Thematic Roles<br />Asst. Lect. Jaafar H. Ejam<br /> To begin with, no fixed definition is stated due to the overlapping and interference of naming and origin. For instance, a thematic role is defined as a term used in syntax and semantics to indicate the thematic relations that link a “predicate” to its “argument” in the description of a situation. Therefore, in the sentence (1) Tom broke the pencil the entities are connected by the action described by the verb, i.e. Tom as the agent; and the pencil as the theme. It has been suggested that these roles may be subsumed into two main types: the macro-roles of actor and undergoer, or, in an alternative terminology, the proto-roles of agent and patient. These roles have been important in the establishment of semantic classes of verbs.<br />The number of roles and their labels differ from linguist to linguist. From all that extensive literature, it is possible to mention a list of thematic roles like the following:<br />• The most common thematic role is the agent role, agents are typically, but not exclusively, human (e.g. (2) “The wind blew the ball away”). The agent of a sentence is the person deliberately carrying out the action described. For example, (3) “John is working” and (6) “Jane opened the door”.<br />• Theme (also known as patient) is another thematic role; it refers to the undergoer of the action expressed by the verb. Examples are (4) “The cat has eaten the egg”, (5) “The door opened”, and (6) “My uncle marries Molly”. The theme is typically non-human, but can be human as in (7) “The dog chased the boy”. <br />• Instrument is the means by which an action is performed or something comes about. It is an "intermediate cause." Usually, an agent acts upon an instrument, and the instrument affects the event or situation. For example, "The hammer" refers to an instrument in the following examples (8) He broke the window with the hammer, (9) this hammer will break the window, and (10) the window was broken by the hammer.<br />• Experiencer is the entity which is aware of the action or state described by the predicate but which is not in control of the action or state. As in (11) Kevin felt ill, and (12) Kim saw the deer.<br />• Beneficiary is the entity for whose benefit the action was performed (ibid.). (13) Robert filled in the form for his grandmother. (14) They backed me a cake.<br />• Location is the role of an argument that names the location in which the action of the predicate occurs. For example (15) “The fireman climbed the ladder”.<br />• Goal is “the entity or place towards which something moves”. Examples are (16) “We drove to New York”, and (17) “She walked to school”<br />• Source is “the entity or place from which something moves”. As in (18) “They borrowed chairs from George”, and (19) “The rocket was launched from Central Command”<br /><br />