This is a simple way to comprehend semantic roles

1. Semantic Roles

2. Sentence and Proposition
Sentence  containing certain information
Proposition  the information presented
 predicate + noun phrases
(referring expression)

3. Sentence= ‘A complete thought’
a. We walk in the park.  complete sentence
b. Our walk in the park
c. for us to walk in the park
The three of them has semantic content, but grammatically
different

4. We walk in the park  has one single
proposition
Other examples:
a Richard wrote the report.  has no
particular focus
b Richard is the one who wrote the
report. Richard
c The report was written by Richard.
Richard
Those sentences about Richard embody
d The report same proposition wrote. the
the is what Richard
report

5. Richard wrote a report and Helen did, too
two propositions:
1. Richard wrote a report
2. Helen wrote a report
Propositions  abstract but meaningful
 expressed in different
utterances/people/time/places

6. Inflection
We walk
Kinds of modification of a
walked sentence. It is included:
are walking 1. Tense (walked, walk)
have walked 2. Aspect (are walking, have
may walk walked)
would have walked 3. Modality (may walk, could
could be walking walk)
 in the park 4. Combined (were walking,
should be walking)
Inflection + Proposition (+) Focus
Tense
Aspect
Modality

7. Syntactic vs Semantic Analysis
Syntactic Analysis Semantic Analysis
The description of a The description of a
sentence proposition
Combining phrases and Deals with meaning
its function of the Albert sends his friends e-
The same
sentences mail propositions
Deals with subject, Present Tense
predicate, object,
Albert sent his friends e-
complement and
mail
adverbial
Past Tense
Albert sends e-mail to
his friends
S P O

8. Semantic Analysis
Be (is, am, are, was, were) has no
meaning.
Syntactic structure
Propositions  1 predicate + various
arguments
verb, adj, prep. referring expressions
Sentence: Propositions
1. A window broke (break, a window)
2. Tom broke a window (break, Tom, a window)
3. Our dog is under the house (under, our dog,
the house)

9. Semantic Roles
Propositions predicate + various
arguments
• The meaning: is determined in part by
how many arguments it may have and
what role those arguments have.
A window broke, A rope broke, A plate
broke
Single Argument
Semantic Role affected
Tom broke the window
Agent affected Two Arguments

10. Valency Theory
is a description of the semantic potential of
predicates in terms of the number and types of
arguments which may co-occur with them.
It is snowing.-> valency of zero
My brother snores.-> valency of one
Tris is lifting a watermelon. -> valency of two
Agnes is writing her boyfriend a letter ->valency
of three

11. valency of zero
Weather verbs Weather
adjectives
It is raining It is
rainy
It is has been thundering It is
windy
PS. Inflection is not a part of proposition

12. valency of one-> intransitive verbs/one-
argument verb
a.The dog is sleeping d.Grandfather died (last
b.Pecko laughed. week).
c.The earth rotates (on e.A volcano erupted.
its axis). f.The cake fell.
Called actor carries
out Event a change in the
action condition of the entity
named
Affected the entity
named in the argument
undergoes this change

13. Table of Semantic Roles
No Terms and Meaning Sentence Examples
1 Actors= performs some action Sylvia left.
without affecting any other
2 entity Betty likes opera
Affected= undergoes changes due Opera delights Betty
to some events/affected by some Tom broke window
3 other entity Betty likes opera
Affecting= without any actions,
4 affects another entity Tom broke window.
Agent= by its actions affects any
5 other entities Roger is a student.
Associate= tells the
6 status/identity of another Tillie baked a pie.
argument
7 Effect= comes into existence The fireman climbed a ladder.
through the action of the
8 predicate Audrey is a computer expert.
Place= names of the location
where actions of the predicate
occurs

14. More Examples
This soup is cold. Argument Predicate
Terry is impatient. Theme Description
Henrietta was rather soup cold
Terry impatient
reckless. Henrietta reckless
The bottle is empty. bottle empty
This man is a carpenter. Theme Identity
Dextrose and fructose are man carpenter
Dextrose and sugar
sugars. fructose
Eddy Eckstein is the village Eddy Eckstein village idiot
Cora and Willis Class leaders
idiot.
Cora and Willis are the
class leaders
Equational proposition 
can be reversed to create

15. Valency of two Consist of intransitive verb
Argument1 Predicate Argument2
The cat killed a rat.
agent action affected
I broke the window.
cat killed rat
Bert hit Harry. I broke window
Bert hit Harry
The cat dug a hole. agent action Effect
Chris is making an omelet. cat dug hole
Picasso created a Chris make Omelet
Picasso create masterpiece
masterpiece
Argument1 Predicate Argument2
Jennie crossed the street. actor action place
Fiona entered the room. Jennie cross street
Fiona enter room
Simon climbed a tree. Simon climb tree

16. The next groups
tell how one entity affects—or fails to affect—
another entity
a. The decision surprised us b. Oliver was envious of his
all. brother.
You’re disturbing Oliver envied his brother.
everybody. Angie was angry with
The comedian didn’t Algernon
Argument1 Predicate Argument2
impress the audience. c. I’m afraid of that dog.
affecting affect affected We were not aware of the
accident.
decision surprise us Argument1 Predicate Argument2
You disturb everybody Aren’t you curious about…?
affected affect affecting
comedian impress audience
Oliver envy Brother
I afraid dog
We aware accident
Ella curious plans

17. The predicate
merely acts as a link
theme link associate
Argument1 Predicate Argument2 Sentence
Theme Link Associate
Sheila like mother Sheila is like her mother.
present for you This present is for you.
Tom with Ann Tom is with Ann
book about fossils The book is about fossils
Canada is north of United States
The books are near/behind the selves
The party will be on Saturday
The next game is at 3 o’clock
The meeting is after class
So, all prepositions which indicate position in space
or time are two argument predicates
at in on near beside under over

18. Theme Link Associates Sentence
Browns neighbors-of Greens The Browns are neighbors-of the
Greens
Julie daughter-of Carol Julie is Carol’s daughter
Mr. Sean boss-of me Mr . Sean is my boss
I employee-of Barton & I am an employee of Barton & Dutton.
Dutton
It includes measurements of size, weight, value, and the like.
This package weighs five kilos
It cost twenty dollars

19. Some changes in valency
Some predicates can be used in a
sentence that has two arguments and
in another sentence that has only one
argument.
Tom broke the window
The window broke
We ate lunch (in the kitchen).
We ate (in the kitchen).
Maureen bathed the baby (in the tub).
Maureen bathed (in the tub).
Harvey drowned his mother-in-law.
Harvey drowned.

21. Let’s Exercise..
For each sentence here decide if it
has the semantic structure 1. Affected+ Event
Actor+Action or
Affected+Event. Does the 2. Actor+Action
subject name something that is 3. Actor+Action
acting or something that is 4. Affected+Event
affected?
5. Affected+Event
1. My head aches
2. Denis is (always)
complaining
3. You were snoring
4. The pond froze (last
night)
5. Arnold hurried
6. The lock has rusted

22. Four structures are represented in the
sentences below:
1 agent-action-affected 1. Jenny admired the painting
2 agent-action-effect 2. The children built a sand
3 actor-action-place, castle
4 affecting-affect-affected 3. That medicine cured my
5 affected-affect-affecting headache
4. We crossed the street
Read each sentence and tell
5. Alan entered the library
its structure.
6. Stout troops destroyed the
castle.
1. 5
7. I miss him
2. 2
3. 4
6. 1
4. 3
7. 5
5. 3

23. Each of the following sentences has a verb and two arguments,
and in each case that verb can also be used in a sentence with
only one argument. Decide which of the three types is represented.
Which predicates are like eat, which are like bathe, and which
are like break? One of them is like eat and break.
1. Mary woke her husband (at seven o’clock)
2. Our team lost the game
3. The boys are flying kites
4. Did your barber shave you?