SEMANTIC
ROLES
DEFINITION
Semantic roles are the roles that a noun
phrase play within a sentences.
The noun phrases in the sentence describe
the roles of entities, such as people and
things that involved in the action.
Also known as: Semantic case or thematic
role
OVERVIEW: Note that noun phrase can play
various type of semantic role:
Sentence Grammatical Semantic role
relation
Bobo opened the door Bobo = SUBJECT Bobo = AGENT
with a key.
The key opened the The key = SUBJECT The key =
door. INSTRUMENT
The door opened. The door = The door = PATIENT
SUBJECT
TYPES OF SEMANTIC ROLES
THERE ARE 7 TYPES OF SEMANTIC ROLES
• Agent
• Theme
• Instrument
• Experiencer
• Location
• Source
• Goal
AGENT & THEME AS SEMANTIC ROLES
Agent as semantic role is the ‘doer’ or the entity
that performs the action.
Theme as semantic role is the entity that is involved in or
affected by the action. Sometimes theme is called as ‘patient.’
Although agents are typically human (E.g.: the boy), they
can also be non-human entities that cause actions, as in
noun phrases indicating a natural force ( the wind), a machine
(a car), or a creature (the dog)
Examples:
1. The boy kicked the ball.
AGENT THEME
The boy (human) The ball (non-human)
2. The wind blew the ball away.
AGENT THEME
The wind (natural force) The ball (non-human)
3. A car ran over the ball.
AGENT THEME
A car (machine) The ball (non-human)
More examples:
4. The dog caught the ball.
AGENT THEME
The dog (non-human The ball (non-human)
creature)
Theme is typically non-human, but can be human.
Examples: The dog chased the boy
AGENT THEME
The dog (non-human The boy (human)
creature)
The same physical entity also can appear in two different
semantic roles in a sentence.
Examples: The boy cut himself.
AGENT THEME
The boy (human) Himself (human which is the boy)
INSTRUMENT AS SEMANTIC ROLE
Instrument as semantic role is an entity that the agent use
to perform certain action.
Typically, instrument is a non-human and inanimate
entity such as tools.
Examples:
The boy cut the rope with an old razor
AGENT THEME INSTRUMENT
The boy The rope An old razor
EXPERIENCER AS SEMANTIC ROLE
Experiencer is the semantic role of an entity which receives
experiences, or undergoes the effect of an action.
Normally an experiencer is an entity that receives a sensory
impression (see, touch, hear, feel. smell)
If we see, know or enjoy something, we’re not really performing
an action (hence we are not agents). In fact, we are in the role of
experiencer
Examples
1. The boy feels sad
* The experiencer (the boy) is the only semantic role
in this sentence.
2. Did you hear that noise?
EXPERIENCER THEME
You That noise
GOAL AS A SEMANTIC ROLE
Goal is the semantic role of where the entity in the description of
an event move to.
The goal can be place, human or non-human.
Example: She handed the magazine back to George.
AGENT THEME GOAL
She The magazine George
The keyword for semantic role of goal is the preposition ‘to’.
LOCATION AS A SEMANTIC ROLE
Location is the semantic role of where the entity in the
description of an event is.
Example: Mary saw a fly on the wall.
EXPERIENCER THEME LOCATION
Mary A fly The wall
The keyword for semantic role of location are prepositions ‘on’,
‘in’ and ‘at’
SOURCE AS A SEMANTIC ROLE
Source is the semantic role of where the entity in the description
of an event is moved from.
The source can be a place, human or non-human.
Example: She borrowed a magazine from George.
AGENT THEME SOURCE
She A magazine George
The keyword for semantic role of source is the preposition ‘from.’
RECAP: 7 TYPES OF SEMANTIC ROLES
Agent
Theme
Instrument
Experiencer
Location
Source
Goal
EXERCISE TIME!
Identify the semantic role in each sentences
Bobo eats an ice cream.
Bubu walks from the shop to his
house.
Beebee watches the news through the
television.
Bebe takes a potato from the shelf
using a basket.
