KEY for Exercises for Semantics

1. Identify the thematic role(s) of each of the underlined expressions in the following
sentences. Note any dual roles.

a. He – Agent

the reporters – Goal

information – Theme

b. Earle – Agent

money – Theme

poetry – Instrument

c. We – Agent

a game of monopoly – Theme

relaxation – Goal

d. Angela – Agent

stories – Theme

the children – Goal

e. The climber – Agent

the summit – Goal

the mountain – Location

f. The captain – Agent

20 laps – Theme

g. I – Agent

a book – Theme

the library – Source

h. We – Agent

the couch – Theme

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 three flights of stairs – Location

apartment – Goal

i. The accountant – Agent

a mistake – Theme

the calculations – Location

j. Jane – Experiencer

My success – Theme

k. I – Experiencer

Margaret's friend – Theme

the party – Location

l. He – Agent/Source

friend – Goal

some money – Theme

m. He – Agent

California – Location

His marriage – Location

n. He – Agent

health – Goal

o. The hurricane – Agent

the house – Theme

p. His cleverness – Agent / Theme

me – Experiencer

q. The coach – Agent

the player – Theme

the ball – Theme

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 r. A virus – Agent

the computer – Goal

s. The trees – Agent

leaves – Theme

t. A blood clot – Agent

the patient – Theme

u. They – Agent

the pool – Theme

water – Instrument

v. Father – Agent

a check – Theme

me – Goal

w. This shoe – Agent/ Instrument

foot – Theme

2. For the following words, list as many synonyms as you can think of and discuss the
connotations that these synonyms have.

(a) frugal:

neutral to positive in connotation: careful (with one's money), prudent, thrifty, scotch

negative in connotation: stingy, penny-pinching, tight (wad), parsimonious, miserly

(b) thin (of a person):

neutral to positive in connotation: slender, lean, slim, twiggy, delicate, lanky, slight, spare,
lightweight, svelte

negative in connotation: skinny, scrawny, skeletal, puny, underweight, spindly, gangly,

anorexic, wasted, emaciated

3. Fill in the columns below with the appropriate synonym. In each case, the word in column
A is of English origin and the word in column B is of French or Latin origin. Can you make
a general statement about the connotations of the words in columns A and B?
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 A B
feed nourish
hide conceal
folk people
begin commence
help aid/assist
mistake error
work labor
sight vision
middle center
height altitude

The words in column B are more formal than those in column A

4. Determine whether the following are cases of homonymy or polysemy.

(a) homonomy

(b) homonomy

(c) polysemy

(d) homonomy

(e) homonomy

(f) polysemy (‘a leech’ in old English means “a doctor/ physician’ – In the past, doctors
used leeches to remove blood from sick people)

(g) polysemy

(h) homonomy

(i) homonomy (Actually, the first two definitions are part of the same word, though they are
now so far removed from one another in meaning that they are listed as separate words
in the dictionary.)

(j) homonomy

(k) polysemy (Pilots usually do tests to check whether an aircraft works well or not. It is
similar to an program which is being aired for the first time to check whether the audiences like
it or not)

5. Identify the superordinate term in each set.

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 (a) house, shed, building, garage, cottage, hut

(b) plate, saucer, cup, soup bowl, dish, serving bowl

(c) stream, river, rivulet, creek, brook, tributary

(d) glance, peep, stare, leer, look (at), view, watch

(e) hurricane, tornado, gale, storm, typhoon

6. Identify the relationship of oppositeness expressed in the following sentences.

(a) complementarity (e) complementarity

(b) converseness (f) gradable antonymy

(c) symmetry (special relation of converseness) (g) gradable antonymy

(d) converseness (h) converseness

7. Name the structural relation expressed by each of the following pairs of words.

(a) synomymy (n) synonymy

(b) converseness (o) synonymy

(c) cohyponyms (p) cohyponyms

(d) complementarity (q) superordinate — hyponym

(e) converseness (r) converseness

(f) complementarity (s) converseness

(g) synonymy (t) converseness

(h) converseness (u) converseness

(i) antonymy (gradable, Lyon’s term) (v) synonymy

(j) superordinate — hyponym (w) converseness (reversive)

(k) synonymy (x) converseness (reversive)

(l) complementarity (y) converseness (reversive)

(m) complementarity

8. Among the terms in the following, name the basic level term(s) and the lower-level terms in
each case.
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The basic level terms would likely be car, truck, van, and bus.

car (station wagon, jeep, humvee, taxi(cab), SUV, hybrid, sports car, convertible, sedan,
coupe, roadster, hearse)

van (delivery van, camper van, minivan, RV?)

truck (pick-up, semi-trailer truck, tow truck, panel truck, flatbed truck, fire engine, garbage
truck, dump truck, cement mixer, tanker truck)

bus (school bus, trolley bus, diesel bus)

It might be possible to combine "van" and "truck", but what would the basic level term be?

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