Suggested answer for Exercise 5

(1) Peter – agent/subject, Mary – beneficiary/indirect object, flowers – theme/direct object: no change in theta-roles or grammatical functions, only word order changes

(2) active: the postman – agent/subject, the letter – theme/direct object; passive: the letter – subject/theme: there is no change in theta-roles but as the subject is unexpressed, the object moves into its position and assumes its grammatical function

(3) he – agent/subject, us – theme/direct object: no change in theta-roles or grammatical functions occurs

(4) Peter – experiencer/subject, the scar – theme/direct object: in the second sentence the scar – theme/subject

(5) Mary – theme/subject: in the second sentence Mary – agent/subject: the meanings of the two sentences differ considerably with respect to who is pleasing who

(6) who – theme/direct object, you – experiencer/subject, the second sentence is ambiguous: who – agent/subject of lower clause, you – experiencer/subject of matrix clause OR who – theme/direct object

(7) he – agent/subject, a shower – theme/(eventive) object: no change in theta roles or grammatical functions

(8) he – agent/subject, the ball – theme/direct object: no change in theta roles or grammatical functions