What is the Semantic Role of "The window" in the following sentence:

The window was broken by Harold.

Question

What is the Semantic Role of "The window" in the following sentence:

The window was broken by Harold.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When analyzing the sentence The window was broken by Harold, we need to determine the semantic role of The window within the clause.
Option 1: Agent. The Agent is the doer of the action, typically expressed by Harold in this sentence. Since Harold is the one performing the breaking, he would fill the Agent role, not The window. This option misidentifies who initiates the action.
Option 2: Patient. The Patient (also called Theme) is the entity that undergoes the action or is affected by it. In The window was broken by Harold, The window is the thing that is broken; it undergoes the action of breaking and is affected by it. This aligns with the typical passivized structure where the undergoer remains the patient.
Option 3: Cause. The Cause is the factor that brings about the event but does not itself undergo the event. Harold as the agent causes the window to break, but The window is not describing a causal agent here; rather, it is the entity affected by the action. This option conflates the initiator with the affected entity and is not the appropriate semantic role for The window.
Option 4: Experiencer. The Experiencer is typically someone who experiences a mental state or perception, often involved with verbs of psychological experience (e.g., love, fear). The window is not experiencing a sensation or mental state; it is not the experiencer in this clause. Therefore this option is incorrect.
Overall, the window is the entity that is impacted by the action of breaking, which corresponds to the Patient role in this passive construction. The agent, Harold, performs the action but is not the semantic role assigned to The window. The Cause and Experiencer options mischaracterize the relation between The window and the verb in this sentence.

LIN 001Y A01-A12 SQ 2025 Semantics HW

What is the Semantic Role of "The window" in the following sentence: The window was broken by Harold.

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