KLARA SURYANI A. MAURA LOLINA Pengarang Tans Feliks Dosen Pembimbing 1 MERLYN K .NELLOE Dosen Pembimbing 2 Josua Bire Penguji 2 Tans Feliks Ketua Penguji Merlyn K. Nelloe, S.Pd.,Med.,M.App.Ling Penguji 1

Lack of students' understanding of study a thematic progression will affect the final results of their writing which, in turn, have an impact on their learning outcomes. This research aims to know about kinds of thematic progression patterns in argumentative essays and to describe patterns of thematic progression in argumentative essays written by the third semester students of English Education Study Program of Nusa Cendana University. This research used qualitative method. The data were collected by asking the students to write argumentative essays in class. In writing their essays, they were not allowed to use dictionary or google translate and discuss with other students. Also, they were not allowed to take resources from the internet. The finding revealed that: (1) there are three kinds of thematic progression that they used in their essays, namely, constant theme (theme reiteration), linear theme (zig-zag pattern), and split rheme (multiple patterns); and (2) the method used by students in using thematic progression patterns in their argumentative essays was by repeating the theme or rheme in the initial sentence as the subject/theme in the next clause or sentence. Keywords: Thematic progression, arguments, essays, theme, rheme.