The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

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(22) Possible theta-clusters (or theta-roles)
[+m+c] = Agent
[+m-c] = Experiencer
[-m+c] = Instrument
[-m-c] = Theme/Patient
[+m] = Mental 11
[+c] = Cause
[-m] = Subject Matter/Target 12
[-c] = Goal 13
There are four fully specified theta-roles, and four theta-roles specified for one
of the features, but not for the other. The non-specified feature should be read as
being consistent with either specification. For instance, [+c] (Cause) and [-c] (Goal),
not being specified for /m, are consistent with both /+m and /-m; [-m] (Subject
Matter/Target) and [+m] are is consistent with /+c and /-c. 14 ’ 15
Since there are four underspecified roles in the Theta-System: [+c], [+m], [-c]
and [-m], and given the hypothesis that PP-verbs have an underspecified internal
theta-role (19), the question is whether all four underspecified clusters can be merged
internally. Reinhart’s (2000) answer to the question is presented in the next
subsection.
11 Labeled as such by Everaert (2002).
12 This role was introduced in Pesetsky (1995), in order to distinguish between the external theta-role
(‘Causer’) assigned by an Experiencer predicate such as worry (The doctor worried Dan), and its
internal argument (‘Subject Matter’/‘Target’) (e.g. Dan worries about his health).
13 Following Maling 2001, Goal should be understood as a general title for the class of goal arguments
such as Recipient, Beneficiary, Spatial goal, etc.
14 It is worth noting that although an underspecified [+c] cluster is consistent with /+m interpretation, it
is not identical to the fully specified [+c+m] (Agent) theta-role. The difference between verbs like open
and roll, whose external theta-role can be interpreted as Agent/Cause/(Instrument), and verbs like eat,
hide, whose external argument is interpreted only as an Agent follows from the claim that the former
assign externally the [+c] theta-role, whereas the latter assign the fully specified [+c+m] cluster.
15 The [+m] cluster, which is consistent with either Agent ([+c+m]) or Experiencer ([-c+m])
interpretations, is rather intriguing. It is proposed in Reinhart (2001) to be assigned by perception verbs
such as see and hear, as well as by Experiencer verbs like love and hate.