1
general::
theme
adjectives
the main/central/dominant theme
• The main theme of the book is the importance of honesty.
a major theme
• Cultural change is the second major theme of his work.
a common theme
• Death and rebirth is a common theme in Eliot’s poetry.
a recurrent/recurring theme
(= one that appears several times )
• Returning to traditional values was a major theme of the president’s speech.
an underlying theme
(= one that is important but not very noticeable )
• One of the book’s underlying themes is the struggle for human rights.
a universal theme
(= subjects that affect people of all races and cultures )
• Readers everywhere can relate to the universal themes in his work.
phrases
variations on a theme
(= things with a similar basic subject, style etc )
• Most of her short stories are variations on the theme of tragedy.
transnet.ir
3
general::
noun ADJ. basic, central, dominant, important, key, main, major, underlying | broad, general | common, popular, universal universal themes of love and loneliness | constant, familiar, favourite, recurrent, recurring | related | unifying | contemporary, topical | historical, religious, etc. | campaign, conference, research | musical The film's haunting musical theme stayed in my head for days. VERB + THEME develop, discuss, examine, explore His later novels develop the theme of alienation. | warm to ‘Our work’, he continued, warming to his theme, ‘will be a milestone in scientific history.’ THEME + VERB emerge Several familiar themes emerged from the discussion. | run through sth The same themes run through all her novels. THEME + NOUN music, song, tune | park, pub PREP. on the ~ of He gave a talk on the theme of teenage unemployment. PHRASES variations on a theme Most of the essays appear to be variations on a few central themes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary