Argument (definition) - Revision history

AndrewCarnie at 05:25, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T05:25:25Z

2012-06-04T05:21:26Z

2012-06-04T05:21:15Z

2012-06-04T05:20:52Z

2009-11-19T00:05:33Z

2009-08-03T19:48:16Z

First draft.

2009-06-22T23:32:31Z

Created page with '==See Also== ==External Links== ==References== Category: Technical Definitions Category: Semantics Category: Syntax'

New page

==See Also==

==External Links==

==References==

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Semantics]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

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-Each verb requires a certain number of arguments to make a grammatical [[Clause (definition)|clause]], each of which must be filled with a [[Phrase (definition)|phrase]].
+Clauses consist of two obligatory parts: [[Predicate (definition)|predicates]] and '''arguments''. Arguments are the participants in the action or state described by the predicate.
 :1a) Jones painted a picture.
 :1b) Jones gave the picture to Smith.
-In (1a), ''Jones'' and ''a picture'' are both '''core arguments''' of the verb ''paint''. Core arguments are required to form a grammatical clause, unless certain [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] are used.
+In (1a), ''Jones'' and ''a picture'' are both required by the verb ''paint''.
 In (1b), the verb ''gave'' requires three arguments (i.e., it is [[Ditransitive (definition)|ditransitive]], or has a [[Valence (definition)|valence]] of three). Here, ''Jones'', ''the picture'' and ''to Smith'' (a [[Prepositional Phrase (definition)|prepositional phrase]]) are all core arguments.
 ==See Also==

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 *[[Clause (definition)]]
 *[[Passive Voice (definition)]]
-*[[Adjunct (definition]]
+*[[Adjunct (definition)]]
 ==External Links==

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 Each verb requires a certain number of arguments to make a grammatical [[Clause (definition)|clause]], each of which must be filled with a [[Phrase (definition)|phrase]].
-:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
+:1a) Jones painted a picture.
-:''1b) Jones gave the picture to Smith.''
+:1b) Jones gave the picture to Smith.
 In (1a), ''Jones'' and ''a picture'' are both '''core arguments''' of the verb ''paint''. Core arguments are required to form a grammatical clause, unless certain [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] are used.
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 Additional, optional arguments can appear in a clause. Such arguments are often called '''oblique'''.
-:''2a) A picture was painted by Jones.''
+:2a) A picture was painted by Jones.
-:''2b) A picture was painted.''
+:2b) A picture was painted.
 Here, a valence changing operation ([[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]]) has been applied and the number of core arguments of the verb decreased to one (''a picture''). The former subject ''Jones'' has become an oblique argument, which we can verify by showing that this argument is optional (2b).
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 *[[Clause (definition)]]
 *[[Passive Voice (definition)]]
 ==External Links==
 *wikipedia article on arguments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb_argument
 ==References==
 [[Category: Technical Definitions]]
 [[Category: Semantics]]
 [[Category: Syntax]]