Semantic roles

Question 1

Margaret (?) is mowing the grass.

Answer 1

agent

Question 2

The flood (?) destroyed several villages (?).

Answer 2

external causer, patient

Question 3

John (?) locked and bolted the door (?).

Answer 3

agent, patient

Question 4

The door (?) both locks and bolts.

Answer 4

patient (still is the affected participant)

Question 5

She (?) jumped the horse (?) over the fence (?).

Answer 5

initiator (she made the horse do it), agent, locative

Question 6

He (?) was just sitting there.

Answer 6

positioner (he has some control, but doesn’t do much)

Question 7

He (?) was running.

Answer 7

agent (has control)

Question 8

He died.

Answer 8

patient (he has no control)

Question 9

The hotel (?) sleeps 30 guests (?).

Answer 9

locative, positioners

Question 10

The 1990s (?) witnessed a sharp increase in…

Answer 10

temporal

Question 11

He (?) loves me.

Answer 11

experiencer/recipient

(Mary loves her dog. → Mary = recipient/experiencer; dog = the source/stimulus)

Question 12

I (?) received a letter.

Answer 12

recipient

Question 13

She (?) is a real lady.

Answer 13

patient

Question 14

She (?) is happy.

Answer 14

experiencer

Question 15

She (?) is tall.

Answer 15

patient

Question 16

She (?) is being difficult.

Answer 16

agent

Question 17

He painted her fingernails (?) pink.

Answer 17

patient

Question 18

He painted a wonderful still life of fish and oysters (?).

Answer 18

resultant

Question 19

A hot coal burnt a hole in the carpet.

Answer 19

resultant

Question 20

He nodded his head (?) in approval.

Answer 20

instrument

Question 21

They were living a busy life (?).

Answer 21

cognate

(verbal action expressed in the verb “living” and also in the object “life”)

Question 22

The men of Rohan had fought a great fight (?) with the Orcs.

Answer 22

cognate

Question 23

She gave a pale smile (?).

Answer 23

eventive (= the event itself)

Question 24

John gave him a long hug (?).

Answer 24

eventive

Question 25

Don’t wag your finger (?) at me.

Answer 25

instrument

Question 26

We walked the beach (?) early in the morning.

Answer 26

locative

Question 27

Have you sent them (?) a copy of the letter?

Answer 27

recipient

Question 28

She wondered whether his patients ever died on him (?).

Answer 28

dative

(= děj je mu ku prospěchu/neprospěchu)