Except for the case of passives, patient subjects always have intransitive verbs, because patient subjects are not acting on someone or something else but are themselves being acted upon.
Often a transitive verbs with an agentive subjects will have an identical intransitive counterpart that of necessity takes a patient subject.
Yoko emptied the bathtub. >> The bathtub emptied.
The alarm cleared the room. >> The room cleared.
Hester dimmed the lights. >> The lights dimmed.
The cook thickened the soup. >>The soup thickened.
Orson opened the door.>> The door opened.
2014年8月9日 星期六
transference involved with ditransitive verbs
Ditransitive verbs always involve a transference of possession of the direct object to a recipient the indirect object.
The transference is often literal---I handed Mike the report, although sometime the transference is figurative or metaphorical--She read me a fairy tale. Occasionally the transference is pending---I offered her chicken soup. Semantically, the indirect object carries only the recipient semantic role. In a few cases that role is a negative one, ie., the fact that the indirect object does not receive is understood---The boss denied her a raise; They spared my aunt unnecessary pain; She refused the beggar a meal.
The transference is often literal---I handed Mike the report, although sometime the transference is figurative or metaphorical--She read me a fairy tale. Occasionally the transference is pending---I offered her chicken soup. Semantically, the indirect object carries only the recipient semantic role. In a few cases that role is a negative one, ie., the fact that the indirect object does not receive is understood---The boss denied her a raise; They spared my aunt unnecessary pain; She refused the beggar a meal.
a continuum of transitivity
Transitive verbs co-occur with agent, instrument, causer, and experiencer subjects, but not with patient subjects and empty it.
Linguist Paul Hopper and Sandra Thompson (1980) have argued that transitivity is a continuum and that the degree of transitivity includes a number of factors, including the "agentiveness" of the subject and the "affectedness" of the object. All of the sentences below are technically transitive but the degree of transitivity diminishes with each successive sentences:
Cameron smashed the truck.
Nikki read a comic book.
The baby likes cookies.
Linguist Paul Hopper and Sandra Thompson (1980) have argued that transitivity is a continuum and that the degree of transitivity includes a number of factors, including the "agentiveness" of the subject and the "affectedness" of the object. All of the sentences below are technically transitive but the degree of transitivity diminishes with each successive sentences:
Cameron smashed the truck.
Nikki read a comic book.
The baby likes cookies.
unexpressed, covert Direct Objects
Transitive verbs can sometimes occur without an overt direct object, although there is almost always an unexpressed, covert direct object, one that is somehow understood.
eg. He ate./ The children are reading./ Martha is studying.
The verbs bake, hunt, and iron can all occur with unexpressed but commonly understood direct objects. When someone hunts something other than wild game, a direct object is required and for typically follows the verb--Wayne is hunting versus Wayne is hunting for his shoes.
When drink occurs without a direct object, it usually implies the consumption of alcohol.-Tina drinks.
eg. He ate./ The children are reading./ Martha is studying.
The verbs bake, hunt, and iron can all occur with unexpressed but commonly understood direct objects. When someone hunts something other than wild game, a direct object is required and for typically follows the verb--Wayne is hunting versus Wayne is hunting for his shoes.
When drink occurs without a direct object, it usually implies the consumption of alcohol.-Tina drinks.
2014年8月2日 星期六
other semantic roles of DO
In some highly idiomatic expressions, empty it occurs as a DO. In utterances like Let's call it a day, Sue has made it and They are living it up, it has no anaphoric or cataphoric referent. Such expressions are rare.
created direct objects
In a sentence like Bell invented the telephone or My daughter built a tree house, the DO is actually brought into existence by the action of the verb. Such DO are created DO.
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