Presentational articulation sentence focus Topic-comment articulation predicate focus with a switch topic

In a narrative the topic of one sentence may continue to be the topic of the following sentence, in which case it is called a continued topic. Alternatively, the topic may change, in which case it is called a switch topic. It is important to know whether a topic is a continued topic or a switch topic, as this can affect where it occurs in the sentence and the way it is referred to. Typically, a continued topic is expressed by an incorporated subject pronoun only, whereas a switch topic is expressed using a noun andor demonstrative before the verb. The information-bearing part of the sentence that is, the new information about the topic is called the focus. The focus may be expressed by a noun phrase termed argument focus. When the focus is expressed by a verb and optionally its complements, or by a copular construction, it is termed predicate focus. In some cases, such as in the orientation section of a narrative, there is no topic and so a whole sentence may contain only new information—this is termed sentence focus. Topic and focus can be represented in various ways within a sentence, following certain templates or generalized constructions known as sentence articulations. There are three primary sentence articulations: presentational, topic-comment and identificational. Presentational articulation uses sentence focus to introduce a new participant into a narrative without reference to any existing topic or presupposed proposition. Topic-comment articulation consists of a lexical usually nominal topic plus predicate focus; that is, the comment is the predicate focus that occurs after the topic. Identificational articulation uses argument focus to identify an unknown argument in a proposition; it is typically found in answer to so-called wh-questions.

6.2 Presentational articulation sentence focus

In presentational articulation an entity is introduced into a text without being linked to any established material. In Suba-Simbiti presentational articulation is common in the orientation section, and it usually involves a new entity being introduced together with uwöndëabhandë ‘certain’ and followed by a verb indicating a specific action that is being performed by the new entity. An example is given in 48. A more detailed discussion of participant introduction can be found in section 4.2. 48 Birds 1a–b Mbe abhaghaaka abhandë o-ka-nyoor-a bha-ra-nyw-a amarwa well 2.elderly_men 2.certain 2 SG - NARR -happen- FV 3 PL - CONT -drink- FV 6.alcohol ‘Well, it so happened that elderly men were drinking alcohol.’ Here the elderly men comprise the new entity being introduced, and it is stated that they were drinking alcohol, which serves as a comment on the newly introduced topic.

6.3 Topic-comment articulation predicate focus with a switch topic

Most of the new information in a narrative is expressed through predicates, and so predicate focus is the most common form of focus. The topic usually precedes the predicate. When there is a change from the previous topic, which is referred to as a switch topic, the new topic constituent is usually explicitly stated in a noun phrase. In example 49, in the first sentence the topic is the boat, and then, in the second sentence it switches to be the time of the boat sinking. 49 Mgendi 5–6 Ubhwato ubhwabho bho-ka-ghwereer-a Enkaagha eera 14.boat 14.3 PL . POSS 14- NARR -sink: APPL : APPL - FV 9.time 9. DEM _ DIST bhw-a-ghwërëëyë n=ko-moghoroobha iryobha re-ra-ghy-a oko-ghw-a 14- PST -sink: APPL : APPL : PROX COP =17. REL -3.evening 5.sun 5- CONT -go- FV INF -sink- FV ‘Their boat sank. At the time the boat sank it was evening, the sun was setting.’ However, the topic is not always the logical subject. At times the new topic constituent is preposed from the objectcomplement position. In the text corpus the majority of examples of constituents that have been preposed from the objectcomplement position signal a switch topic. 50 Inheritance 12–13 A-ka-ghamb-a igha sengʼombe seno së-rë-ngë ka hano mu-ush-e 3 S S- NARR -say- FV COMP 10.cows 10. DEM _ PROX 10-be- HAB home 16. DEM _ PROX 3 SG -come- SBJ oko-haan-a bhano bha-rë-ngë yeeka hano na oora uwa mo-maghinga INF -give- FV 2. DEM _ PROX 3 PL -be- HAB home 16. DEM _ PROX and 1. DEM _ DIST 1. ASS 18. LOC -6.island Kasi oora uwa Bhoraaya mu-ush-e ko-mo-haan-a but 1. DEM _ DIST 1. ASS Europe 3 SG -come- SBJ 17. INF -3 SG -give- FV eketabho keno nkyo mö-tëghëëyë 7.book 7. DEM _ PROX 7. EMPH 3 SG -leave: APPL : ANT ‘He said, “These cows that are at home here, come and give them to the people at home and the one in the islands. But that one in Europe, come and give him this book I have left him.’’ ’ In example 50 the phrase sengʼombe seno sërëngë ka hano ‘these cows that are at home here’ and oora uwa Bhoraaya ‘the one in Europe’ are the new topic constituents and have both been preposed from the objectcomplement position.

6.4 Predicate focus with a continued topic