Tuesday 24 May 2011

Robin Fawcett On Agent

On the Sys-Func email discussion list, Professor Robin Fawcett argued that for a clause of the type Cameron Diaz burped (it apparently described an incident on British TV), he would analyse the participant as Agent if the act was deliberate, but as Medium otherwise.






Blogger Comments:

Fawcett's analysis for the behavioural clause when the process is deliberate:

Cameron Diaz
burped
Agent
Process

that is, is as externally caused Process with no Medium through which to unfold.

Fawcett's analysis for the same behavioural clause when the process is not deliberate:

Cameron Diaz
burped
Medium
Process

That is, Fawcett ascribes agency to a participant on the basis of a circumstance. Cf

Cameron Diaz
burped
deliberately
Medium
Process
Manner

An example of genuine agency in a behavioural clause is:

Cameron Diaz
burped
the baby
Agent
Process
Medium

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