Thematic roles It is often convenient to identify arguments of (Fregean) predicates in terms of the following thematic roles, which are illustrated below. agent instrument cause experiencer recipient path location measure theme Agents are arguments that bring about a state of affairs. The line between agents, on the one hand, and instruments or causes, on the other, can be fuzzy, but agents are (or are perceived to be) conscious or sentient, in a way that instruments or causes aren't. Some examples are given in (1)(3). (1) a. Agent: The lions devoured the wildebeest. b. The boys caught some fish. c. My mother wrote me a letter. (2) a. Instrument: This key opens the door to the main office. b. They must have used indelible ink. (3) a. Cause: Hurricaneforce winds demolished much of the town. b. An epidemic killed off all of the tomatoes. c. An economic downturn put thousands of workers out of work. Experiencers are arguments that undergo a sensory, cognitive, or emotional experience. (4) a. Experiencer: The rhesus monkey had never seen snow before. b. Many people fear snakes. c. Their resourcefulness struck her as admirable. Recipients are arguments that receive something (whether good or bad) in a situation. (5) a. Recipient: They gave the workers a raise. b. He spared me his usual sob story. c. I paid my landlord the rent. Recipients can be the endpoints of paths. (6) a. Path: I'd like to send this package to my sister. (my sister = recipient) b. Lucky raced across the lawn to the edge of the forest. c. We drove the scenic route.

Thematic Roles

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Semantic roles given to arguments

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Thematicroles

Itisoftenconvenienttoidentifyargumentsof(Fregean)predicatesintermsofthefollowingthematicroles,whichareillustratedbelow.

agentinstrumentcauseexperiencerrecipientpathlocationmeasuretheme

Agentsareargumentsthatbringaboutastateofaffairs.Thelinebetweenagents,ontheonehand,andinstrumentsorcauses,ontheother,canbefuzzy,butagentsare(orareperceivedtobe)consciousorsentient,inawaythatinstrumentsorcausesaren't.Someexamplesaregivenin(1)(3).

(1) a. Agent: Thelionsdevouredthewildebeest.b. Theboyscaughtsomefish.c. Mymotherwrotemealetter.

(2) a. Instrument: Thiskeyopensthedoortothemainoffice.b. Theymusthaveusedindelibleink.

(3) a. Cause: Hurricaneforcewindsdemolishedmuchofthetown.b. Anepidemickilledoffallofthetomatoes.c. Aneconomicdownturnputthousandsofworkersoutofwork.

Experiencersareargumentsthatundergoasensory,cognitive,oremotionalexperience.

(4) a. Experiencer: Therhesusmonkeyhadneverseensnowbefore.b. Manypeoplefearsnakes.c. Theirresourcefulnessstruckherasadmirable.

Recipientsareargumentsthatreceivesomething(whethergoodorbad)inasituation.

(5) a. Recipient: Theygavetheworkersaraise.b. Hesparedmehisusualsobstory.c. Ipaidmylandlordtherent.

Recipientscanbetheendpointsofpaths.

(6) a. Path: I'dliketosendthispackagetomysister.(mysister=recipient)

b. Luckyracedacrossthelawntotheedgeoftheforest.c. Wedrovethescenicroute.
Locationsaresimplyplaceslikerecipients,theycanserveasendpointsofpaths.(Chapter7containssomediscussionconcerningthedifferencebetweenrecipientsandlocations).

(7) a. Location: Weputthebookontheshelf.b. I'dliketosendthispackagetoFrance.

(to+France=path)c. Luckyracedacrossthelawntotheedgeoftheforest.

(to+theedgeoftheforest=path)

Measureoramountargumentsexpressextensionalongsomedimension(length,duration,cost,andsoon).

(8) a. Measure: Theyrowedforthreedays.b. Thebookcoststendollars.

Finally,thethematicroleofthemeissomethingofacatchall.Accordingtoonedefinition,'theme'referstoanargumentundergoingmotionofsomesort,includingmotioninametaphoricalsense,suchasachangeofstate.Asisusualinthesyntacticliterature,wewillalsousethetermforargumentsthataremost'affected'inasituationorforthecontentofanexperience.

(9) a. Theme: Thelionsdevouredthewildebeest.b. Thiskeyopensthedoortothemainoffice.c. Hurricaneforcewindsdemolishedmuchofthetown.d. Theygavetheworkersaraise.e. I'dliketosendthispackagetoFrance.f. Manypeoplefearsnakes.