Advances in Role and Reference Grammar

76 ROBERT D. VAN VALIN, JR.

5.2.1 From semantics to syntax

The linking procedure from semantics (LS) to syntax (LSC) is summarized
in (63).
(63) Linking from Logical Structure to Syntactic Structure

1. Determine the semantic roles of the arguments, based on
   their position in the decomposed semantic structure.


2. Determine actor and undergoer assignments, following the
   Α-U Hierarchy in (25).


3. Assign actor and undergoer to specific morphosyntactic
   statuses.
   a. This is language-specific (see 39).
   b. In English, the accessibility to pivot is A > U.


4. Assign the remaining core arguments their appropriate case
   markers/prepositions.


5. If there is an NP which is [+WH], then assign it to the PCS.
   This can be illustrated by examining the possible realizations of the LS for
   presentivi (64).
   (64) a. present: [do'(x)] CAUSE [BECOME have'(y,z)]
   b. with NPs: [do' (Maria)] CAUSE [BECOME have' (Larry, a
   spatula)]
   The first step in (63) is to ascertain the thematic relations of the arguments:
   Maria is the single argument of do', hence an effector (and because the
   referent is human, the argument is normally interpreted as acting volition-
   ally, hence an agent); Larry is the first argument of have' and therefore a
   locative; and a spatula is the second argument of have' and therefore a
   theme. The next step is actor and undergoer assignment, following the hier­
   archy in (25). The effector (agent) is the highest ranking argument with
   respect to the actor end of the hierarchy and therefore will be actor. There
   are two possibilities with respect to undergoer. Theme outranks locative for
   undergoer, and accordingly it is the unmarked undergoer choice. But most
   accomplishment verbs that take theme and locative arguments permit
   either to function as undergoer, and present is no exception here. Hence
   locative is a possible, albeit marked, undergoer choice. There are thus two
   possible outcomes to step 2 in (63): (1) unmarked: actor-Maria (effector),
   undergoer- spatula (theme), Larry (locative); (2) marked: actor-Maria (ef­
   fector), undergoer-Ltfrry (locative), a spatula (theme).