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Lexical and Functional Categories Auxiliaries Theta Roles

The document discusses lexical categories and functional categories. Lexical categories are open classes like nouns, verbs, adjectives that can have new members added. Functional categories are closed classes like determiners and complementizers that have a fixed set of members. The document also discusses the structure of simple sentences, which are projections of the inflection node that carries tense and agreement. It describes auxiliaries as functional categories that lack event structure and can raise to inflection. Finally, it covers argument structure and theta roles, which are semantic relations between a verb and its arguments like agent, theme, and benefactive.

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Laura Dorobanțu
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123 views

Lexical and Functional Categories Auxiliaries Theta Roles

The document discusses lexical categories and functional categories. Lexical categories are open classes like nouns, verbs, adjectives that can have new members added. Functional categories are closed classes like determiners and complementizers that have a fixed set of members. The document also discusses the structure of simple sentences, which are projections of the inflection node that carries tense and agreement. It describes auxiliaries as functional categories that lack event structure and can raise to inflection. Finally, it covers argument structure and theta roles, which are semantic relations between a verb and its arguments like agent, theme, and benefactive.

Uploaded by

Laura Dorobanțu
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lexical and Functional Categories

Lexical categories – open classes of words that have descriptive content (N, A, Adv, P, V).
- They contain an infinite number of members, new ones can always be added to such
classes.
- project structure according to the X-bar schemata
- both c-selection and s-selection operate on lexical categories
- are assigned theta-roles (N) or are theta-role assigners (V,P)
- are assigned case (N) or are case assigners (V,P)
- can license an argument (V) or can be licensed as an argument (N)

Functional categories – closed sets; no new members can be added


- do not have descriptive content, they are semantically abstract. They serve to
express certain morpho-syntactic features that are not expressed by the lexical category
they combine with.
- they always select the same type of argument (only c-selection. Eg. I0 always selects a
VP)
- project structure according to the X-bar schemata.
- They are the locus of grammatical information. Parametric variation affects only
functional categories
- Do not assign theta-roles.
- Determiners (definite and indefinite articles, demonstratives, the possessive marker ‘s,
cardinal numbers, possessives, pronouns), degree, tense, aspect, agreement, inflection,
mood, complementizers (that, whether, for-to)

The Structure of the Simple Sentence

17. *He buy a book. (He bought a book / He buys a book every week)

The simple finite sentence is a projection of the INFL node that carries Tense and Agreement. INFL is a
zero-level category, it is a functional category which dominates all verbal inflection. I0 is a functional
head, it projects structure, its maximal projection is IP, its complement is always a VP.
Depending on whether I0 carries markers for Tense or not sentences are divided into two main classes –
finite and non-finite. Finite sentences carry Tense markers, while non-finite ones are [-Tense]. We include
infinitives, gerunds, present and past participles and also small clauses under the category of non-finite
sentences.

18. I will ask [whether [Poirot will abandon the investigation.]]


I will say [that [Poirot …………….]]

We suggest that the Complementizer is the head of the sentence. Complementizers are non-lexical heads
and their complement is always an IP. The choice of the IP is determined by the choice of the C0.

The Auxiliary
- auxiliaries are a functional category.
- modal verbs, Progressive and passive BE; Perfective HAVE; Negative and Interrogative DO.
- auxiliaries are base-generated in a pre-verbal position, to the left of the verb, in a Specifier position
which is available for each of them.
- auxiliaries lack an event structure; do not assign a theta-role
- auxiliaries move (raise) to Inflection , while lexical verbs do not move in English, they remain inside the
VP
- auxiliaries can be negated by NOT; they can invert with the Su in question formation
- auxiliaries occur in tag questions
-Modal verbs are base-generated under I0 together with Tense and Agreement
- BE and HAVE are V0 s; they are generated in a Spec VP position; their complement is always a VP
- DO is devoid of any meaning. It appears as a Last Resort. It is a support for the negative or the Tense
affix; it is inserted under I0.
20. (a) He might have been reading a book.
(b) She does not sing.
(c) Did Mary wash the dishes?

Argument Structure

Theta Theory

The intuitive idea of participants in an activity has been formalized in terms of the general notion of
argument structure and of the notion of thematic structure.
Generally speaking, verbs have an argument structure, based on the structure of the event denoted by the
verb. The structure of this event determines the structure and the meaning of the sentence. The argument
structure of a verb determines which constituents of a sentence are obligatory. The obligatory constituents
are called complements, while the non-obligatory ones are called adjuncts.

21. This detective imitates Poirot. (Two arguments, Agent Patient/Theme)


We like John. (Experiencer Patient/Theme)
He gave the flowers to Mary. (Agent Theme Goal)
He bought the book for Mary. (Agent Theme Benefactive)
He is working. (Agent)
The house collapsed. (Theme)

Arguments are divided into external and internal arguments. Internal arguments are subcategorized by the
verb.

Adjectives and prepositions also have an argument structure. (interested in art, between Mary and John).

The specific semantic relations between a verb and its arguments are referred to in terms of theta roles.
The verbs theta-marks its arguments by assigning a theta role to each of its arguments.
Theta-Criterion - each argument is assigned one and only one theta role, and each theta role is assigned to
one and only one argument. (very important for Move α)

Theta roles

1. Agent/Actor – the initiator of some action


John made a table.

2. Theme/Patient – entity undergoing the effect of some action


The ball rolled towards him.
Jane crumbled to the floor.
3. Experiencer – entity experiencing some psychological state
Students hate linguistics.

4. Benefactive – entity benefiting from some action.


John did the job for me.

5. Goal – entity towards which something moves


He offered the flowers to Jane.

6. Instrument – means by which something comes about


He opened the door with the key.

7. Location – place in which something is situated or takes place


He put the book on the shelf.

8. Source – entity from which something moves.


He came from Venice.

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