Information Structure
B1
Sentence Structure
1. Function
Information structure shows how information is organized in a sentence.
In Turkish, sentences are built around two main informational zones:
Topic (Theme / Known Information)
What the sentence is about.
Usually known, shared, or already mentioned.
Focus (New or Emphasized Information)
What is new, contrasted, corrected, or emphasized.
It appears immediately before the verb.
The event itself does not change.
Only what the speaker highlights changes.
2. Forms
Information structure is not expressed by suffixes.
It is expressed through:
word order
position relative to the verb
focus particles (sadece, yalnızca, -de/-da)
No new morphology is introduced.
3. Morphology
There is no dedicated morpheme for Topic or Focus.
All grammatical markers remain the same:
tense
person
case
Only linear position changes meaning.
4. Structural Guide
Core rule (non-negotiable):
➡The focused element is the element immediately before the verb.
➡ The verb itself is not focus by default.
➡ The verb marks the end of the focus domain.
Basic pattern:
Topic → (Other elements) → Focus → Verb
Sentence-initial position typically hosts Topic.
Sentence-medial position before the verb hosts Focus.
5. Usage
A) Topic (Known Information)
Topic refers to information assumed to be known or already active.
It often appears:
at the beginning of the sentence
without special emphasis
B) Focus (New / Emphasized Information)
Focus refers to:
new information
corrected information
contrasted information
It appears immediately before the verb and must be visible.
C) Limitation (Sadece / Yalnızca)
Limiting particles force focus onto the element they modify.
They restrict the scope of the action.
D) Contrastive Topic (–de / –da)
The particle –de / –da marks contrast or addition.
It signals “also / too” and creates comparison with alternatives.
Examples
Neutral (no special focus)
Ali dün kitabı aldı.
— Ali bought the book yesterday.
Focus on the object
Ali dün kitabı aldı.
— It was the book that Ali bought.
Focus on time
Kitabı Ali dün aldı.
— It was yesterday that Ali bought the book.
Focus on subject
Kitabı dün Ali aldı.
— It was Ali who bought the book.
Correction (contrastive focus)
A: Ali defteri aldı.
B: Hayır, kitabı aldı.
— Correction through focused object.
Limitation (sadece / yalnızca)
Sadece Ali geldi.
— Only Ali came.
Ali sadece geldi.
— Ali only came (and did nothing else).
Yalnızca kitabı okudu.
— He read only the book.
Contrastive Topic (–de / –da)
Ali kitabı aldı, Ayşe de aldı.
— Ali bought the book; Ayşe did too.
Kitabı Ali aldı, defteri de aldı.
— He bought the book and the notebook as well.
Topic vs Focus contrast
Kitabı Ali aldı.
— The book is topic; Ali is focused.
Ali kitabı aldı.
— Ali is topic; the book is focused.
Notes
Focus always appears immediately before the verb.
The verb itself is not focus unless marked by special constructions.
Topic often appears sentence-initial but does not carry emphasis.
Limiting particles (sadece, yalnızca) and –de/-da actively shape focus.
Turkish relies on word order, not intonation alone, to manage information.
Information Structure – FAQ (B1)
Q: What is the role of information structure in Turkish sentences?
A: Information structure shows how information is organized, not what happens. It distinguishes between what is already known (topic) and what is new or emphasized (focus).
Q: How is focus expressed if there is no special suffix for it?
A: Focus is expressed through word order and position relative to the verb. The focused element always appears immediately before the verb.
Q: What do particles like sadece and –de / –da do in information structure?
A: These particles actively shape focus. sadece and yalnızca limit the scope of the action, while –de / –da marks contrast or addition between elements.