PREPOSITION ASSIGNMENT IN ENGLISH 277assignment as a lexically-controlled phenomenon implies that it is arbitrary.
The analysis of prepositional functions in RRG is a logical outgrowth of its
theoretical focus. As developed thus far, however, it is a microfocus: one
element in the coding and tracking of clause participants. Thus, the prepos
itional component in the 1984 exposition of the theory is minimally devel
oped. What is of interest is not the definitiveness of the prepositional
analysis, but the nature and direction of the approach presupposed by the
theoretical framework.
The analysis in FVV focuses on with as "perhaps the most interest
ing...because of its variety of uses and apparent lack of direct correlation
with any particular semantic relation"(82) and the locatives, to and from,
which function as core arguments with verbs of motion and transfer (and
with verbs having cognition/perception predicates as part of their LS, e.g.,
teach or show). Predicates expressing location are assumed to have the two-
place abstract predicate, be-at' (x,y) in LS, where χ=location and y=
theme. The addition of the abstract predicate, BECOME, produces the
change of location and change of possession locatives. Thus, to =
BECOME be-at' (x,y), and from = BECOME NOT be-at' (x,y), where to
marks locative-goal arguments of stative predicates embedded under
BECOME in LS and from marks locative-source arguments of statives
embedded under BECOME NOT. The occurrence of from with non-under-
goer locative arguments of removal verbs (e.g., drain, empty) is thus moti
vated by their LSs; i.e., removal verbs = accomplishment verbs which have
BECOME NOT be-at' (x,y) as part of their LS. The first (x) argument of
BECOME NOT be-at' "is interpreted as a second subtype of locative, usu
ally labeled 'source'." (92) Thus, from marks locative-source as to marks
locative-goal with verbs of motion, as well as with accomplishment verbs
having BECOME be-at' and BECOME NOT be-at' in LS. This analysis of
the structure of to and from parallels some aspects of Bennett's embedded
case analysis which stipulates that all directionals (change of location loca
tives) contain a locative, whether specified or not: "As with all preposi
tions, we need to determine what kinds of locative and/or directional
expressions may be present in the semantic representation." (Bennett
1975:58)
The analysis of with focuses on two functional roles: marking of themes
which Φ undergoer [U] ; and marking of agents and effectors which Φ actor
[A]. The former role is illustrated by sentences (1), (2) and (3). In each
case, the theme — the argument whose location is in question — is not the
U and, thus, is marked by with.