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69 

 

 
ELT FORUM 6 (1) (2017) 

 

Journal of English Language Teaching 

 
http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt 

 
 

THEMATIC PROGRESSION ON STUDENTS’  

RECOUNT TEXTS 

 

Irfina Safitri, Seful Bahri  
 

English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia  

 

Article Info 
________________  
Article History: 

Received in June 

2017  
Approved in July 2017 

Published in August 2017 
________________  
Keywords: students’ 
recount texts, coherence, 
theme and rheme, thematic 
progression  
  
____________________ 

 
Abstract  
___________________________________________________________________ 
This paper is based on a study aimed to find out the types of thematic progression patterns the students 

mostly employ in their recount texts and to examine the coherence of fourth semester students’ recount texts 

viewed from their thematic progression of the English Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang in the 

Academic Year of 2015/2016 who took Genre-Based Writing (GBW) class in Rombel 1. This study was a 

written discourse analysis which was used to figure out the realization of meanings. The findings showed 

that all of the students employed more than one pattern in their recount texts. They tended to use 

combination between reiteration (constant), zig-zag (linear), and multiple theme patterns. However, 

reiteration was the most dominant one. The second dominant pattern was zig-zag pattern. The third 

pattern found in the students’ recount texts was multiple theme. The analysis also showed that the number 

of clauses and the thematic progression patterns produced by the students are not equivalent. It means that 

there are many clauses which are not related to one another. The students often introduced some new 

themes at the beginning of the clause without any relation with other clauses and they break the well 

signposted progression of the text. It can be concluded that most of the recount texts produced by the 

students are not coherent. 

  
 © 2017 Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  


 Correspondent Address: ISSN 2252-6706 
B3 Building FBS Unnes  

Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229  

E-mail: unnes_english@yahoo.com  



I. Safitri & S. Bahri / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 

70 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Writing is one of the four skills in English from which students are supposed to master 

besides listening, speaking and reading. Those skills are classified into two main skills – 

receptive and productive skills (Priyatmojo, 2012 ).Writing is one of the four major language 

skills that is considered as the most difficult skill. It is because writing conveys a meaning 

from the thinking process to the readers. By writing, people can share ideas, feeling, and 

thought as well as persuade other people. Moreover, writing can be good reflection of the 

students‘ understanding of learning English. Since writing is an important skill in teaching 

and learning English, it needs a lot of practice, guidance and feedback to improve the 

students‘ writing ability.  

Writing ability is not acquired naturally, it requires the learners to be taught and 

practiced. There are some factors that cause an ineffective teaching and learning of writing. 

First, it comes from the students themselves. They are lack of basic writing skill and also less 

confident in writing. In addition, they need a lot of practice as they do not have enough 

chance to practice writing. Most of the students do not know how to start their writing and do 

not have enough ideas to write. They cannot generate their ideas and cannot choose the right 

words. They also tend to write a paragraph without knowing about theme and rheme. This 

condition will make their writing not in a good order. That is why it needs a new strategy in 

teaching writing. 

From the teacher‘s point of view, learning writing is training the students to write as 

many paragraphs as possible. The teacher just gives a few topics and then the students are 

asked to write a text that is appropriate to the topic. They do not have enough materials on 

how to develop their ideas into a written text. As the result, the students‘ orientations are on 

the products of writing, not from the process of writing, so their writing is not well organized. 

The way of teaching writing above does not use the appropriate method. A teacher only 

knows the result of writing, not from the process. 

The definition of theme by Halliday as cited in Eggins (2004:299) is the element which 

serves as starting point for the message, so it talks about a clause is going to be about. The 

theme here typically contains familiar or ―given‖ information. Meanwhile the definition of 

rheme by Eggins (2004:300) is the part of the clause in which the theme is developed. 

Therefore, the rheme typically contains unfamiliar or ―new‖ information. 

In writing skill, students have to be able to compose a text based on genre. Genre is a 

kind of text-type, as Gerot and Wignell (1994:17) stated ―A genre can be defined as a 

culturally specific text-type which results from using language (written and spoken) to (help) 

accomplish something.‖ They also stated that genre is culture specific, and has associated 

with them: particular purposes, particular stages, and particular linguistic features. 

Knowledge of genre is important for language teachers in order to help the students compose 

texts. There are some types of genre that are taught in school such as narrative, recount, 

report, procedure, discussion, explanation, exposition, spoof, anecdote, news item, 

description, and etc. A recount text is a text that retells someone‘s experience in the past. 

Students have to be able to compose recount texts, and they also have to be able to convey the 

meaning of the text based on social function, generic structure, and lexicogrammatical 

features of recount text.  

Gerot and Wignell (1994:194) stated that the social function of recount text is to retell 

events for the purpose of informing or entertaining. The generic structures of recount text are 



I. Safitri & S. Bahri / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 

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orientation that provides the setting and introduces participants; events which tell what 

happened, in what sequence; and re-orientation (optional—closure of events). The significant 

lexicogrammatical features focus on using specific participants, material processes, 

circumstances of time and place, past tense, and temporal sequence. 

To make a coherent paragraph, the students should employ thematic progression 

patterns in their writing. According to Paltridge (2002:140), ―Thematic progression refers to 

the way in which the theme of a clause may pick up, or repeat, a meaning from a preceding 

theme or rheme.‖ There are three kinds of thematic progression patterns, reiteration or 

constant theme pattern, zig zag or linear theme pattern, and multiple theme or split theme 

pattern.  

In this study, the researcher intends to find out the types of thematic progression 

patterns the students mostly employ in their recount texts and to examine the coherence of 

the students‘ recount texts viewed from their thematic progression. 

METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH 

This study was a written discourse analysis which was used to figure out the realization 

of the meaning. According to Creswell (2009:173), ―Qualitative procedures demonstrates a 

different approach to scholarly inquiry than methods of quantitative research‖. Qualitative 

inquiry employs different philosophical assumptions; strategies of inquiry; and methods of 

data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Although the processes are similar, qualitative 

procedures rely on text and image data, have unique steps in data analysis, and draw on 

diverse strategies of inquiry. 

The object of the study was the recount texts of the fourth semester students of the 

English Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang in the academic year of 2015/2016 who 

took Genre-Based Writing (GBW) class in Rombel 1. 

In this study, the types of data were written discourse analysis data that were described 

in the form of clauses. In collecting the data, the researcher took several steps. The first one 

was documentation. In this step, the researcher took the data from the recount texts of the 

fourth semester students of the English Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang in the 

academic year of 2015/2016 who took Genre-Based Writing (GBW) class in Rombel 1. The 

second one was listing. This step, the researcher listed all the clauses of the students‘ recount 

texts. The third one was identifying. The researcher analyzed the students‘ recount texts using 

thematic progression patterns. 

In analysing the data, the researcher read all the students‘ recount texts. The researcher 

should understand each of the students‘ recount texts. Next, the researcher divided the 

students‘ recount texts into clauses. Then, the researcher analyzed the students‘ recount texts. 

Firstly, the clauses were analysed in terms of thematic structures in order to figure out the 

point of departure of each clause. Secondly, the researcher analyzed the students‘ recount 

texts using thematic progression patterns to see the types of thematic progression patterns the 

students mostly employ in their recount texts and to examine the coherence of the students‘ 

recount texts viewed from their thematic progression. 

After analysing the students‘ recount texts, the researcher calculated the thematic 

progression patterns of each of the students‘ recount texts, and categorized them in the table 

below: 

 



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Thematic 

Patterns 

The Students‘ Writings 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Reiteration            

Zig-zag            

Multiple            

Total of 

Clauses  

          

 

Table 2.1 Thematic Progression Patterns of the Students‘ Recount Texts

In reporting the data, the researcher presented two kinds of reporting data. The first 

one is presenting table and figure. In reporting the data, the researcher showed the tables and 

figures that were used to present the percentage of each item analysis which supported the 

thematic progressions analysis. The second one is discussion. The researcher interpreted the 

data descriptively. 

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION 

There are 20 students‘ recount texts as the data of this research. The writings are in the 

form of paragraphs with different topics. The students chose their own topic such as 

unforgettable experience, impressive moment, unforgettable holiday, and etc. In this part, the writer 

presents the thematic progression patterns of every students‘ writing to know the types of the 

thematic progression patterns the students mostly employ in their recount texts and the 

coherence of the students‘ recount texts viewed from their thematic progression. The table 

below illustrates the numbers and the writings flow produced by the students in their writings.  

1. Thematic Progression Patterns in the Students’ Recount Texts 

 

Students‘ 

Writing 

Thematic Progression Pattern 

Reiteration Zig-zag Multiple Total of Clauses 

1 13 5 2 34 

2 13 3 2 32 

3 13 2 2 29 

4 9 4 2 33 

5 9 6 - 30 

6 6 12 - 28 

7 17 3 - 37 

8 8 7 - 23 

9 18 7 2 46 

10 10 12 - 40 

11 6 10 4 36 

12 15 9 5 33 

13 13 9 2 35 

14 15 15 6 52 

15 9 7 9 34 



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16 18 5 3 37 

17 9 6  29 

18 11 6 6 28 

19 12 5 2 26 

20 20 10 11 51 

Total  245 143 67 693 

Percentage  35.35% 20.63% 9.67% 100% 

Table 2.2 : The Thematic Progression Pattern of the Students‘ Recount Texts

The table shows that there are three types of the thematic progression patterns found in 

the students‘ recount texts. They are reiteration/constant theme pattern, zig-zag/linear theme 

pattern, and multiple theme. It can be seen from the table that the most dominant thematic 

progression pattern found in the students‘ writings is reiteration/constant theme pattern with 

35.35%. The second dominant is zig-zag pattern with 20.63%. The third pattern found in the 

students‘ writing is multiple theme with 9.67%.  

1.1 Reiteration/Constant Theme Pattern 

As shown in the Table 2, the most dominant thematic progression pattern found in the 

students‘ writings is reiteration/constant theme pattern. In this case, the students tend to use 

personal pronouns such as I, you, we, they, she, he, and it in their writings. The students think 

that it is easier for them by repeating theme of one clause to another at the beginning of a 

clause. It can be seen from the example taken from the student‘s text.

Text 7 

Theme 1    Rheme 1 

 

Theme 2    Rheme 2 

 

Theme 3    Rheme 3 

 

Theme 4    Rheme 4 

 

Theme 5    Rheme 5 

 

Theme 8    Rheme 8 



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Theme 9    Rheme 9 

 

Theme 11   Rheme 11 

 

Theme 12   Rheme 12 

 

Theme 16   Rheme 16 

 

Theme 17   Rheme 17 

 

Theme 18   Rheme 18 

  

Theme 19   Rheme 19 

 

Theme 20   Rheme 20 

 

Theme 21   Rheme 21 

 

Theme 22   Rheme 22 

 

Theme 23   Rheme 23 

 

Theme 24   Rheme 24 

 



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Theme 25   Rheme 25 

 

Theme 26   Rheme 26 

 

Theme 27   Rheme 27 

 

Theme 29   Rheme 29 

 

Theme 30   Rheme 30 

 

Theme 34   Rheme 34 

 

Theme 35   Rheme 35 

 

Theme 36   Rheme 36 

 

Theme 37   Rheme 37 

 

It can be seen from the figure above that the theme of the first clause ‘One of my 

unforgettable experiences‘ becomes the theme in the second clause. Then, the theme in the 

third clause ‗when I‘ is repeated in the theme of the fourth and the fifth clauses. Also, the 

theme in the eighth clause ‗where we‘ becomes the theme in the ninth clause ‗then we‘. The 

theme in the eleventh clause ‗I‘ becomes the theme in the twelfth clause ‗because finally I‘, 

too. Next, the theme in sixteenth clause ‗Many kinds of animals‘ becomes the theme in the 

seventeenth clause ‗There‘. Then, the theme in the twentieth clause ‗My mom‘ becomes the 

theme in the twenty first clause ‗that she‘. Besides, the theme in the twenty second clause 

‗then we‘ is picked up and repeated in the theme of the twenty third, twenty fourth, twenty 

fifth, twenty sixth, and twenty seventh clauses. The theme in the twenty ninth clause ‗we‘ also 

becomes the theme in the thirtieth clause ‗then we‘. The last, the theme in the thirty fourth 

clause ‗that I‘ is also repeated in the theme of the thirty fifth, thirty sixth, and thirty seventh 

clauses. 



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1.2 Zig-zag/Linear Theme Pattern 

Based on Table 2, it can be seen that the second dominant pattern found in the 

students‘ writings is zig-zag/linear theme pattern. In this pattern, the rheme of one clause is 

taken up in the theme of a following clause. The examples are taken from the students‘ 

writing and can be seen in the figure below. 

Text 6 

Theme 1    Rheme 1 

 

Theme 2    Rheme 2 

 

Theme 4    Rheme 4 

 

Theme 5    Rheme 5 

 

Theme 7    Rheme 7 

 

Theme 8    Rheme 8 

 

Theme 9    Rheme 9 

 

Theme 11   Rheme 11 

 

Theme 12   Rheme 12 

 

Theme 13   Rheme 13 

 

Theme 14   Rheme 14 



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Theme 15   Rheme 15 

 

Theme 16   Rheme 16 

Theme 17   Rheme 17 

 

Theme 18   Rheme 18 

 

Theme 20   Rheme 20 

 

Theme 21   Rheme 21 

 

Theme 25   Rheme 25 

 

Theme 26   Rheme 26 

 

It can be seen in the figure above that the rheme in the first clause ‗my grandmother 

said to my mother‘ changes to ‗that she‘ and becomes the theme in the second clause. Then, 

the rheme in the fifth clause ‗prepared a lot of thing‘ also becomes the theme in the seventh 

clause ‗After all the preparation‘. The rheme of the eighth clause ‗went to Purbalingga at 6 

a.m.‘ also changes to ‗It‘ and becomes the theme in the ninth clause. Next, the rheme in the 

eleventh clause ‗decided to visit Purbayasa, one of the favorite tourism places‘ becomes the 

theme in the twelfth clause ‗In Purbayasa‘. The rheme of the twelfth clause ‗there is a giant 

aquarium‘ becomes the theme in the thirteenth clause ‗This giant aquarium‘, too. Also, the 

theme of the thirteenth clause ‗has a wide variety of fish and sea animals from Asia, 

Australia, Europe, America and Africa‘ becomes the theme in the sixteenth clause ‗In 

addition to a wide variety of fish, in this Purbayasa‘. Besides, the rheme of the sixteenth 

clause ‗there are also many kinds of birds and various species of flora‘ becomes the theme in 

the seventeenth clause ‗My most favorite bird‘. Then, the rheme of the seventeenth clause ‗is 

peacock‘ becomes the theme in the eighteenth clause ‗The wings of peacock‘. The other is the 

rheme of the twentieth clause ‗we decided to take a rest‘ becomes the theme in the twenty first 



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clause ‗and (we)‘. The last, the rheme of the twenty fifth clause ‗all of us felt tired‘ changes to 

‗so we‘ and becomes the theme in the twenty sixth clause.  

1.3 Multiple Theme  

It can be seen from Table 2 that the third theme pattern found in the students‘ writings 

is multiple theme. In this pattern, the students try to develop their paragraphs by picking the 

rheme which may include a number of different pieces of information. Each of which may be 

taken up as the theme in a number of subsequent clauses. The examples below are taken from 

the students‘ writings on and can be seen in the following figure. 

Text 15 

Theme 6    Rheme 6 

 

Theme 7    Rheme 7 

 

Theme 12   Rheme 12 

 

 

Theme 14   Rheme 14 

 

Theme 16   Rheme 16 

 

Theme 17   Rheme 17 

 

Theme 18   Rheme 18 

 

Theme 19   Rheme 19 

 

Theme 20   Rheme 20 

 



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Theme 21   Rheme 21 

 

Theme 22   Rheme 22 

 

Theme 24   Rheme 24 

 

Theme 28   Rheme 28 

 

It can be seen from the figure above that the rheme of the sixth clause ‗we went to Kuta 

beach‘ is taken up as the theme in the seventh and the twelfth clauses. The rheme of the 

fourteenth clause ‗passed the night at the backyard of my cousins‘ house‘ is also taken up as 

the theme in the sixteenth and the nineteenth clauses. Besides, the rheme of the sixteenth 

clause ‗I really felt‘ is taken up as the theme in the eighteenth, twenty second, and twenty 

fourth clauses. The last, the rheme of the twentieth clause ‗we went to Tanjung Benoa‘ is 

taken up as the theme in the twenty first and the twenty eighth clauses.  

2. Coherence of the Students’ Recount Texts Viewed from their Thematic 

Progression 

The ability to make a coherent paragraph in writing is a very important skill the 

students need to master. This skill is considered very helpful in their studies, when writing in 

their native language as well as in foreign language. Coherence means to hold together. It 

means that the texts have the right order with the clear process. Coherence plays an important 

role in writing activities. Coherence, that is usually used in many reading texts should have 

well-organized paragraphs, where in the text, they have clear main ideas which are supported 

by relevant sentences. 

To organise any text into a coherent whole, the writers need to keep their readers well 

informed about where they are and where they are going (Butt et al, 2000:134). Based on 

Using Functional Grammar, there are grammatical resources to signpost the way through 

clauses, clause complexes and paragraphs, from the beginning to the end of a text. According 

to Butt et al. (2000:134), the first signpost must be at the beginning of a text, paragraph or 

clause. It tells the readers what the writer has in mind as a starting point. The signposts realise 

the textual meanings. The writers use the first position in the clause to signal to their readers 

what the message is about. The first position in a clause contains textual meanings because it 

signposts the development of a text. To analyse textual meanings, we need a simple and 

distinct metalanguage. We call the first element theme and the rest of the clause rheme. 

Based on the finding in Table 2, the number of clauses and the thematic progression 

patterns produced by the students is not balanced. It means that there are many clauses which 

are not related to one another. The students often introduced some new themes at the 

beginning of the clause without any relation with other clauses and they break the well 

signposted progression of the text. For brief explanation, it can be seen in the example below.  



I. Safitri & S. Bahri / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 

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Text 1 

Text 1 is talking about Impressive Moment and it is found that the Theme of the first clause ‗I‘ 

becomes the Theme in the second clause ‗when I‘. Then, the Rheme of the first clause ‗would like to 

share you about my impressive experience‘ changes to ‗It‘ and becomes the Theme of the third 

clause. However, the Theme of the third clause has no relation with the Theme of the fourth clause, 

which breaks the well signposted progression of the text. The student introduces the new theme in 

the third clause. It talks about when the impressive experience happened, meanwhile the Theme of 

the fourth clause refers to the previous theme of clause 1 ‗I‘, so the Theme of the third clause is not 

related to the Theme of the fourth clause because there is no logical connection between them. Next, 

the Theme of the fourth clause ‗I‘ becomes the Theme in the fifth clause ‗because I‘. The other is the 

Rheme of the fifth clause ‗joined an extracurricular ―Pecinta Alam‖‘ changes to ‗Well, in that 

moment‘ and becomes the Theme of the sixth clause. Then, the Rheme of the sixth clause ‗my 

friends and I had to take a long march‘ is taken up in the Theme of the seventh and the tenth 

clauses. Besides, the Theme of the seventh clause ‗It‘ is repeated in the Theme of the eighth and the 

ninth clauses.  

It is the same with the Theme of the third and the fourth clauses, the Theme of the tenth 

clause has no relation with the Theme of the eleventh clause. The Theme of the tenth clause refers to 

the previous theme of clause 6, but in the Theme of the eleventh clause the student introduces the 

new theme. The student used an adverb of time ‗On the next day‘ which breaks the well signposted 

progression of the text, so the Theme of the tenth clause is not related to the Theme of the eleventh 

clause because the logical connection between them is weak. Next, the Rheme in the eleventh clause 

‗we had to continue our activity‘ becomes the Theme in the twelfth clause ‗Survival, getting closer 

with a snake, SAR, rappelling and other activity‘. Then, the Rheme of the twelfth clause ‗we spent in 

Serang‘ becomes the Theme of the fourteenth clause ‗when we‘. Also, the Theme of the fourteenth 

clause ‗when we‘ becomes the Theme in the fifteenth clause ‗We‘. However,  the Theme of the 

fifteenth clause is not related to the Theme of the sixteenth clause. The student used the different 

theme in the eleventh clause, which breaks the well signposted progression of the text. The Theme of 

the fifteenth clause refers to the previous theme of clause 14, which talks about the student‘s friends 

and herself, but the Theme of the sixteenth clause talks about herself only, so the Theme of the 

fifteenth clause has no relation with the Theme of the sixteenth clause because the logical 

connection between them is weak. 

The other is the Theme of the sixteenth clause ‗I‘ is repeated in the Theme of the seventeenth, 

the eighteenth, the nineteenth, the twentieth, and the twenty first clauses. Then, the Theme of the 

twenty first clause is not related to the Theme of the twenty second and the twenty third clauses. The 

Theme of the twenty first clause refers to the previous themes, but unexpectedly the student 

introduces the new themes in the twenty second and the twenty third clauses. The Theme of twenty 

second and the twenty third clauses talk about the activity that the student did when joining an 

extracurricular ‗Pecinta Alam‘, which has no relation with the theme in the twenty first clause that 

talks about herself, so it breaks the well signposted progression of the text. Next, the Theme in the 

twenty third clause ‗in which we‘ becomes the Theme of the twenty fourth clause ‗and(we)‘. Besides, 

the Rheme of the twenty fourth clause ‗catch a snake‘ changes to ‗It‘ and becomes the Theme in the 

twenty fifth clause. However, the Theme of the twenty fifth clause has no relation with the Theme of 

the twenty sixth clause because the student introduces the new theme in the twenty sixth clause. The 

twenty fifth clause talks about catching a snake meanwhile the twenty sixth clause talks about the 

student‘s friends, so it breaks the well signposted progression of the text because there is no logical 



I. Safitri & S. Bahri / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 

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connection between them. The logical connection between the Theme of the twenty fifth and the 

twenty sixth clauses is weak. 

Then, the Theme of the twenty sixth clause ‗because almost all of my friends‘ changes to ‗and 

they‘ in the Theme of the twenty seventh clause. The logical connection between the Theme of the 

twenty seventh and the twenty eighth clause is also weak because they have no relation. The Theme 

of the twenty seventh clause refers to the previous theme of clause 26, but the Theme of the twenty 

eighth clause is a new theme. It talks about the survival stage which has no relation with the Theme 

of the twenty seventh clause that talks about the student‘s friends, so it breaks the well signposted 

progression of the text. Next, the Theme of the twenty ninth clause ‗all of us‘ also changes to 

‗because we‘  and becomes the Theme of the thirtieth clause. There are still five clauses that do not 

employ any pattern. The Theme of the thirtieth clause is not related to the Theme of the thirty first, 

thirty second, thirty third, and thirty fourth clauses because they are new themes. They used 

different themes in each clause. In the Theme of the thirty first clause, the student used an adverb of 

time, which has no relation with the Theme of the thirtieth clause. In the Theme of the thirty second 

clause, it talks about the student‘s senior, which has no relation with the Theme of the thirty first 

clause. In the Theme of the thirty third clause, the student introduces a new theme ‗I‘, which has no 

relation with the Theme of the thirty second clause. The last, the Theme of the thirty third clause 

talks about the most impressive moment of her life, which has no relation with the Theme of the 

thirty third clause, so the Theme of the thirty first, thirty second, thirty third, and thirty fourth break 

the well signposted progression of the text. 

Based on the analysis above, it can be concluded that text 1 is not coherent because there are 

many clauses which are not related to one another. The student often introduces some new themes 

at the beginning of the clause without any relation with other clauses and they break the well 

signposted progression of the text  

CONCLUSIONS 

The objectives of this study are to find out the types of thematic progression patterns the 

students mostly employ in their recount texts and to examine the coherence of the fourth  semester 

students‘ recount texts viewed from their thematic progression of the English Department, 

Universitas Negeri Semarang in the academic year of 2015/2016 who took Genre-Based Writing 

Class in Rombel 1. Based on the data analysis and the results of the study in the previous chapter, 

the conclusions can be drawn as follows. 

The findings showed that all of the students employed more than one pattern in their recount 

texts. They tended to use combination between reiteration (constant), zig-zag (linear), and multiple 

theme patterns. However, reiteration was the most dominant one. It can be said that it is easier for 

the students by repeating theme of one clause to another at the beginning of the clause. This pattern 

allowed the readers to easily find the information in the text. The second dominant pattern was zig-

zag pattern. Most of zig-zag patterns occured in the relative clauses which functioned to replace the 

subject. This pattern indicated that the students tried to introduce newly information by promoting 

the rheme in the previous clause as the theme in the following clause. The third pattern found in the 

students‘ recount texts was multiple theme. In this pattern, the students tried to develop their 

writings by picking the rheme which may include a number of different pieces of information, each 

of which may be taken up as the theme in a number of subsequent clauses.  

The ability to make a coherent paragraph in writing is very important skill the students need 

to master. This skill is considered very helpful in their studies, when writing in their native language 

as well as in foreign language. Coherence plays an important role in writing activities. Coherence, 



I. Safitri & S. Bahri / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 

82 

 

that is usually used in many reading texts should have well-organized paragraphs, where in the text, 

they have clear main ideas which are supported by relevant sentences. 

The analysis also showed that the numbers of clauses and the thematic progression patterns 

produced by the students are not equivalent. It means that there are many clauses which are not 

related to one another. The students often introduced some new themes at the beginning of the 

clause without any relation with other clauses and they break the well signposted progression of the 

text. It can be concluded that most of the recount texts produced by the students are not coherent. 

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Creswell, John. W. 2009. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches 3rd Edition. 

California: Sage Publications. 

Eggins, Suzanne. 2004. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistoics 2nd Edition. London: Continuum. 

Gerot, L. and P. Wignell. 1994. Making Sense of Functional Grammar. Sydney: Gerd Stabler. 

Paltridge, Brian. 2000. Making Sense of Discourse Analysis. Queensland: Merino Lithographics. 

Priyatmojo, Arif Suryo. 2012. Improving Coherence of The Students’ Sentences by Applying Thematic Progression 

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