  Nguyễn Hồng Diệu HULIS VNU  Syntactic features of clause elements • A SUBJECT – Is normally a NP or a clause with nominal function – Occurs before the VP in declarative clauses, and immediately after the operator in questions – Has number and person concord, where applicable, with the VP • An OBJECTIVE (O d or O i ) – Is a NP or clause with nominal function – Normally follows the S and the VP – Assumes the status of S by the passive transformation – The O i precedes the O d and is semantically equivalent to a prepositional phrase Syntactic features of clause elements • A COMPLEMENT – Is a NP, and Adj phrase, or a clause with nominal function – Has a co-referential relation with S or O – Follows the S, VP, and O – Does NOT become S through the passive transformation • An ADVERBIAL – Is and Adv phrase, adverbial clause, NP, or prepositional phrase – Is generally capable of occurring in more than one position in the clause – Is generally optional (may be added to or removed from a sentence without affecting its acceptability), except for the obligatory adverbial or the SVA and SVOA patterns Semantic roles of clause elements       Can you comment on the role of the Subjects in the following sentences? 1. John opened the door. 2. The wind opened the door. 3. The door opened. 4. John has a big house. 5. This hall can hold about eighty students. 6. Today is April Fool’s Day. 7. The March Melody live show was on March 28 th . 8. It is getting hotter and hotter. 1. Agentive (most typical) 2. Instrumental 3. Affected 4. Recipient 5. Locative 6. Temporal 7. Eventive 8. ‘Empty’ It   Agentive Subject Animate causer of the happening John opened the door. (The most typical semantic role of a subject is AGENTIVE; that is, the animate being instigating or causing the happening denoting by the verb) Instrumental Subject Inanimate causer of the happening The wind opened the door. The unwitting (generally inanimate) material cause of an event Affected Subject One being affected by the event The door opened. This role of subject is found with: Intransitive verbs: E.g.: Jack fell down Intensive verbs: E.g.: The pen is lying on the table Let’s look at the examples • His English has been improved.  Transitive • His English has improved.  Intransitive Affected subject [...]... Affected Effected = I visited her Affected Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT 1.Current attribute 2.Resulting attribute Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT • A current attribute denotes an already existing characteristic – My father was a teacher – We found her attractive Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT • A resulting attribute denotes a characteristic that comes about because of the event reported in the sentence –... The train stopped 5 The guard shut the gate quickly The gate shut quickly S Recipient Subject One that receives the happening John has a beautiful wife This role of subject is found with such verbs as have, own, possess, benefit (from)… and more … ‘Do you love me, honey?’ ‘Look into my eyes’ She said softly, ‘You’ll see my answer in there?’ I looked into her big, round, blue eyes and I saw a fire burning...Let’s look at the examples • They have increased the price of shirts and decreased the price of trousers They  Agentive subject • The price of shirts has increased and that of trousers has decreased  Affected subject Increase/Decrease  transitive/intransitve vs Agentive Subject Affected Subjec I am growing my roses... exists only by virtue of the activity indicated by the verb E.g.: I am writing a letter Baird invented television I am burning a letter Affected Effected direct object 2 Object that repeats partially or wholly the meaning of the verb E.g.: Mary sang a song We fought a good fight – and lost Effected direct object 3 Object that takes the form of a verbal noun preceded by a common verb of general meaning... subject of the sentence is recipient Locative Subject One that denotes location E.g.: The bus can hold forty people (Forty people can sit in the bus) Temporal Subject One that denotes time E.g.: Tomorrow is my birthday (It is my birthday tomorrow) Eventive Subject One that denotes event E.g.: The concert is on Thursday Empty “IT” Subject One that lacks semantic content E.g.: It is getting dark Semantic roles... E.g.: It is getting dark Semantic roles of OBJECT 1 Affected (Od) 2 Locative (Od) 3 Effected (Od) 4 Recipient (Oi) 5 Affected (Oi) Affected direct object A participant which does not cause the happening denoted by the verb but is directly involved in some other way E.g.: Many MPs criticised the Prime Minister Locative direct object One that shows location and is often found after such verbs as turn,... honey?’ ‘Look into my eyes’ She said softly, ‘You’ll see my answer in there?’ I looked into her big, round, blue eyes and I saw a fire burning there Do the subjects in the two coordinate clauses have the same semantic role? Answer Perceptual verbs See, Hear require a recipient subject in contrast to Look at, Listen to, which are agentive Verbs indicating cognition or emotion may also require a recipient... A resulting attribute denotes a characteristic that comes about because of the event reported in the sentence – He became a teacher in 1963 – Her new dress made her attractive HOMEWORK • Exercise 10 2-1 04 Workbook . O d and is semantically equivalent to a prepositional phrase Syntactic features of clause elements • A COMPLEMENT – Is a NP, and Adj phrase, or a clause with nominal function – Has a co-referential. Diệu HULIS VNU  Syntactic features of clause elements • A SUBJECT – Is normally a NP or a clause with nominal function – Occurs before the VP in declarative clauses, and immediately after. examples • They have increased the price of shirts and decreased the price of trousers. They  Agentive subject • The price of shirts has increased and that of trousers has decreased.  Affected