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Agent
Theme
Location
Instrument
Manner
Measure
Time
Agents are arguments that bring about a state of affairs. The line between agents,
on the one hand, and instruments or causes, on the other, can be fuzzy, but agents
are (or are perceived to be) conscious or sentient, in a way that instruments or
causes aren't. Some examples are given in (1)-(3).
(1) a. Agent: The lions devoured the wildebeest.
b. The boys caught some fish.
c. My mother wrote me a letter.
(2) a. Instrument: This key opens the door to the main office.
b. They must have used indelible ink.
(3) a. Cause: Hurricane-force winds demolished much of the town.
b. An epidemic killed off all of the tomatoes.
c. An economic downturn put thousands of workers out of work.
(4) a. Experiencer: The rhesus monkey had never seen snow before.
b. Many people fear snakes.
c. Their resourcefulness struck her as admirable.