The set of semantic roles may receive either a predicate dependent or a predicate independent characterization. When selecting a set of semantic roles, it is necessary to decide whether the set should or should not be chosen independently of the type of verbs involved. In a representation employing a predicate independent characterization of roles, a single set of roles is identified without reference to the types of verbs selecting the roles. [...] Members of the proposed set of roles will be used as applicable across all verbs. Verbs are not a priori differentiated according to the types of arguments they select. Rather verbs fall into classes by virtue of selecting one or more arguments with shared roles. Thus the semantic roles of the arguments of verbs can be used to impose a classification on the verbs, but properties of the types of verbs do not enter into the choice of semantic roles.
- Levin (2004), a pag.322