Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (2011) ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics ARGUMENT STRUCTURE Chapter 14 ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Two main participants Relationships illustrated functional roles case roles deep cases participant roles thematic roles Functional roles and transitivity ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Occurrence as subject Direct or indirect object of verb Omission leads to `latency&apos INDICATIONS OF COMPLEMENT STATUS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Concerned with the number of syntactic arguments associated with a verb within the sentence nucleus, and their syntactic functions. The number of arguments required to satisfy a predicate is not necessarily the same as the number of syntactic arguments in the nucleus of a sentence. TRANSITIVITY ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Intransitive sentence-main verb has only one (syntactic) argument, namely, a subject. Diagnostic characteristics of subjects: They may have a characteristic form They contract number and person concord with the verb A second occurrence in a coordinated clause can be deleted The subject is prototypically the topic of the sentence INTRANSITIVES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Verbs with a single semantic argument There are three sorts: unergative verbs unaccusative verbs verbs which display the causative/inchoative alternation MONO-ARGUMENTAL VERBS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Intransitive verbs whose subjects are perceived as being actively responsible for the event denoted by the verb Their normal occurrences are in intransitive sentences In languages which display a variation in the choice of auxiliary used to form a past or perfect tense, unergative verbs tend to choose HAVE rather than Be Occasionally they appear in what appear to be transitive sentences UNERGATIVE VERBS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Intransitive verbs Typically denote changes of state or location Subjects are not perceived as being actively responsible for the event denoted by the verb UNACCUSATIVE VERBS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Typically denote changes of state or location. The intransitive form takes BE as auxiliary and the transitive form HAVE CAUSATIVE/INCHOATIVE VERBS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Intransitive sentences whose main verb has more than one semantic argument Missing argument is the one that would normally appear in the object position Main distinction is between those whose unexpressed argument is indefinite and those whose unexpressed argument is definite PSEUDO-INTRANSITIVES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Transitive sentences are those which have two syntactic arguments: Subject Object objects can act as subjects of passive sentences can be questioned by What DO NP V? nouns and pronouns in object position often have a characteristic form Sentences may have verbs which take three or more semantic arguments TRANSITIVES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Ditransitive sentences are those which have three syntactic arguments: a subject a primary object Only primary objects are normal as subjects of passive sentences a secondary object only the secondary object is fully happy with the What... ? Test Sentences in which one of the semantic arguments is expressed by an adjunct are not considered to be ditransitive DITRANSITIVES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics No agreement as to the best way of describing functional roles Fillmore made the earliest set of proposals proposals had an “elegant simplicity” FUNCTIONAL ROLES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics AGENTIVE: The typically animate perceived instigator of the action identified by the verb. INSTRUMENTAL: The inanimate force or object causally involved in the state or action identified by the verb. DATIVE/EXPERIENCER: The animate being affected by the state or action identified by the verb. FILLMORE ROLES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics 4. FACTITIVE: The object or being resulting from the action or state identified by the verb, or understood as part of the meaning of the verb. 5. LOCATIVE: The location or spatial orientation of the state or action identified by the verb 6. OBJECTIVE: The inanimate entity affected by the action or state identified by the verb FILLMORE ROLES CONTINUED ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Traditionally, the subject is the `doer&apos and the object the `done to&apos Establish a scale of `activity‘ Define the subject as the most active participant SUBJECTS VS. OBJECTS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics AGENTIVE - > INSTRUMENTAL -> EXPERIENCER -> LOCATIVE -> OBJECTIVE FILLMORE’S ACTIVITY HIERARCHY ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Semantic significance of the direct object can be characterized in a parallel way to the subject If there are two syntactic arguments, then the least active one becomes the object DIRECT OBJECTS OF TRANSITIVES ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics Ditransitive sentences contain three syntactic arguments which are associated with three participant roles: the subject is AGENTIVE the direct object is THEME indirect object is either RECIPIENT or BENEFACTIVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OBJECTS ‹#› ENG350: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics