Predicates, Argument And

Thematic Roles In Syntax

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 Predicates and Arguments
Arguments are the other content of a sentence except the verb.

The crocodile devoured a doughnut.

S Predicates DO
Verb devour cannot form a sentence on its own: it requires the presence of
other elements to form and meaningful preposition. As will be clear from (2)
and (3) below, devour requires that it be specified who was engaged in the act of
devouring something, and what it was that was being devoured.
(2) *Devoured a dougnut.
(3) *The crocodile devoured.

Elements that require the spesification the participant

the proposition expressed as predicates (e.g. Devour),
and the participant themselves as arguments (the
crocodile, a doughnut).
 Below you will find some further examples of sentences
containing argment-taking predicates. Each time the predicates are
in bold type and the arguments are in italics.
(4) Henry smiled.
Predicates that takes only one argument. We will call such predicates one-place predicates (or
monadic predicates).
(5) The police investigated the allegation.
The predicate investigate requires the presence of two arguments. It is a two-place predicate
(or dycadic predicate).
(6) Sara gave [Pete] [a parcel].
The verb gave takes three arguments, and is called a three-place predicate (or triadic predicate).
(7) Melany bet [Brian] [a pound] [that he would lose the game of squash].
This sentences are very exceptional in English; a verb like bet can be said to take for arguments:
three Noun Phrase arguments (Melany, Brian, a pound), and one clausal argument (that he would
lose the game of squash).
Thematic Roles
The meaning of thematic roles is a term use to
express the role that an argument place with
respect to the action or state described by a
sentence verb.
 The following thematic roles are widely
accepted:
Agent: the ‘doer’ or instigator of the action denoted by the predicate.
e.g. John drinks a cola
Patient: The ‘undergoer’ of the action or event denoted by the predicate.
e.g. John cuts the grass
Theme: The entity that is moved by the action or event denoted by the predicate.
e.g. Willy ran away
Experiencer: The living entity that experiences the action or event denoted by the predicate.
e.g. Rony looking for his camera
Goal: The location or entity in the directions of which something moves.
e.g. I travel to Paris
Benefactive: The entity that benefits from the action or event denoted by the predicate.
e.g. Father cooks me an omelete
Source: The location or entity from which something moves.
e.g. He appears from the backstage
Instrument: the medium by which the action or even denoted by the predicate is carried
out.
e.g. She goes to school by walking
Locative: The specification of the place where the action or evetn denoted by the predicate
is situated.
e.g. She stayed in London yesterday
Three levels of description
David smashed the window
Function level Subject Predicator Direct Object
Form level Noun Verb Noun Phrase
Thematic level Agent predicate Patient
Exercises
Find the argument and mention the arguments’ name from the sentences below!
1. I thought that he was wrong.
2. Penny put the bread on the table.
Consider the sentences below and determine which tematic roles the bracketed phrases can be
said to carry.
4. [His mother] sent [David] [a letter].
5. [We] put [the chese] [in the fridge].
Make Three Levels of Description from the sentences below!
6. Greg comes from wales
7. The canoe floated down the river.