Lexical Representations and the Semantics of Complementation

First published in 1983, this book attempts to lay the groundwork for a general approach to lexical semantics. The first chapter proposes a framework of lexical description which is then expanded upon in chapter two. A theory of the semantics of nuclear terms along with a proposed implementation is presented in chapter three. The fourth chapter argues that a number of regular, semantically governed valence alternations could be captured in frame representations that give rise to various kinds of realisation options. The final chapter examines the interaction of these phenomena with a general account of prediction or control and with the general framework of lexical representation.