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6.8  Problems
Appendices

[Without answers]

6.8 Problems

6.8.1 Schemas and semantic roles

Identify the semantic role of each noun phrase in bold in the following sentences. Choose from the following set: AGENT, PATIENT, EXPERIENCER, THEME, RECIPIENT, SOURCE, GOAL, PATH, INSTRUMENT, LOCATION, TIME, CAUSER, BENEFICIARY. If you're not sure, you can say that the role is a blend of two roles.

Example:
The calendar fell off the wall.
the calendar: PATIENT, the wall: SOURCE.

  1. She wants the job. EXP, THM
  2. He got fired. PAT
  3. She tickled him with a feather. AGT, PAT, INS
  4. The rock was rolling down the mountain. PAT, PTH
  5. I have forgotten your name. EXP, THM
  6. You put chile in this dish? I don't taste it. AGT, PAT, GOL, EXP, THM
  7. That cheese stinks. THM
  8. A cache of weapons was seized by the FBI on Thursday. PAT, AGT, TIM
  9. He was awarded one thousand dollars. REC, PAT
  10. She always amazes me. THM, EXP
  11. He loaded hay on the truck. AGT, PAT, GOL
  12. Bill borrowed a book from Sarah, and he returned it to her right away. AGT/REC, PAT, SRC, AGT/SRC, PAT, REC
  13. He caught a cold. PAT, THM
  14. She said only three words. AGT, PAT
  15. She hung the painting on the wall for him. AGT, PAT, GOL, BEN
  16. She got her hair cut at Mabel's. CSR, PAT, LOC
  17. Yikes! I feel something crawling up my back. EXP, THM

6.8.2 Syntax-semantics mappings

For each sentence or group of sentences for a given verb (shown in bold), write the mapping(s) of syntactic and semantic roles.

Example:

  1. Clark lent a book to Lois.
  2. Clark lent Lois a book.
lend
  1. subject: AGENT/SOURCE, direct object: PATIENT, object of to: RECIPIENT
  2. subject: AGENT/SOURCE, direct object: PATIENT, indirect object: RECIPIENT
  1. Clark disgusts Lois.
    disgust
    subject: THEME, direct object: EXPERIENCER
  2. Clark admires Lois.
    admire
    subject: EXPERIENCER, direct object: THEME
  3. Clark emailed Lois.
    email
    subject: AGENT, SOURCE; direct object: RECIPIENT
    1. The wood burned.
    2. Jimmy burned the wood.
    burn
    1. subject: PATIENT
    2. subject: AGENT, direct object: PATIENT
    1. This shirt smells.
    2. I smell something weird. (I wonder what it is.)
    3. Would you please smell this milk? (I think it might be bad.)
    smell
    1. subject: THEME
    2. subject: EXPERIENCER, direct object: THEME
    3. subject: AGENT, direct object: THEME
  4. Japanese.
    Recall from the book (1) that in Japanese the verb comes last in the sentence, (2) that the NOMINATIVE case marker ga marks the subject in a Japanese sentence, and (3) that Japanese has postpositions instead of prepositions.
    Clark ni sono hon ga wakaru
    Clark to that book NOMINATIVE understand:PRESENT
    'Clark understands that book.'

    wakaru
    subject: THEME, object of ni: EXPERIENCER

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