前文已经讨论（2022-06-22让句子的主题足够凸显 - 简书 (jianshu.com)），写文章要让每个句子的主题足够凸显：通常是将主题放在句子的起始位置。不过，有时候为了达到某些特殊的目的，作者会有意地去设计主题：
将读者作为句子的主题
试比较以下两条广告语：
1a. The following information should be verified in every lease before signing: a full description of the premises to be rented and its exact location; the amount, frequency, and dates of payments; the amounts of deposits and prepayment of rents; a statement setting forth the conditions under which the deposit will be refunded.
1b. When you get the lease from the landlord, do not sign it right away. Before you sign, make sure the lease . . .
(1) describes the place that you are renting;
(2) states where it is;
(3) states
• how much rent you have to pay
• how often you have to pay it
• on what day you have to pay it;
(4) states
• how much security deposit you have to pay
• how much rent you have to pay before you move in;
(5) states when the landlord can keep your deposit.
例句1b将读者作为句子的主要角色，虽然文本更长，但是让人读起来更加清晰，更加友好。从这个例子可以看出，一句话清晰与否与句子的长短没有必然的联系，更为重要的是，如果恰当的将读者作为句子的主题，可以使其表意更为清晰，可读。从这个例子可以看出，作者在写作此书时不仅从作者的角度入手，还会从读者的角度来衡量写作的效果，他确实在努力地借鉴认知科学的相关研究，而不仅仅是就写作而论写作，格局确实很宽。
Designing Topics （设计主题）
A writer can create quite subtle effects by finding verbs that will let him shift into the subject/topic position those characters that will best serve his purposes. Children learn how quickly. Even four year olds understand the difference between,
2a. When Tom and I bumped, my glass dropped, and the juice spilled.
2b. When I bumped into Tom I dropped my glass and spilled the juice.
上述例子可以看出，人们在以不同的立场论述时，会有意识地去设置谁作为主语/主题。生活中常见的例子是，当面对对于自己有利的事情时，人们倾向于将自己设置成主语，反之，则将群体或他人设置成主语。
