Verbs 2 Argument structure and verb subclasses

What is argument structure?

|  The alignment of semantic roles and grammatical relations in a clause.

Argument structure

Kirk gave [a phaser] [to Spock]. DP subject DP object PP indirect object

agent theme recipient

Kirk saw [Spock] [in the shuttle bay]. DP subject DP object oblique experiencer theme location

“Good dictionaries typically list the major argument structure (or structures) for each verb but cannot possibly list all conceivable frames within which a verb might be used.”

Unified verb index

Argument structure

“…the meaning of any verb does seem to limit the possible argument structures in which it may occur – verbs don’t just randomly occur in any argument structure imaginable.” a. subject = AGENT, object = PATIENT, oblique = INSTRUMENT: She pounded the table with a hammer. She ate the ice cream with a spoon. b. subject = AGENT, object = INSTRUMENT, oblique = PATIENT: She pounded the hammer on the table.

*She ate the spoon on the ice cream.

Argument structure

Unaccusative verbs |  Verbs that have patient/theme subjects when

intransitive but agent subjects when transitive.

Unergative verbs |  Verbs that have pagent subjects when intransitive

or transitive.

Weather verbs |  Verbs whose subjects do not have a

theta role.

Subclasses of verbs |  States |  Processes |  Motion |  Position |  Actions |  Action-processes

|  Factives |  Cognition |  Sensation |  Emotion |  Utterance |  Manipulation

Verbs in the subclasses behave differently syntactically and take different theta roles

States |  Situations in which there is no change

and no action. |  can’t take the progressive. |  Tend to require 1 participant.

Processes |  Situations that change over time. |  Can be voluntary or involuntary. |  Involuntary process tend to have 1

participant, which…

4 others…

|  Motion: can be voluntary or involuntary, or indicate a trajectory.

|  Position describes a static position of an object (stand, sit, kneel, etc.

|  Action: situations initiated by a conscious or unconscious force but don’t involve an affected participant.

|  Action-process: situations initiated by a conscious or unconscious force but affect a patient.

Others…

|  Factive: describe the coming into existence of an entity.

|  Cognition

|  Sensation: experiencer subject.

|  Emotion: experience subject.

|  Utterance

|  Manipulation