semantics roles

1. What is a semantic role?

2. A semantic role is the underlying relationship that a participant has with the main verb in a clause . Also known as: Semantic case, thematic role.

4. Grammatical relations ( subject, object, oblique …) are morphosyntactic, whereas semantic roles ( agent, patient, instrument …) are conceptual notions . Semantic roles do not correspond directly to grammatical relations. Notice what varying semantic roles a subject can play: Sentence Grammatical relation Semantic role Bob opened the door with a key. Bob = SUBJECT Bob = AGENT The key opened the door. The key = SUBJECT The key = INSTRUMENT The door opened. The door = SUBJECT The door = PATIENT

9. What is a beneficiary as a semantic role? A beneficiary is the semantic role of a referent which is advantaged or disadvantaged by an event. Ex: John helped Susan to buy her first car.

23. Semantic Roles Agen t: 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. Experiencer : The living entity that experiences the action or event denoted by the predicate. Goal : The location or entity in the direction of which something moves. Benefactive : The entity that benefits from the action or event denoted by the predicate. Source: The location or entity from which something moves Instrument : The medium by which the action or event denoted by the predicate is carried out. Locative : The specification of the place where the action or event denoted by the predicate in situated. (Aarts 1997: 88)

24. Examples: Theme (or Patient): Entity undergoing the effect of some action. ( Mary is happy ) Agent: Instigator of some action. ( John killed Harry) Experiencer : Entity experiencing some psychological state. ( John smelled her perfume ) Goal: Entity towards which something moves. (John went home )