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Module 7

Theta roles are semantic relations assigned by verbs to their arguments to indicate things like agents, themes, and experiencers. The main theta roles include agent (performer of the action), theme (undergoer of the action), and experiencer (non-volitional subject of psychological states). For example, in "He eats rice", "he" is the agent and "rice" is the theme. A verb can assign only one theta role to each argument noun phrase.

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22 views10 pages

Module 7

Theta roles are semantic relations assigned by verbs to their arguments to indicate things like agents, themes, and experiencers. The main theta roles include agent (performer of the action), theme (undergoer of the action), and experiencer (non-volitional subject of psychological states). For example, in "He eats rice", "he" is the agent and "rice" is the theme. A verb can assign only one theta role to each argument noun phrase.

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Thematic Relations or Thematic Roles

or Theta Roles
- Theta roles are assigned by the Verb to its argument (and, also certain
adjunct) noun phrases to mark semantic relations.
-

He - eats - rice.
AGENT - V – THEME
He eats rice with a spoon.
Rice is eaten by him.
AGENT: V- THEME
THEME – V- AGENT

- HE: is the eater (performing the action


denoted by the verb, HE is the AGENT:
the doer of the action)
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- RICE: is the eatee/being eaten (action
being performed on it, THEME: the one
that undergoes the effect of the action)

Ram cuts the trees.

Ram beats Mohan.

He gave her a pen.

Ram enjoys beating Mohan.

Ram feels happy (by ….)

Ram feels cold.

RAM: EXPERIENCER

RAM loves Mohan.

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Ram felt/touched the clothes to confirm
whether it was smooth/wet/dry.

RAM: AGENT

CLOTHES: THEME

AGENT: Volition (deliberate/free will, in


control, etc)

EXPERIENCER: Non-volition

RAM fell from the cycle.

The mango fell from the basket.

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The door opened.

I opened the door.

RAM jumped from the cycle.

FALL: RAM (THEME)

JUMP: (RAM (AGENT)

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Theta Criterion
- Every argument noun phrase must be assigned one (and only one) theta role
by the Verb of the sentence.
- The major theta roles are

o Agent
o Experiencer
o Theme
o Recipient
o Source
o Goal
o Location
o Instrument

Agent

- The thematic role assigned to a noun phrase that is (usually conscious,


voluntary) “doer” of an action denoted by a verb.
o For example in sentence ‘He is talking to his friend’, He is assigned
theta role Agent.

Theme

- Theme theta role is assigned to the (direct) object of a transitive verb or the
non-agentive subject of an intransitive verb.
o He moved the chair. The chair moved.
o He made me happy/cry/angry/furious/upset.

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o AGENT-V-Theme
o He made me a cup of tea./He made a cup of tea for me.
o AGENT-V-RECIPIENT-THEME

Experiencer

- When the subject noun phrase does not have conscious or volitional control
over the action denoted by the verb but simply undergoes psychological
experience, it is assigned Experiencer theta role.
o He is feeling happy. They have fever.
o

Recipient

- The indirect object noun phrase of a ditransitive verb is usually assigned


recipient theta role.
o He gave her flowers.
o AGENT –V- RECIPIENT – THEME
o I bought her a book.
o AGENT-V-RECIPIENT-THEME

Source

- The noun phrase object of the preposition from is usually assigned Source
theta role.
o The book fell from the table.
o THEME-V-SOURCE
o He came out from the room.
o I bought it from that shop.

Goal

- The indirect object noun phrase of the ditransitive verb such as sell, transfer,
etc is usually assigned Goal theta role.
o He sold his car to Mohan.
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o I will send this to you.

Location

- The noun phrase that indicates location is assigned location theta role.
o He is in the class.
o This is made in India
o He is playing inside the room.
o He has pain in his back.
o He has some ideas in his mind.
o

Instrument/Means

- The noun phrase that acts as instrument to carry out the action denoted by the
verb is assigned Instrument theta role.
o He cut the apple with a knife.
o AGENT-V-THEME-INSTRUMENT

POSSESOR:

He has courage. He has some books.

He has some beliefs.

He has pain. (Experience)

He killed himself.

AGENT-V-THEME

KILL: Killer-Killee (object of kill)

He saw himself in the mirror.

They cursed/hurt themselves.


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HURT/CURSE: Hurter-hurtee

He drowned.

Theme-V

He sneezed/coughed.

He became/got angry/happy.

Experiencer

You can fly these planes.

Agent-V-Theme

Aeroplanes fly. This aeroplane flies by itself. (Emphatic


particle)

Theme-V Theme-V

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We hurt ourselves with our unwise
actions/behaviours.

The ant hurt itself. (anaphor/reflexive)


Experiencer/Theme

Agent-V-Theme

Birds fly.

Agent

Leaves fall.

Theme

Temperature dropped.

Theme

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The door opened.

Theme

I opened the door.

Agent-V-Theme

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