LING 3P94 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Ditransitive Verb, Proper Noun, Mass Noun
Document Summary
The carrying over or transferring of an activity from one participant (agent) to another (patient) # of arguments (np) required by v. Low transitivity involves 1 argument, high transitivity more than 1 argument. Is a continuum along which various semantic properties tend to co-occur. Grammatical valency intransitive (1 arg): he (subject) runs fast. Number of np a verb must take. Monotransitive (2 arg): the cat (subject) killed a bird (direct object) Ditransitive (3 arg): we (subject) gave her (indirect object) some advice (direct object) Complex transitive (3 arg): she (subject) put the plate (direct object) on the table. Semantic components of transitivity (those with more effect on p has more transitivity) Action can be transferred but not state. Example: john hugged mary (more transitive than ) vs john liked mary. Action viewed as completed is more effectively transferred to a patient than one viewed as incomplete. Type of verb, what kind of action verb refers to.
