Chapter 6: Predicates, Arguments and Thematic Roles Flashcards
What are ‘predicates’?
‘elements that require the specification of the participants in the proposition expressed’ (Aarts 89)
What are arguments?
Participants that are required by the predicate in order for the proposition of the sentence to be fully expressed.
One-place (monadic) predicate
a predicate that only takes one argument.
eg. Anna laughed.
Two-place (dyadic) predicate
a predicate that requires two arguments.
Eg. Anna saw the film.
internal argument
The argument inside the verb phrase, i.e. following the verb.
external argument
The argument outside the verb phrase, i.e. the Subject argument.
How do the semantic notions of predicates correspond with syntactical notions?
‘It is important to see that the semantic notions one-place predicate, two-place predicate and three-place predicate correspond with the syntactic notions intransitive verb, transitive verb and ditransitive verb.’ (Aarts 90)
How is Predicate different from predicate?
Predicate as we learned in Chap 2 is everything in the sentence except the Subject. This is a syntactic use of the term. In Chap 6 ‘predicate’ is used in a semantic sense. Predicator is a functional notion and not to be confused with predicate.
Three-place (triadic) predicate
A predicate that requires three predicates
What is a selectional restriction?
Sentences that are syntactically well formed, but don’t make sense semantically.
Semantics
To do with the meaning of words and sentences.
What is a thematic role?
The role a participant/word plays as denoted by the governing verb (predicate) of the sentence.
Agent?
The ‘doer’ or instigator of the action denoted by the predicate.
Patient?
The ‘undergoer’ of the action or event denoted by the predicate.
Theme?
The entity that is moved by the action or event denoted by the predicate.
