Primary frame names are flat phrase-structure representations of the frames, intended to be generalizable across classes. Some of the names include dot-extensions that indicate a thematic role type or underscore-extensions that indicate a complement type. These extensions can be used to subdivide frame types or ignored to use more general frame types. The names are a revision of the previous naming system, in which frames had both descriptive primary names and more specific secondary names that subdivided the frame types. The downloadable .xml files of the classes include the old primary and secondary names in the "secondary" feature, for those who still wish to use the information. The web pages do not display them, but they are included here for reference.
Agent
Description: Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, and who exists independently of the event.
Example: THEY decided to go.
Theme
Description: Undergoer that is central to an event or state that does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state.
Example: THE BALL rolled down the hill.
Patient
Description: An Undergoer in an event that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent; is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event.
Example: Brutus murdered JULIUS CAESAR.
Destination
Description: Goal that is a concrete, physical location.
Example: Tamara poured water INTO THE BOWL.
Location
Description: Place that is concrete.
Example: Herbicides persist IN THE SOIL.
Result
Description: Goal that comes into existence through the event.
Example: He strangled his victims TO DEATH.
Attribute
Description: Circumstance that is a property of an entity or entities, as opposed to the entity itself.
Example: Oil increased IN PRICE.
Recipient
Description: An animate end point of the action (i.e., a subtype of Destination).
Example: They lent a bicycle TO ME.
Source
Description: The starting point (possibly metaphoric) of an action; it exists independently of the event.
Example: I gleaned FROM THE EVIDENCE how she did it.
Instrument
Description: Undergoer in an event that is manipulated by an agent, and with which an intentional act is performed; it exists independently of the event. For all roles containing symmetrical participants, we assume that the ordering is non-arbitrary and may be pragmatically determined and/or related to figure-ground considerations; however, the usefulness of this distinction may be application-specific.
Example: Jennifer baked the potatoes IN THE OVEN.
Topic
Description: Theme characterized by information content.
Example: Susan chitchatted with Rachel ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
Beneficiary
Description: Undergoer in a state or an event that is (potentially) advantaged or disadvantaged by the event or state.
Example: Martha carved a toy FOR THE BABY.
Initial_Location
Description: Source that indicates the concrete, physical location where an event begins or a state becomes true.
Example: Amanda drove the package FROM HOME.
Eventuality
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Experiencer
Description: Patient that is aware of the event undergone, which often involves an emotional or psychological response elicited by a Stimulus (specific to events of perception).
Example: THE CHILDREN tasted the pea soup.
Stimulus
Description: Cause in an event that elicits an emotional or psychological response (specific to events of perception).
Example: THE PEA SOUP tasted delicious.
Pivot
Description: Theme that participates in an event with another theme unequally. Pivot is much more central to the event (thereby distinguishing it from Co-Theme).
Example: THE RANCHER owns twelve oxen.
Goal
Description: The end point (possibly metaphoric) of the action, which exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Co-Agent
Description: An Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, with equal responsibility to the Agent, and who exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Causer
Description: An Actor in an event that initiates and effects the event and that exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Trajectory
Description: Trajectory refers to the path or the 'region' the motion traverses when the motion event expresses a change of location.
Example: He came THROUGH THE DOOR.
Co-Patient
Description: An Undergoer in an event, with equal status to the Patient, that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent, is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Co-Theme
Description: An Undergoer, with equal status to the Theme, that is central to an event or state, does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state.
Example: No examples found
Asset
Description: A Theme considered valuable to one or more participants in the event, especially money.
Example: No examples found
Value
Description: Place along a formal scale.
Example: He put the probability AT 0.9.
Material
Description: Patient that exists at the starting point of action (inheritance from Source), which is transformed through the event into a new entity; concrete or abstract.
Example: An oak tree will grow FROM THAT ACORN.
Product
Description: A concrete object that is the end point of the action and comes into existence through the action (i.e., a subtype of Result).
Example: AN OAK TREE will grow from that acorn.
Initial_State
Description: Source that indicates the state in which an entity begins.
Example: Need an example
Extent
Description: Value indicating the amount of measurable change to a participant over the course of the event.
Example: No examples found
Subeventuality
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Axis
Description: The point or object around which the Theme travels in elliptical motion
Example: No examples found
Maleficiary
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Manner
Description: Way or style of performing an action, or the degree/strength of a cognitive or emotional state.
Example: We lived ON $10 PER DAY.
Precondition
Description: An event or state of affairs that precedes or partially precedes another event or state and is necessary for that other event or state to occur.
Example: No examples found
Affector
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Circumstance
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Duration
Description: Length or extent of time.
Example: The party continued FOR TWO HOURS.
Path
Description: Path is the ‘region’ the motion traverses; the connecting region between the source and goal (both concrete and abstract) locations.
Example: She reached her hand OUT.
Reflexive
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Affector
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Agent
Description: Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, and who exists independently of the event.
Example: THEY decided to go.
Asset
Description: A Theme considered valuable to one or more participants in the event, especially money.
Example: No examples found
Attribute
Description: Circumstance that is a property of an entity or entities, as opposed to the entity itself.
Example: Oil increased IN PRICE.
Axis
Description: The point or object around which the Theme travels in elliptical motion
Example: No examples found
Beneficiary
Description: Undergoer in a state or an event that is (potentially) advantaged or disadvantaged by the event or state.
Example: Martha carved a toy FOR THE BABY.
Causer
Description: An Actor in an event that initiates and effects the event and that exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Circumstance
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Co-Agent
Description: An Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, with equal responsibility to the Agent, and who exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Co-Patient
Description: An Undergoer in an event, with equal status to the Patient, that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent, is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Co-Theme
Description: An Undergoer, with equal status to the Theme, that is central to an event or state, does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state.
Example: No examples found
Destination
Description: Goal that is a concrete, physical location.
Example: Tamara poured water INTO THE BOWL.
Duration
Description: Length or extent of time.
Example: The party continued FOR TWO HOURS.
Eventuality
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Experiencer
Description: Patient that is aware of the event undergone, which often involves an emotional or psychological response elicited by a Stimulus (specific to events of perception).
Example: THE CHILDREN tasted the pea soup.
Extent
Description: Value indicating the amount of measurable change to a participant over the course of the event.
Example: No examples found
Goal
Description: The end point (possibly metaphoric) of the action, which exists independently of the event.
Example: No examples found
Initial_Location
Description: Source that indicates the concrete, physical location where an event begins or a state becomes true.
Example: Amanda drove the package FROM HOME.
Initial_State
Description: Source that indicates the state in which an entity begins.
Example: Need an example
Instrument
Description: Undergoer in an event that is manipulated by an agent, and with which an intentional act is performed; it exists independently of the event. For all roles containing symmetrical participants, we assume that the ordering is non-arbitrary and may be pragmatically determined and/or related to figure-ground considerations; however, the usefulness of this distinction may be application-specific.
Example: Jennifer baked the potatoes IN THE OVEN.
Location
Description: Place that is concrete.
Example: Herbicides persist IN THE SOIL.
Maleficiary
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Manner
Description: Way or style of performing an action, or the degree/strength of a cognitive or emotional state.
Example: We lived ON $10 PER DAY.
Material
Description: Patient that exists at the starting point of action (inheritance from Source), which is transformed through the event into a new entity; concrete or abstract.
Example: An oak tree will grow FROM THAT ACORN.
Path
Description: Path is the ‘region’ the motion traverses; the connecting region between the source and goal (both concrete and abstract) locations.
Example: She reached her hand OUT.
Patient
Description: An Undergoer in an event that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent; is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event.
Example: Brutus murdered JULIUS CAESAR.
Pivot
Description: Theme that participates in an event with another theme unequally. Pivot is much more central to the event (thereby distinguishing it from Co-Theme).
Example: THE RANCHER owns twelve oxen.
Precondition
Description: An event or state of affairs that precedes or partially precedes another event or state and is necessary for that other event or state to occur.
Example: No examples found
Product
Description: A concrete object that is the end point of the action and comes into existence through the action (i.e., a subtype of Result).
Example: AN OAK TREE will grow from that acorn.
Recipient
Description: An animate end point of the action (i.e., a subtype of Destination).
Example: They lent a bicycle TO ME.
Reflexive
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Result
Description: Goal that comes into existence through the event.
Example: He strangled his victims TO DEATH.
Source
Description: The starting point (possibly metaphoric) of an action; it exists independently of the event.
Example: I gleaned FROM THE EVIDENCE how she did it.
Stimulus
Description: Cause in an event that elicits an emotional or psychological response (specific to events of perception).
Example: THE PEA SOUP tasted delicious.
Subeventuality
Description: No description found
Example: No examples found
Theme
Description: Undergoer that is central to an event or state that does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state.
Example: THE BALL rolled down the hill.
Topic
Description: Theme characterized by information content.
Example: Susan chitchatted with Rachel ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
Trajectory
Description: Trajectory refers to the path or the 'region' the motion traverses when the motion event expresses a change of location.
Example: He came THROUGH THE DOOR.
Value
Description: Place along a formal scale.
Example: He put the probability AT 0.9.
cause
Description: An Affector (Agent, Cause, Stimulus, or Precondition) causes an event.
Classes containing cause: 282
has_location
Description: No description found
Classes containing has_location: 117
has_information
Description: No description found
Classes containing has_information: 51
do
Description: A participant engages in an action.
Classes containing do: 165
has_possession
Description: A Participant has possession of a Theme or Asset.
Classes containing has_possession: 36
motion
Description: An Agent or a Theme is in motion.
Classes containing motion: 86