• Predicates are not considered as isolated elements, to be inserted into independently generated structures of some kind; they are themselves considered as structures, called “predicate frames”, which contain a kind of “blueprint” for the predications in which they can be used. The structure of the predication is built up from the predicate frame. • An example of predicate frame would be the following: (15) GiveV(x1:(x1))Ag(x2)Go(x3:((x3))Rec In this predicate frame the verbal(V) predicate “give” is specified as having three argument positions, indicated by x1, x2, x3, carrying the “semantic functions” of Agent(Ag), Goal(Go), and Recipient(Rec), where the first and the third argument are constrained by the “selection restriction” .
- Dik (1989), a pag.54