What is the semantic role of “the bread” in (i.) and (ii.)?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about the semantic role of the noun phrase 'the bread' in two clauses (i.) and (ii.).
Option 1: subject. This would be correct if 'the bread' were the agent performing the action or the thing about which the clause makes a claim as the subject. In the context of typical semantic role labeling, 'bread' rarely serves as the subject of the main action unless it is the doer or topic of predication; without the specific sentences here, this option is unlikely.
Option 2: object. The object role would place 'the bread' as the receiver of a transitive verb. If the predicate describes someone doing something to the bread (e.g., eating, cutting), then 'the bread' could be an object. However, the provided answer indicates this is not the role in these particular clauses, suggesting the clause structure does not treat 'bread' as the direct object.
Option 3: agent. The agent is the doer of an action, typically the entity that initiates the action in an active voice. Unless the bread is performing an action (which is semantically implausible for a bread), this role is unlikely for 'the bread' in standard sentences about bread.
Option 4: patient. The patient is the entity that undergoes or is affected by an action, often the entity that experiences the action or is changed by it. Given that 'the bread' is commonly the entity being eaten, torn, baked, or altered by someone else, it is frequently the patient in such constructions.
In light of these considerations, the reasoning aligns with the provided correct answer: 'the bread' functions as the patient in both (i.) and (ii.), since it is typically the entity that undergoes the action rather than performing it, receiving or being affected by the action from the agent. The other options—subject, object, and agent—do not consistently capture the role of bread in the likely sentences, either because bread is not performing the action (not agent), not the direct recipient of the action (not object), and not acting as the syntactic subject of the clause, given the usual discourse about bread being affected by an action rather than initiating it.

LIN 001Y A01-A12 SQ 2025 Syntax HW

What is the semantic role of “the bread” in (i.) and (ii.)?

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