Subcategorization frame

In the UNLarium framework, Subcategorization Frames are the number and types of syntactic arguments that co-occurs with the lemma in a sentence.

When to use subcategorization frames

Subcategorization frames are mandatory for words that take one or more syntactic argument, such as:

• intransitive verbs ('sleep', 'rain')
• direct transitive verbs ('kill', 'kiss')
• indirect transitive verbs ('depend', 'rely')
• ditransitive verbs ('give')
• deverbals ('arrival', 'construction')
• adjectives that require a complement ('loyal to', 'interested in')
• adverbs that require a complement ('contrarily to')
• prepositions ('in', 'after', 'near', 'instead')
• conjunctions ('because', 'and', 'but')
• proper nouns that require an article ('The United States of America")

Subcategorization frames are optional for words that take no syntactic argument, such as:

• nouns ('table', 'computer')
• adjectives ('beautiful', 'intelligent')
• adverbs ('yesterday', 'here')
• determiners ('the', 'this')
• pronouns ('he', 'yours')

Syntax

Subcategorization frames should comply with the S-Rule formalism for writing syntactic rules in the UNL framework.

Templates

Category	Valency	Frame	Example (English)	Example (Frame)
Adjective	0	NO FRAME	beaufitul
Adjective	1	JC(PP([X])); where X = preposition required by the adjective	loyal to	JC(PP([to]));
Adverb	0	NO FRAME	now, here, very, well, normally
Adverb	1	AC(PP([X])); where X = preposition required by the adverb	contrarily to	AC(PP([to]));
Noun	0	NO FRAME	table, computer
Noun	1 (complement)	NC(PP([X])); where X = preposition required by the noun	construction of	NC(PP([of]));
Noun	1 (specifier)	NS([X]); where X = determiner required by the noun	United States of America	NS([the]);
Preposition	1	PC(XP); where XP is the complement of the preposition (NP, VP, etc).	of	PC(NP);
Verb	0 (impersonal)	NO FRAME	llove (es), chove (pt)
Verb	1 (intransitive)	VS(NP);	rain, sleep	VS(NP);
Verb	2 (direct transitive)	VS(NP),VC(NP);	kill, kiss	VS(NP),VC(NP);
Verb	2 (indirect transitive)	VS(NP),VC(PP([X])); where X = preposition required by the verb	depend on	VS(NP),VC(PP([on]));
Verb	2 (copula)	VS(NP),VC(NP);	be, become	VS(NP),VC(NP);
Verb	3 (ditransitive)	VS(NP),VC(NP),VC(PP([x])); where X = preposition required by the verb	give	VS(NP),VC(NP),VC(PP([to]));

Observations

Syntactic case marking can be associated to the arguments of syntactic relations, if necessary.

• VS(NP),VC(NP); (the verb has a specifier (NP) and a complement (NP), i.e., is a direct transitive verb (without syntactic case marking)
• VS(NP,NOM),VC(NP,ACC); (the verb has a specifier (NP) that receives the nominative (NOM) case and a complement (NP) that receives the accusative (ACC) case

Syntactic case marking should be avoided if default (i.e., if already expressed in the language settings)

• If the specifier of the verb always receives a nominative case, this information should be stated in the language settings and not in individual subcategorization frames
  • Subcategorization frame: VS(NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase)
  • Language settings: VS(NP):=VS(NP,NOM); (every NP specifier of the verb receives the nominative (NOM) case)

Agreement information can be associated to the arguments of syntactic relations, if necessary.

• VS(NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase and there is no information on agreement
• VS(NP,ANUM,APER); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase (NP) that assigns number (ANUM) and person (APER) to its head);

Agreement information should be avoided if default (i.e., if already expressed in the language settings)

• If the specifier of the verb always assigns number and person to its head, this information should be stated in the language settings and not in individual subcategorization frames
  • Subcategorization frame: VS(NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase)
  • Language settings: VS(NP):=VS(NP,ANUM,APER); (every NP specifier of the verb assigns number and person to its head)

Word ordering information can be associated to the arguments of syntactic relations, if necessary.

• VS(NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase and there is no information on the word ordering
• VS(<NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase (NP) that comes at the left of the head;

Word ordering information should be avoided if default (i.e., if already expressed in the language settings)

• If the specifier of the verb always comes at the left of its head, this information should be stated in the language settings and not in individual subcategorization frames
  • Subcategorization frame: VS(NP); (the specifier of the verb is a noun phrase)
  • Language settings: VS(NP):=VS(<NP); (every NP specifier of the verb comes at the left of its head)