Semantic Roles

Alice has a terrible headache.

Alice = ​ (a)  

a terrible headache = ​ (b)  

• Expericencer
• Stimulus
• Locative
• Temporal
• Agent
• Patient
• Cause
• Instrument

He cut the meat with a knife.

He = ​ ​ (a)  

the meat = ​ (b)   ​

a knife = ​ (c)  

• Agent
• Patient
• Instrument
• Locative
• Temporal
• Cause
• Experiencer

Harold doesn’t like making speeches in font of the class.

Harold = ​ ​ (a)   ; making speeches = ​ (b)  

the class = ​ (c)  

• Experiencer
• Stimulus
• Locative
• Temporal
• Agent
• Patient

The teacher was angered by the rowdy students.

The teacher = ​ (a)  

the rowdy students = ​ ​ (b)  

• Experiencer
• Stimulus
• Agent
• Patient
• Locative

Tony pushed the cart to the wall.

Tony = ​ (a)  

the cart = ​ (b)  

the wall= ​ (c)  

• Agent
• Patient
• Locative
• Temporal
• Recipient
• Benefactive

Kelly stirs the soup with a wooden spoon.

Kelly = ​ (a)  

the soup = ​ (b)  

a wooden spoon =​ (c)  

• Agent
• Patient
• Instrument
• Cause
• Recipient
• Benefactive

The police suspected him of committing the crime.

The police = ​ ​ (a)  

him = ​ (b)   ​ (c)  

the crime = ​ (d)  

• Experiencer
• Stimulus
• Agent
• Patient
• Locative
• Benefactive

His cleverness never ceases to amaze me.

His cleverness = ​ (a)  

me = ​ (b)  

• Stimulus
• Experiencer
• Agent
• Patient
• Locative

Angela was reading stories to the children this morning.

Angela = ​ (a)  

stories = ​ (b)  

the children = ​ (c)  

this morning = ​ (d)  

• Agent
• Patient
• Benefactive
• Temporal
• Locative
• Recipient

I checked a book out of the library yesterday.

I = ​ (a)  

a book = ​ (b)  

the library = ​ (c)  

yesterday = ​ (d)  

• Agent
• Patient
• Locative
• Temporal
• Stimulus
• Recipient