Functional Sentence Perspective(FSP)Content1.Introduction2.The proposal of FSP•3.The development of FSP•parison between FSP and Halliday's Theory•5.ConclusionThe Prague School•The Prague School practiced a special style of synchronic linguistics and its most important contribution to linguistics is that it sees language in terms of function.•Language was looked on as functional in another sense,that is ,as a tool performing a number of essential functions or tasks for the community using it.•Important Concepts of Prague School •1.Distinctive Features•2.Phonological Oppositions•3.FSP(Functional Sentence Perspective)•The definition of FSP•FSP(Functional Sentence Perspective) is a theory of linguistic analysis,which refers to an analysis of utterances,in terms of the information they contain.The principle is that the role of each utterance part is evaluated for its semantic contribution to the whole.The Proposal of FSP•Some Czech linguists devoted considerable attention to problems of analyzing sentences from a functional point of view,of which the most influencial one is Mathesius.•He together with other some Czechoslovak linguists believe that a sentence contains a point of depature ,a goal of discourse so they propose some important concepts:•Theme---the point of departure of asentence ,which the point of depature is equally present to the speaker and the heater,it is their rallying point•Rheme---the goal of discourse presents the very information that is to be imparted to the hearer•Transition---the connection of the theme and rheme,which can be considered as a part of the rheme•Known information ---information that is new to the reader and hearer,usually it is the theme •New information---what is to be transmitted to the reader or the hearer,usually it is the rheme•eg.•It is believed that the movement from the initial notion(theme)to the goal ofdiscourse(rheme)reveals the movement of the mind itself.•Based on these observation ,they created the notion of FSP to describe how information is distributed in sentences.•FSP deals particularly with the effect of the distribution of known information and new information in discourse.•In English,we usually have subject and predicate in a sentence.Mathesius also find that in English the suject is always theme.But ,the subject-predicate distinction is not always the same as theme-rheme distinction.•An example is as followed:•(a)Sally stands on the table.•subject predicate •theme rheme•(b)On the table stands Sally.predicate subjecttheme rheme•Jan Firbas developed the theory of theme -rheme because there are collapses in it.•So,Jan Firbas defines theme and rheme as the following:•Theme---the elements that carry the lowest degree communication dynamism in a sentence.•Rheme---the elements that carry the highest communicative dyanamism in a sentence.Jan Fibas most influencial contribution is the concept of communicative dynamism(CD).Communicative Dynamism(CD)---mean to measure the amount of information an element carries in a sentence.To say it in another word,CD shows the efficiency the elements contributes to the whole sentense.•The degree of CD(交际动态值)is the effect contributed by a linguistic element,for it pushes the communication forward.He was cross•He the lowest degree of CD•cross the highest•was ranking between them•Fibas concludes that the distinction of various degree of CD is influenced by①semantic structure②the linear arrangement•Semantic sructure is referred to the semantic contents and relations.•1)If an objects is contextually independent,then the object exprss higher degree of CD than the predicate verb.•eg. I have read a nice book.•2) A contextually independent adverbial element of place will have a higher degree of CD than a verb expressing motion.•eg.He was hurrying to the railway station.•3) If the subject is accompanied by a verb expressing existence or appearing on the scene and is contextuall independent,the subjuct carries a higher degree of CD.•eg.A war broke out between them in 1846.•4)In the example above ,if the suject A war is contextually dependent, then verb and adverbial carry a higher degree of CD than the subject.•To sum up,the semantic contents and relation contribut to the degree of CD and they are not directly related to the position the elements occupy within the linear arrangement.•The linear arrangement'effect upon the degree of CD.•For example ,a contextually indepentdent infinitive of purpose carries a lower degree of CD when occuring finally ,as in•He went to Prague to see his friend.In order to see his friend,he went to Prague.•Similarity ,with the direct and indirect object,if they are contextually independent,the one coming later within the linear arrangement carries a higher degree of CD.•eg. He gave a boy an apple.•He gave an apple to a boy.The Difinition of FSP by J.Firbas •Firbas defined FSP as the distribution of various degree of CD.This can be explaind as :the initial elements of a sequence carry the lowest degree of CD,and with each step forward ,the degree of CD becomes incremental till element that carris the highest.And Firbas call it basic distribution.Comparison between FSP and Halliday's TheoryReferences•[1]封宗信现代语言学派概论[M] 2006•[2]Fibras J 1964 On defining the theme in functional sentence perspective [J] Tranaux Linguistques de Prague•[3] Fibras J Note on Some Basic Concepts of the Theory of FSP.With a response to Robert de Beaugrand.[EB]•[4]Halliday .MAK.2000 An Introduction to Functional Grammar,2nd Edition [M] Beijing Foreign Language Teaching &Research Press。