Chapter 6 - Semantic roles Flashcards
Core grammatical relations
AGENT, THEME, FORCE, INSTRUMENT, EXPERIENCER, PATIENT, RECIPIENT, and GOAL
Oblique phrases
LOCATION, DIRECTION, SETTING, PURPOSE, TIME, MANNER
Agent
the typically animate perceived instigator of the action
Force
an entity that instigates an action, but not consciously or voluntarily
Patient
undergoes a visible, physical change in state
Theme
a participant that moves, or is the locus of an action or property that does not undergo a change
Instrument
something that causes an action indirectly. Normally an agent acts upon an instrument and the instrument accomplishes the action
Experiencer
neither controls nor is visibly affected by an action. Prototypically and experiencer is an entity that receives a sensory impression
Recipient & goal
typically animate destination of some moving object. A goal is simply the endpoint of a trajectory of motion
Intransitive verbs
Verbs whose meanings evoke scenes that only require one participant
Intransitive clauses
clauses whose argument structure requires only one noun phrase
States
situations in the discourse world in which there is no change, and no action
Progressive construction
the construction that involves the auxiliary verb be plus another verb with the suffix -ing
Stative clauses
require only one participant, since there is no action to transfer from one participant to another, though there may be a second, non-affected participant
Process
a situation that involves change over time. Processes can be either involuntary or voluntary
Motion
all expressions of motion involve a THEME (a thing that moves), and an expressed or implied PATH along which the THEME moves. The path may be specified in terms of starting point, the ending point, both starting and ending points, or neither. It may simply be implied. Motion can also involve a MANNER in which the motion is accomplished
Translational motion
motion from one place to another
Actions
situations that are initiated by some conscious or unconscious force, but do not necessarily involve an affected participant
Action processes
situations initiated by some conscious or unconscious force, and which affect a distinct PATIENT
Production verbs
those that describe the coming into existence of some entity, e.g., build, ignite, form, create, make, gather
Cognizer
main participant of a cognition verb
Verbs of cognition
express such concepts as know, think, understand
Sensation verbs
express concepts involving the senses
Manipulation verbs
prototypically express concepts that involve physical or rhetorical force to get someone to do something
Forms of English verbs
The bare form: walk go
The -s form: walks goes
The past tense: walked went
The past participle: walked gone
The present participle: walking going
