This document discusses semantics and thematic roles in sentences. It defines propositions as the semantic content of a clause without syntax or force. Propositions have predicates and arguments. Thematic roles describe the semantic relations between predicates and arguments, such as agent, experiencer, goal, and patient. Certain verbs can assign dual thematic roles to arguments. The document provides examples to illustrate different thematic roles.

1. Sentence Semantics:
Proposition & Thematic
Roles
Pr epar ed by;
ROSEMARIE B. CARO
EM 204: Structure of English

2. What is Semantics?
The study of meaning of words, phrases,
and sentences.
• Lexical semantics (words and meaning
relationship among words)
•Phrasal/ sentential semantics (syntactic
units larger than a word)

3. Propositions
• The semantic content of a
clause minus any particular
syntactic structure as well
as its intended
communicative force.

4. (Prop.) Harriet call the doctor.
• Did Harriet call the doctor?
• Harriet called the doctor.
• Harriet’s calling the doctor.
• It was the doctor whom Harriet called.
• Will Harriet call the doctor?
• For Harriet to call the doctor.
• It was Harriet who called the doctor
• The one who called the doctor was Harriet.

5. Divisions of Proposition
• Predicate (Pred.)-typically verbs including
prepositions and predicate adjectives
• Argument (Arg.)-is any of the various
elements of the sentence that are set in
relation to one another by the
predicate, typically noun phrases

6. Predicate and Argument
Diagramming

7. 1-place
burn the house
Prop
pred arg
burn The house

8. 2-place
Mary broke the glasses.
Prop
pred arg arg
break Mary The glasses

9. 3-place
We donated the clothes to charity.
Prop
pred arg arg arg
Donate to we The clothes charity

10. Thematic Roles/ፀ-Roles
• “grammatically relevant semantic
relations between predicates and
arguments” (Frawley 1992:201)
• proposed by Charles Fillmore (1968,
1977) and was originally known as case
grammar/semantic case

11. Thematic roles &
expression served by
arguments in a
sentence

12. Agent or “actor”
• Animate,initiator,causer,doer, of an action
who acts by will or volition, takes
responsibility for the action
e.g.
The logger felled the tree.
The tree was felled by the logger
Expression of thematic
subject of active and by phrase

13. Force
• Inanimate cause of an action, which does
not act by will or volition
e.g.
The wind felled the tree.
The tree was felled by the wind.
The logger felled the tree with a single blow.
Expression of thematic
subject of active and by phrase

14. Instrument or “means”
• Inanimate the means by which an event is
caused, an instrument does not act but is
acted upon
e.g.
The tree was felled with an axe.
The sweater was knitted by hand.
Expression of thematic
often expressed in a with or by phrase.

15. Experiencer or “affected”
• The animate being affected inwardly by a
state or action
e.g.
Marianne feels lonely.
I like the book.
The news enraged me.
Expression of thematic
the subject of a state verb

16. Source
• the place-from-which or person-from-whom
an action emanates
e.g.
I got some money out of the bank.
The child took the book off the shelf.
I borrowed the book from my teacher.
Expression of thematic
typically with from, out of, or off

17. Goal
• the place-to-which or person-to-whom an
action is directed
e.g.
I sent to my grandmother a card.
My grandmother was sent a card.
She reached the coast.
Expression of thematic
Used/With to

18. Path
• the path taken in moving from one place to
another in the course of an action
e.g.
Hannibal traveled over the mountains.
We walked along the railroad tracks.
The package came via London.
Expression of thematic
Used/With via, along, or over,

19. Location or “place”
• the place-at/in-which or the time-at-which
an action occurs
e.g.
The dog is behind the couch.
I will return on Tuesday/at noon.
There are many people in the room.
Expression of thematic
Used/With on, in,over, behind, or under

20. Possessor
• the possessor of a thing
Two kinds of possession (connection)
1. Judy’s head (inalienable possession)
2. Judy’s car (alienable possession)

21. Benefactive
• the person or thing for which an action is
performed or the person who derives
something from the actions of another
e.g.
Jack answered the phone for José.
The store special-ordered the book for me.
Expression of thematic
Used/With for

22. Factitive or “result”
• The object resulting from an action or state
e.g.
They formed a circle.
Wren designed St. Paul’s.
He baked a cake.
Expression of thematic
expressed by the noun phrase immediately
following the verb in an active sentence

23. Patient
• the person or thing affected by an action
e.g.
I baked the chicken.
The chicken was baked by me.
The chicken baked in the oven.
Expression of thematic
expressed by the noun phrase

24. Theme
• the person or thing undergoes an action
e.g.
I put the letter on the table.
The letter flew out of the window.
We read the letter.
Expression of thematic
expressed by the noun phrase immediately
following the verb in an active sentence

25. Neutral “theme”
• the person or thing which is not changed or
even acted upon
e.g.
The house costs a lot.
The table measures three feet by three feet.
Richard saw a tree on the horizon.
Expression of thematic
expressed by both subjects and DO

26. Range or “extent”
• the specification or limitation of an action
e.g.
The dress costs a hundred dollars.
We drove ten miles.
He hummed a silly tune.
Expression of thematic
expressed by the noun phrase immediately
following the verb in an active sentence

27. Role
• a person playing a role or part in an action or
state
e.g.
We made Liz treasurer of the club.
Hilda is the principal of the school.
Expression of thematic
denoted by subject and object complements

28. • Note the differences between Patient,
Theme, Neutral, and Factitive:
Jane broke the vase. (Patient/changed)
Jane moved the vase. (Theme/undergoes
action)
Jane saw the vase. (Neutral/no effect)
Jane made a vase. (Factitive/virtue)

29. Dual Thematic Roles
arguments of certain classes of verbs.

30. Lucille sat down.
Lucille = Agent and Theme
They presented an award to Sam.
They = Agent and Source
Sam = Goal
award = Theme

31. They presented Sam with an award.
They = Agent and Source
Sam = Theme and Goal
award = Neutral
She sprayed paint on the wall.
She = Agent
paint = Patient
wall = Location

32. She sprayed the wall with paint.
She = Agent
the wall = Patient and Location
paint = Theme
The thief stole her jewels.
The thief = Agent and Goal
her = Possessor
jewels = Theme

33. The thief stole the jewels from her.
The thief = Agent and Goal
her = Source
jewels = Theme
The thief robbed her of the jewels.
The thief = Agent and Goal
her = Theme and Source
jewels = Neutral

34. We made Rachel (to be) captain.
We = Agent
Rachel = Theme and Experiencer
captain = Role

35. THANK YOU