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Re: Secret Agents or Agent Secrets?

From:L. Gerholz <milo@...>
Date:Thursday, August 5, 1999, 1:04
Jim Grossmann wrote:
> > Here are some questions that ought to be relevant to a number of us. > > Is an "agent" ALWAYS something that acts on something else? > > Or can an "agent" do actions without an object, like "jump" and "skip?" >
The short answer, in my understanding, is yes, absolutely. The role of "agent" isn't a function of whether or not there is an object involved. The "agent" is the doer. I recall "patient" as the role of the thing that is acted upon. Laurie, who admits it's been a while since she studied semantic roles milo@winternet.com http://www.winternet.com/~milo