In the PMB we use three classes of roles: Event Roles, Concept Roles, Attribute Roles, and Relational Roles. Most of the roles are based on VerbNet. The first character of a role name is always in uppercase, the following ones in lowercase. The event roles coincide with those of VerbNet except where indicated. An event role instantation Participant(E,X) can be paraphrased in English as "E has Participant X", or "X is the Participant (of E)". Roles can be inversed in the Description Logic sense. An inversed role has the suffix Of.
| Event Role | Identifier | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Participant(E,X) | 20000 | X is a participant of event E (the most general event role) |
| Actor(E,X) | 22000 | |
| Agent(E,X) | 22100 | X is an Actor in an event E who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, and X exists independently of the event. |
| Co-Agent(E,X) | 22110 | Agent who is acting in coordination or reciprocally with another agent while participating in the same event (specific to events with symmetrical participants). |
| Causer(E,X) | 22200 | X is an Actor (animate or inanimate) in an event that initiates the event, but that does not act with any intentionality or consciousness; it exists independently of the event. |
| Stimulus(E,X) | 22210 | Causer in an event that elicits an emotional or psychological response (specific to events of perception. |
| Undergoer(E,X) | 23000 | |
| Theme(E,X) | 23100 | Undergoer that is central to an event or state that does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state. |
| Co-Theme(E,X) | 23120 | Theme that participates in an event or state with another Theme; both participate equally (thereby distinguishing this role from Pivot; specific toevents with symmetrical participants). |
| Topic(E,X) | 23110 | Theme characterized by information content transferred to another participant (specific to events of communication). |
| Proposition(E,X) | 23130 | Theme with propositional content |
| Pivot(E,X) | 23140 | Theme that participates in an event with another theme unequally. Pivot is much more central to the event (thereby distinguishing it from Co-Theme). |
| Patient(E,X) | 23200 | Undergoer in an event that experiences a change of state, location or condition, that is causally involved or directly affected by other participants, and exists independently of the event. |
| Experiencer(E,X) | 23210 | X is a Patient that is aware of the event E undergone (specific to events of perception). |
| Material(E,X) | 23220 | Patient that exists at the starting point of action (inheritance from Source), which is transformed through the event into a new entity; concrete or abstract. |
| Co-Patient(E,X) | 23230 | Patient that participates in an event with another patient, both participate equally in the event (specific to events with symmetrical participants). |
| Beneficiary(E,X) | 23300 | X is an Undergoer in a state or an event E that is (potentially) advantaged or disadvantaged by E. |
| Instrument(E,X) | 23400 | Undergoer in an event that is manipulated by an Agent, and with which an intentional act is performed; it exists independently of the event |
| Abstract(E,X) | 24000 | |
| Degree(E,X) | 24100 | |
| Goal(E,X) | 24200 | Place that is the end point of an action and exists independently of the event. |
| Result(E,X) | 24210 | Goal that comes into existence through the event. |
| Product(E,X) | 24211 | Result that is a concrete object. |
| Manner(E,X) | 23300 | The way an event is taking place. |
| Context(E,X) | 24400 | |
| Place(E,X) | 25000 | |
| Location(E,X) | 25100 | Place that is concrete. |
| Source(E,X) | 25110 | Place that is the starting point of action; exists independently of the event. |
| Destination(E,X) | 25120 | Event E has Goal X that is a concrete, physical location. |
| Recipient(E,X) | 25121 | Destination that is animate. |
| Value(E,X) | 25200 | X is a Place along a formal scale. |
| Asset(E,X) | 25230 | E has Value X that is a concrete object. |
| Extent(E,X) | 25240 | |
| Path(E,X) | 25300 | |
| Time(E,X) | 21000 | Participant that indicates an instant or an interval of time during which a state exists or an event took place. |
| Duration(E,X) | 21100 | Event E has length or extent of time X. |
| Frequency(E,X) | 21300 | X is the number of occurrences of an event E within a given time span. |
| Start(E,X) | 21500 | Time that indicates when an event begins or a state becomes true. |
| Finish(E,X) | 21400 | Time that indicates when an event ends or a state becomes false. (VerbNet: Final-Time) |
| Attribute(E,X) | 10000 | X is an Undergoer that is a property of an entity or entities, as opposed to the entity itself. |
| Attribute Role | Identifier | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity(X,Y) | 11000 | Entity X has quantity Y (usually a number). |
| Name(X,Y) | 12000 | Entity X has name Y (usually a constant) |
| Order(X,Y) | 13000 | Entity X is ranked on position Y |
| Colour(X,Y) | 14000 | Entity X (an entity) has colour Y. |
| Unit(X,Y) | 15000 | Entity X is measured in unit of measurement Y. |
| Title(X,Y) | 16000 | Entity X has title Y. |
| Concept Role | Identifier | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Role(X,Y) | 30000 | Entity X plays role Y. |
| Of(X,Y) | 31000 | (used only in combination with a predicate of a relational noun). |
| Affectee(X,Y) | 32000 | Entity X affects Y. |
| Creator(X,Y) | 35000 | Entity X (an artifact or situation) has creator Y (animate). |
| User(X,Y) | 33000 | Entity X has user Y. |
| Owner(X,Y) | 34000 | Entity X has owner Y (an animate entity, usually a pet). |
| Consumer(X,Y) | 36000 | Entity X has owner Y (an animate entity). |
| Bearer(X,Y) | 37000 | Entity X bears name Y (a name). |
| Relational Role | Identifier | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| InstanceOf(X,Y) | 41000 | Entity X is an instance of Y. |
| SubOf(X,Y) | 42000 | Entity X is a subset of Y (X and Y are of the same sort). |
| PartOf(X,Y) | 43000 | Entity X is (body) part of Y (X and Y are not of the same sort). |
| MadeOf(X,Y) | 44000 | Entity X is made of material Y. |
| FeatureOf(X,Y) | 45000 | Entity X is a feature of Y. |
| ContentOf(X,Y) | 46000 | Entity X is forms content of Y. |
| Specific Time Role | Identifier | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| YearOfCentury(T,yyyy) | 21210 | Specifies a calendar year. |
| ClockTime(T,hh:mm) | 21220 | Specifies exact clock time of a time interval. |
| DayOfWeek(T,X) | 21230 | Specifies exact day in a week. |
| MonthOfYear(X,Y) | 21240 | Specifies month in a year. |
| DayOfMonth(T,dd) | 21250 | Specifies exact day in a month. |