’s attention some element of shared or mutual knowledge. This shared information is usually found at the beginning of a clause. Clause is a part of a text where text is any linguistic unit which is functionally in context. One of the linguistic units is a clause which consist of given and new information.
Given and new information together set up an information unit. Bloor and Bloor (1995) stated that in information unit, given is optional and new is obligatory. By analyzing given and new information give a result of how the information is structured. It has a parallel equivalence between theme and given and between rheme and new. The choice of theme for any individual clause will generally relate to the way information is being developed over the course of the whole text while rheme represents the theme that pushes the message forward. All of them are constituent of information structured which explains the process of thematic development in text.
2.7 Debate
Based on Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, debate is a formal argument or discussion of a question, eg at a public meeting or in parliament or congress with two or more opposing speakers and often ending in a vote. Debate is argumentative process in which affirmative and negative evocates seek to gain a favorable decision on a formally stated proposition, resolution or motion. The term “debating” most typically refers to formal arguments over proposed laws or policy within lawmaking bodies and to a formalized high school pr college activity in which two teams argue opposite positions on stated issues. Debating is most often done in face to face basis, according to a set of procedure.
There are some terms that the debaters must know. They are:
1. House
House is the room in which the debate takes place, and while a speaker is speaking they have “the floor”. The house is also the term used to describe the people in the room at the time of debate; i. e the other debaters, audiences, members, judges and timekeepers.
2. Motion
The motion is the topic or the subject that is being debated. Motion traditionally begins with the phrase “This house would” or “these house believers.” Motion should be have interest to the audience and fro the speakers. They can be directly related to something being discussed in certain area, can be about a current affairs issue or any other interesting and challenging topic.
3. Proposition/Affirmative
The proposition is the name for the team or teams proposing a motion. This means that they are in favor of the motion. Their role in the debate would be to persuade the audiences and judges that the motion is correct. They should provide information, arguments and evidences to support their case.
4. Opposition/Negative
The opposition is the name for the team or teams opposing the motion. Their task is to provide arguments against the motion to counter the proposition’s case.
5. Rebuttal
Rebuttal is the attempt to argue against specific arguments the opposing side have put forward during a speech. Rebuttal is crucial to the exchange of ideas in a debate. Each speaker after the first proposition speaker should give part of their speech to rebutting the opposing side’s arguments. Debaters must listen and respond to what the other teams are saying.
In each rebuttal, the speaker must defend his/her own case from previous attacks made by the opponent, and attack the opponent’s case itself. An argument left untouched by the opponent does not necessarily mean that the debater had agreed with that point. However, a failure to touch upon all points may be important to the degree that “dropped” points can not be defended later in the debate. Rebuttals (arguments against those of the opponent) may consist of elaboration of points already mentioned, or of points newly introduced, such as arguments whose logic and examples are distinct form the points that have precede them. However, concerns of fairness demand that no new points should be brought up after the first affirmative rebuttal, and judge should disregard such points. If a point is not defended from an attack in any given speech, it can not be defended for the first time several speeches later.
6. Cross Examination
In cross examination, the speaker whose opponent has just finished speaking should ask questions. Demanding? Yes or no? Questions are not permitted, and the debater being questioned should be allowed an opportunity to reply. However, the debater asking questions may cut off a reply if their opponent appears to be stalling, or if an important point has been reached. Throughout cross examination, both speaker should face the audience directly (not each other) and should remain courteous.
7. Chairperson
The chair person is in charge of the debate. He or she will make sure that speakers comply with the rules and will introduce the debate, speakers and adjudicators.
8. Timekeeper
The timekeeper is responsible for the accurate timing of each speech, so that time signals can be given at appropriate points. The timekeeper should also keep a record of how long each speaker spoke for and give this to the judges at the end of the debate.
9. Adjudicators/Judges
In competitive debates, adjudicators or judges are the people who decide who has won the debate. The winning team is not necessarily the side with whose arguments they agree but rather the one that has shown overall the best debating technique and has been most persuasive. Adjudicators follow certain guidelines and should give feedback to teams to help them improve their debating ability.
Based on the way the debate is conducted, there are two kind of debate. They are formal and informal debate. In formal debating contest, there are rules enabling people to discuss and decide on differences, within a framework defining how they will interact (http://en.wikipedia.org). In informal debate, the quality and depth of debate improves with knowledge and skill of its participants as debaters. Formal debate is often conducted in several events. United States which is ruled under democracy system, often held formal debate in many events such as presidential election.
During presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates (almost always the candidates of the two largest parties) to engage in a debate. The topics discussed in the debate are often the most controversial issues of the time, and arguably elections have been nearly decided to three debates.
Presidential debate is held late in the election cycle, after the political parties have nominated their candidates. The candidates meet in a large hall, often in a university, before an audience of citizens. The formats of the debates have varied, with questions sometimes posed from one or more journalist moderators and in other cases member of the audience. The style of the debate which is done in United States Presidential Candidates Debates is formal debate.
2.8 The US Presidential Election of 2008
The US Presidential Election of 2008, which was held Tuesday November 4, 2008, is the 56th consecutive quadrennial US presidential election and selected the president and vice president f the US.
The Republican Party ha chosen John Mc Cain, the senior US senator from Arizona as its nominee and Democratic Party has chosen Barack Obama, the junior US senator from Illionis, as its nominee. The 2008 election is particularly notable because it is the first time in US history that two sitting senators run against each other for president, and because it is the first time in US an African American is a presidential nominee for a major party, as well as the first time both major candidates were born outside the Continental US- Hawaii fro Obama and The Panama Canal for Mc Cain.
2.9 The Biography of the US 2008 Presidential Candidates
2.9.1 The Biography of Barack Obama
Barack Obama Hussein II was born August 4, 1961. He is the junior United States Senator form Illionis and presidential nominee of the Democratic party in the 2008 United States Presidential Election.
His mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her father worked on oil during the depression. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, he signed up for service in World War II and marched across Europe in Patton’s army. Dunham’s mother went to work on bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G. I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program and moved to Hawaii. Meantime, barrack Obama’s father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in Hawaii. At the moment of his birth, his parents were students at the East-West center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
His parents separated when he was two years old and then divorce. Obama’s father went to Harvard to pursue Ph. D studies and returned to Kenya. His mother married Lolo Soetono, another East-West center student from Indonesia. In 1967, they moved to Jakarta, where Obama’s half sister Maya Soetoro was born. Obama attended school in Jakarta, where classes were taught in the Indonesian language.
In 1971, when Barack was ten, he returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and later his other (who has died of ovarian cancer in 1995).
He studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years after high school. Then, he transferred to Columbia University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in Political Science.
In 1985, he moved to Chicago after working at Business International Corporation. He entered Harvard Law School in 1988 and in the same year he met his wife Michelle, when he was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley and Austin. They were married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago’s south side with their daughters, Malia (born in 1999) and Sasha (born in 2001). In February 1991, he was elected the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in 1991. He taught at the University of Chicago Law School and pulped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton’s 1942 presidential campaign. He published an autobiography Dream for My Father; a Story of race and inheritance and won a Grammy for the audio version of book. Working at Advocacy work, he was led to run for the Illionis State Senate as a Democrat. He was selected in 1996 from the South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park.
The war with Iran began in 2003 and he decided to run for the United State Senate open seta vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic Primary, he won 52 % of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hulol and Illionis Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. He is locked in a tight battle with former first lady and current United State Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton (http://www.biography.com/article/id).
2.9.2 The Biography of John Mc Cain
John Mc Cain is U.S. Senator, former 2008 Republican presidential candidate. He was born on August 29, 1936, at Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone, the second of three children born to naval officer John S. McCain Jr. and his wife, Roberta. At the time of his birth, the McCain family was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, under American control.
Though McCain had lost most of his physical strength and flexibility, he was determined to continue serving as a naval aviator. After a painful nine months of rehabilitation, he returned to flying duty, but it soon became clear that his injuries had permanently impaired his ability to advance in the Navy.
His introduction to politics came in 1976 when he was assigned as the Navy’s liaison to the U.S. Senate. In 1981, after marrying his second wife, Cindy Hensley, McCain retired from the Navy, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. While working in public relations for his father-in-law’s beer distribution business, he began establishing connections in politics. McCain was first elected to political office on November 2, 1982, easily winning a seat in the House of Representatives after his well-known war record helped overcome doubts about his “carpetbagger” status. He was re-elected in 1984.
McCain met Cindy Lou Hensley, a teacher from Phoenix and daughter of a prosperous Arizona beer distributor, while she was on vacation in 1979 with her parents in Hawaii. He was still married at the time, but separated from his first wife. John and Cindy McCain were married May 17, 1980 in Phoenix. They have four children: Meghan (b. 1984), John IV (known as Jack, b. 1986), James (known as Jimmy, b. 1988), and Bridget (b. 1991 in Bangladesh, adopted by the Mc Cain in 1993).
In 1986, after the retirement of the longtime Arizona senator and prominent Republican Barry Goldwater, McCain won election to the U.S. Senate. Both in the House and the Senate, McCain earned a reputation as a conservative politician who nonetheless was not afraid to question the ruling Republican orthodoxy. In 1983, for example, he called for the withdrawal of U.S. Marines from Lebanon, and he also publicly criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran-Contra affair.
In 1999, McCain published Faith of My Fathers, the story of his family’s military history and his own experiences as a POW. He also emerged as a solid challenger to the frontrunner, Governor George W. Bush of Texas, for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. Many people from both political parties found his straight talk refreshing. In the New Hampshire primary, McCain won by a surprisingly wide margin, largely bolstered by independent voters and cross-over Democrats. After a roller-coaster ride during the primaries–Bush won South Carolina, while McCain captured Michigan and Arizona–Bush emerged triumphant on “Super Tuesday” in early March 2000, winning New York and California, among a number of others. Though McCain won in most of the New England states, his large electoral deficit forced him to “suspend” his campaign indefinitely. On May 9, after holding out for two months, McCain formally endorsed Bush.
In August 2000, McCain was diagnosed with skin cancer lesions on his face and arm, which doctors determined were unrelated to a similar lesion which he had removed in 1993. He subsequently underwent surgery, during which all the cancerous tissue was successfully removed. McCain also underwent routine prostate surgery for an enlarged prostate in August of 2001.
McCain supported the Iraq War, but criticized The Pentagon several times, especially about low troop strength. At one point, McCain declared he had “no confidence” in the leadership of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. McCain supported the 2007 surge of more than 20,000 troops, which supporters say has increased security in Iraq.
McCain also publicly supported President Bush’s bid for re-election, even though he differed with Bush on several issues including torture, pork barrel spending, illegal immigration, a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and global warming. He also defended the Vietnam War record of Bush´s opponent, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, which came under attack during the campaign.
With Bush limited to two terms, McCain officially entered the 2008 presidential race on April 25, 2007, during an announcement in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After months of tough campaigning, McCain lost the presidency to democratic candidate, Barack Obama, by 192 electoral votes (http://www.biography.com/article/id).
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Research Design
The method of this study is descriptive qualitative method. Descriptive qualitative method is a method where the researcher is interested in process, meaning and understanding gained through words or pictures. This study is aimed to describe the textual function in US Presidential Candidates Debate.
3.2 The Source of Data
In this study, the sources of data are the transcript of the first United States Presidential Candidates debate which was held in September 26, 2008. The candidates are Barrack Obama and John Mc Cain. There are many subjects or topics that are debated such as foreign policy, financial crisis, etc. Financial crisis is chosen as the topic analyzed since it is the hottest issue in United States recently. So, the study will analyze the thematic structure of theme and rheme in the statements that the two senators deliver to argue each other when they are debating.
3.3 Technique of Collecting Data
The data will be taken from websites and then they will be analyzed based on Halliday’s theory about theme and rheme.
3.4 Technique of Analyzing the Data
Techniques of analyzing data are as the following:
1. Identifying the theme and rheme in each clause of Barack Obama and Mc Cain’s statements.
2. Classifying the types of theme in all clauses.
3. Classifying the types of thematic progression in all clauses.
4. Counting the occurrences of each pattern.
5. Converting the occurrences into percentages.
6. Finding out the most dominant theme and thematic progression’s appearances by applying the following formula:
X = F/N x 100 %
X = the percentage of the items
F = frequency
N = the total number of items
7. Explaining the findings with reference to the Halliday’s theory about theme and rheme related to the United States Presidential Candidates debate.
Both McCain’s father and paternal grandfather, John Sidney McCain, Sr., were four-star admirals and his father rose to command all the U.S. naval forces in the Pacific.
McCain spent his childhood and adolescent years moving between naval bases in America and abroad. He attended Episcopal high School, a private preparatory boarding school in Alexandria, Virginia, graduating in 1954. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, McCain graduated (fifth from the bottom of his class) from the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1958. He also graduated from flight school in 1960.
McCain married Carol Shepp, a model originally from Philadelphia, on July 3, 1965. He adopted her two young children from a previous marriage (Doug and Andy Shepp) and they had a daughter (Sydney, b. 1966). The couple divorced in April 1980.
With the outbreak of the Vietnam War, McCain volunteered for combat duty and began flying carrier-based attack planes on low-altitude bombing runs against the North Vietnamese. He escaped serious injury on July 29, 1967, when his A-4 Sky hawk plane was accidentally shot by a missile on board the USS Forestall, causing explosions and fires that killed 134.
On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd air mission, McCain’s plane was shot down during a bombing run over the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. He broke both arms and one leg during the ensuing crash. McCain was moved to Hoa Loa prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton,” on December 9, 1969.
REFERENCES
Arikunto, Suharsimi. 1997. Prosedur Penelitian: Suatu Kesatuan Praktek. Yogyakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Candlin, C. N. and Widdowson, H. G. 1989. Discourse Guy Cook. Language Teaching – A Scheme for Teacher Education. Oxford University.
Eggine, S. 1994. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistic. London: Palmer.
Gerot, L. and P. Wignell. 1994. Making Sense of Functional Grammar. Sydney: Gerd Stabler.
Gurning, Busmin. 2005. Struktur Informasi Teks Akademik. Jurnal Linguistik Terapan Pascasarjana UNIMED.
Halliday, M. A. K. and Martin, J. R. 1993. Literacy and Discursive Power. London: The Falmer.
Halliday, M. A. K. 1994. An Introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd Ed.). Sydney: University of Sydney.
Martin, J. R, Christian M. I. M. Mathiessen and Claire Painter. 1995. Working with Functional Grammar. Sydney: Arnold.
Morley, G. David. 2000. Syntax in Functional Grammar: An Introduction to Lexicogrammar in Systemic Linguistics. London and New York: Continuum.
NN. 1969. Encyclopedia Americana. New York: Americana Corporation.
Saragih, Amrin. 2005. Introducing Functional Grammar. Medan: Unpublished.
Thompson, Geoff. 1996. Introducing Functional Grammar. RRC: Edward Arnold.
http://en.wikipedia.org//wiki/United_States_Presidential_Election_Debates?id. Accessed on November 20, 2008.
http://www.biography.com/article?id. Accessed on November 20, 2008.
http://www.idebate.org/standards/ruleslincolndouglas.php. Accessed on November 20, 2008.