3. A semantic role is the underlyingrelationship that
aparticipanthas withthe main verbin a clause.
DEFINITI
ON
Words are not just a “containers” of meanings. They
fulfill different “roles” within the situation described
by a sentence.
For example: If the situation is a simple event such
as
The boy kicked the ball
The verb „kicked‟describes an action.
The noun phrases ‘The boy’ and ‘the ball’ describe the roles of
entities such as people and things involved in the action.
5. The entity that performs the action is
technically known as “agent”.
For example:
The boy kicked the ball.
o As in the sentence one role is taken by the
boy and the boy performs the action, so it is
agent.
Although agents are typically human, they
can also
be non-human forces, machines or
creatures.
For
example:
The wind blew the ball
away.
The car ran over the
ball.
6. The entity that is involvedin or affectedby the action
is
technically known as
“theme”. For example:
The boy kicked the ball.
o In this sentence “ball” is the theme because it is
affected by the action performed by the ‘agent’.
The theme can also be an entity that is simply
being described.
For example:
The ball was red.
The theme can also be human. Indeed the physical
entity can appear in two semantic roles.
For example: The boy kicked himself.
THEME
7. INSTRUMENT
If an agent uses another entity in
performing an action, that other entity fills
the role of instrument.
For example:
o She writes a letter.
o He have the lunch.
In “writing with a pen” or “eating with a
spoon” the phrases “a pen” and “a spoon”
have the semantic role of instrument.
8. EXPERIENCER
When a noun phrase designates an entity as a
person who has a feeling, a perception or a
state, it fills the role of experiencer.
If we see, know or enjoy something, we do
not p
e
r
f
o
r
many action. In this way we are in the role
of experiencer.
For example:
Did you hear that noise?
The experiencer is “you”and theme is “that noise”.
9. When an entity is in the description of the
event then it fills the role of Location. (on the
table, in the room etc).
For example: Mary saw a mosquito on
the wall. In this sentence “onthe
wall” is location.
LOCATION
10.
11. It is a notational method which can be used to
express the existence or non-existence of pre-
established semantic properties by using plus
and minus signs.
Man is
[+HUMAN], [+MALE],
[+ADULT]
Woman is [+HUMAN],
[- MALE], [+ADULT]
Boy is [+HUMAN], [+MALE],
[-
ADULT]
Girl is [+HUMAN], [-
MALE], [- ADULT]
12. It can be used to describe differences between
antonyms, super-ordinates and their hyponyms, and
near synonyms.
