摘要：One way of achieving cohesion in text is through thematic progression, which involves the relationship between clauses based on the information contained in their themes and rhemes (Belmonte & McCabe, 1998). Taking this in mind, this paper was centered on scrutinizing the status of thematic progression patterns in EFL students’ compositions. To this end, 180 compositions written by 60 students - 20 sophomores, 20 juniors, and 20 seniors- majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language based on three pictorial stories were analyzed using McCabe’s (1999) model of thematic progression. The results illustrated significant differences between the three groups regarding their use of linear and constant patterns of progression. The number of applied linear and constant patterns by senior group was somehow quite more than the other two groups and on the other hand, most interestingly, the disposition of junior students to use these patterns was greater than sophomore students as well. Such a tendency could be justifiable in light of having previous academic experience that may be one of the factors which influence producing a more cohesive text applying such cohesive devices.
