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Understanding Semantic Roles of Subjects

This document discusses the semantic and discourse roles that subjects can play in sentences. Semantically, subjects can be agents, causers, instruments, experiencers, patients, described/located entities, locatives, temporals, or events. Discourse-wise, the subject reflects the topic of the discourse. The document also provides examples of how subjects are analyzed in terms of syntax, including examples of passive sentences.

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10 views1 page

Understanding Semantic Roles of Subjects

This document discusses the semantic and discourse roles that subjects can play in sentences. Semantically, subjects can be agents, causers, instruments, experiencers, patients, described/located entities, locatives, temporals, or events. Discourse-wise, the subject reflects the topic of the discourse. The document also provides examples of how subjects are analyzed in terms of syntax, including examples of passive sentences.

Uploaded by

monica
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SUBJECT

Semantic roles of the subject:


Agent, with or without a direct object around the verb: S does something (volition
involved): [SMy aunt] cooks very little. [SMy aunt] hates [DOcooking].
Causer: S acts without volition (unlike agent S) (always direct object present): [SThe
girl] amazed [DOus] both.
Instrument, inanimate: S is an instrument: [SThe axe] cuts the tree.
Experiencer: S animate, usually human, experiences sensory perception or
psychological state, usually with the verbs related to the five senses and with mental
state verbs: [SPeter] could taste rancid oil in the salad. (Peter not an agent; the
rancid oil gave a distinctive sensation).
Patient: S is transformed by something or something, no direct object present around
the verb: The clock broke. The scarf lay on the chest of drawers. The ball
bounces.
Described and located subjects: S are being described through the predicate, usually
with copulas: Doris is pretty. She is in New York.
The following can be paraphrased with adverb constructions:
Locative subjects: S name a location: New York is cosmopolitan. (= it is a
cosmopolitan place)
Temporal subjects: S expresses time: Monday is my best day.
Event subjects: S refer to events: The concert is fantastic.
Anaphoric it (referential): I know the book. It isnt very good. It = the book.
Empty it (dummy): It is foggy. It is cold.
Cataphoric it (dummy): That Lucy wasnt well was obvious. It was obvious that
Lucy wasnt well.
Dummy there (logical subject following the verb BE): There was a mahogany table
in the middle of the room.
Locative there (not S of the sentence): Paris? I live there.
Discourse role of the subject: S reflects the topic (theme) of a discourse.
PASSIVIZATION
Examples of analysis:

[S [Subj[NP[spec[artThe]] [H[Nletter]]]] [VP[auxwas]


[VP[Vbrought] [PP[Prepto]] [NP[H[NJohn]]]]]] .]
[S [Subj[NP[H[PronIt]]]]
[VP[Auxwas] [VP[Vbelieved] [Subclause[Subj[NP[H[Pronhe]]]] [VP[Vstole] [NP[spec[artthe]]
[H[Npainting]]]]]]] .]

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