Theta Theory & Selection

LIN 131 - Introduction to Syntactic Theory

Masoud Jasbi

Y-Model

D-Structure

S-Structure

Phonetic Form

Logical Form

Interpretation

Speech

Movements

X-bar Rules

P-Rules

Interpretive Rules

X-bar Theory

X-bar Schema (Chomsky 1970)

XP → (YP) X’ Specifier Rule

X’ → X’ (ZP) Adjunct Rule

X’ → X (WP) Complement Rule

(X = N, V, A, C, …)

Argument Structure

Why do different verbs take different number and types of arguments?

* Bob placed.

* Bob placed the pen.

* The table placed Bob on the pen.

* The table placed Bob Emily on the pen.

Thematic Relations

Common Relations:

• Agent: initiator, causer, doer
• Experiencer: perceiver of an event
• Theme: entity perceived, moved, acted upon
• Patient: undergoes an action and changes its state
• Goal: entity towards which action is directed
• Location, Instrument, ...

[Bob]_Agent placed [the pen]_{Theme/Patient} [on the table]_Goal

Theta Theory

Theta Role: A syntactic Bundling of Thematic Relations mapped into a syntactic position

Theta Grid for a verb like place

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Theta Criterion: every theta role must be assigned to exactly one argument

Uniformity of Theta Assignment Hypothesis (UTAH):

Agent Role → Specifier of vP

Goal Role → Complement of V

Patient Role → Specifier of VP

Lexicon with Theta Grids

Verbal Selectional Restriction:

“verbs” restricting possible structures by selecting specific arguments

EPP

Extended Projection Principle:

All sentences must have subjects

1. *rained
2. It rained
3. *is likely he is mad
4. It is likely he is mad

Expletive Insertion Rules:

Insert a dummy subject (it) to avoid violating EPP

Y-Model

D-Structure

S-Structure

Phonetic Form

Logical Form

Interpretation

Speech

Movements

X-bar Rules

P-Rules

Interpretive Rules

Lexicon

Theta Roles

Constraint: Theta Criterion > EPP > ..

Functional Selectional Restrictions

the book/books/*Abe/*him

a book/*books/*Abe/*him

Functional Selectional Restrictions

Abe thinks (that) the Earth is flat.

Abe ordered Bob to go.

Abe ordered (that) Bob leave.

Abe inquired if Bob left.

Functional Selectional Restrictions

You must eat the cake.

The cake must be eaten.

You must be eating the cake.

You must have eaten the cake.

You must have been eating the cake.

* You must will eat the cake.

Functional Selectional Restrictions

You ate the cake.

You eats the cake.