Introducing English Linguistics

Thus
, Irish nationalism is conceived by most members in an abstract
way, but it has concrete import for key groups. 
(BNC A07 221)
Thus
hard braking should be avoided, particularly if the glider has start-
ed to swing. 
(BNC AOH 543)
In a rough sense, placing or not placing a comma after Thus mimics the into-
nation choices that speakers have when this word occurs clause-initially:
they can either give Thus prominence by placing it in a tone unit by itself, or
deemphasize it by integrating it into a larger tone unit containing the words
following it. In writing, a comma after thus adds emphasis to it; no comma
decreases its prominence in the clause. The effects in writing, of course, are
much less pronounced than in speech, since writing is a mainly visual medi-
um, and punctuation can provide at best only a rough representation of the
intonation patterns that would exist if the written text were read aloud.
In addition to passivization, there are other syntactic processes that
serve to focus items in a clause or add extra emphasis to them. One
process, already mentioned in Chapter 2, is topicalization, which involves
moving information out of its normal positioning in the rheme to the
front of the clause. The example below focuses on many characteristics of
Max Bialystock, all occurring in a series of noun phrases at the end of the
first sentence. Although the theme of the second sentence – a mensch – is
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INTRODUCING ENGLISH LINGUISTICS

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new information, its form – indefinite article 
 noun – is parallel to the
other noun phrases. Moving it out of the rheme therefore adds emphasis
to it and also promotes cohesion.
Max Bialystock is many things – a stinking liar, a crook, a shameless
noodge, a stud muffin for the elderly and infirm. And of course a big fat
Broadway producer. But a mensch he is not. 
(NY Times, Jan. 19, 2007, p. B2)
The final sentence in the next example contains a clause beginning with
How that is parallel in form to the two clauses ending the preceding sen-
tence and that contains some old information, the pronoun that:
“They’re [Iraqi militants] watching us carefully,” he [Maj. Gen. Joseph F.
Fil Jr.] said. “There’s an air of suspense throughout the city. We believe,
there’s no question about it, that many of these extremists are laying
low and watching to see what it is we do and how we do it. How long