(Under Development)
This category includes prepositional complements denoting an agent – that is, a doer of some action. All such sentences could, in theory, be rewritten in a way that would make the agent the subject of a sentence, thus eliminating the prepositional construction. This rewrite is to be taken in a very broad sense here: not merely rearranging the words present, but expressing the same idea using different words.This discussion of the Agent class of prepositions is based on an examination of the 22 senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP). This set of senses is discussed in section 9.50 of Quirk et al as part of the means/agentive spectrum of prepostions. There are 22 agent senses under 19 prepositions. In general, agent prepositions answer the question how, specifically with agentive role (through the agency of), usually a person or institution, but sometimes with inanimate entity that is the agent used to perform or instigate a process. Subtypes for this class add a specific role to the agent role, carrying nuances of meaning. (See Preposition Classes for how this class relates to other classes, particularly for others in means/agentive spectrum, including MeansMedium). For the supersenses (unlexicalized categores for prepositions), see PrepWiki; the PDEP database is being kept synchronized with this project, as they are assigned to TPP senses.
Preposition | Sense | Subclass | Srtype | Supersense | Classed | Count | Pct | NF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
\'pon | 11(5)-1 | Involved | Experiencer | Beneficiary | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 |
\'pon | 21(11) | Direct | PartyPaying | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
\'pon | 6(1e) | Involved:Possessor | Holder | Possessor | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 |
about | 5(3a) | Involved:Possessor | OwnerOfAttribute | Possessor | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 134.02 |
according to | 1(1) | Direct | Authority | Yes | 94 | 100.0 | 500.21 | |
at the hand of | 1(1) | Indirect | Agent | Yes | 7 | 100.0 | 1.30 | |
at the hands of | 1(1) | Indirect | Agent | Yes | 232 | 100.0 | 43.03 | |
behind | 7(4) | Involved | DepartedParty | Yes | 6 | 100.0 | 27.63 | |
beyond | 8(4a) | Involved | PartyFlummoxed | Yes | 6 | 100.0 | 25.21 | |
by | 1(1) | Direct | Agent | Agent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 119.21 |
by | 10(2e) | Direct | Parent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 119.21 | |
by | 2(1a) | Direct | Agent | Agent,Causer,Stimulus | Yes | 256 | 100.0 | 30518.99 |
by | 21(7) | Involved | PartyAccepting | Beneficiary,Donor/Speaker | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 357.64 |
by | 22(8) | Involved | PartyInvoked | Manner | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 119.21 |
by | 3(1b) | Indirect | Agent | Agent | Yes | 41 | 100.0 | 4887.81 |
by | 4(1c) | Direct | Creator | Creator | Yes | 43 | 100.0 | 5126.24 |
by | 9(2d) | Direct | Parent | Co-Agent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 119.21 |
by courtesy of | 1(1) | Indirect | Grantor | Yes | 23 | 100.0 | 4.27 | |
by the hand of | 1(1) | Indirect | Agent | Yes | 8 | 100.0 | 1.48 | |
by the hands of | 1(1) | Indirect | Agent | Yes | 2 | 100.0 | 0.37 | |
care of | 1(1) | Involved | ReceiverOfMail | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
courtesy of | 1(1) | Indirect | Grantor | Yes | 82 | 100.0 | 15.21 | |
for | 2(2)-1 | Involved | Experiencer | Beneficiary,Experiencer | Yes | 17 | 100.0 | 2702.71 |
frae | 12(9)-1 | Direct | Agent | Speaker | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 |
from | 12(9)-1 | Direct | Agent | Donor/Speaker,Source | Yes | 27 | 100.0 | 2254.20 |
in | 1(1)-1 | Involved:Attribute | ThingWorn | Attribute | Yes | 2 | 100.0 | 741.97 |
in | 9(7)-1 | Involved:Attribute | VariableQuality | Attribute | Yes | 1 | 100.0 | 370.99 |
in the name of | 1(1) | Indirect | PartyNamed | Yes | 56 | 100.0 | 16.29 | |
in the name of | 3(1b) | Indirect | Authority | Yes | 33 | 100.0 | 9.60 | |
in the shape of | 1(1) | Direct | ThingEmbodying | Yes | 107 | 100.0 | 20.88 | |
o\' | 11(6) | Involved:Possessor | Possessor | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.00 | |
o\' | 6(3) | Involved:Possessor | Possessor | Possessor,Topic | Yes | 21 | 100.0 | 0.04 |
o\' | 6(3)-1 | Involved:Attribute | DefiningQuality | Attribute | Yes | 4 | 100.0 | 0.01 |
o\' | 7(3a) | Direct | Creator | Speaker | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.00 |
of | 11(6) | Involved:Possessor | Possessor | Agent,Possessor | Yes | 17 | 100.0 | 4204.51 |
of | 6(3) | Involved:Possessor | Possessor | Possessor,ProfessionalAspect,Topic | Yes | 170 | 100.0 | 42045.06 |
of | 6(3)-1 | Involved:Attribute | DefiningQuality | Attribute | Yes | 26 | 100.0 | 6430.42 |
of | 7(3a) | Direct | Creator | Creator | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 741.97 |
on | 11(5)-1 | Involved | Experiencer | Beneficiary | Yes | 55 | 100.0 | 4551.32 |
on | 21(11) | Direct | PartyPaying | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 82.75 | |
on | 6(1e) | Involved:Possessor | Holder | Possessor | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 82.75 |
on the part of | 1(1) | Indirect | Agent | Yes | 249 | 100.0 | 218.75 | |
out of | 3(2) | Direct | Parent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 12.69 | |
outta | 3(2) | Direct | Parent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
pace | 1(1) | Direct | Authority | Yes | 12 | 100.0 | 2.23 | |
per | 4(n) | Indirect | Authority | Yes | 1 | 100.0 | 4.93 | |
saving | 2(2) | Involved | PartyRespected | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
under | 8(4) | Indirect | AgentControlling | ProfessionalAspect,State | Yes | 19 | 100.0 | 430.11 |
under the heel of | 1(1) | Indirect | AgentControlling | Yes | 5 | 100.0 | 0.93 | |
up to | 6(4) | Involved | PartyResponsible | State | Yes | 8 | 100.0 | 67.64 |
upon | 11(5)-1 | Involved | Experiencer | Beneficiary | Yes | 51 | 100.0 | 577.94 |
upon | 21(11) | Direct | PartyPaying | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 11.33 | |
upon | 6(1e) | Involved:Possessor | Holder | Possessor | Yes | 2 | 100.0 | 22.66 |
with | 10(7a) | Involved:Attribute | Malady | Attribute | Yes | 10 | 100.0 | 790.54 |
with | 14(8a) | Indirect | Partner | ProfessionalAspect | Yes | 4 | 100.0 | 316.21 |
with | 15(9)-1 | Involved | PartyAgreedWith | Yes | 6 | 100.0 | 474.32 | |
with | 3(2a) | Involved:Attribute | Accoutrement | Attribute | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 237.16 |
with | 8(6) | Involved | PartyResponsible | Yes | 2 | 100.0 | 158.11 | |
Total | 109702.6 |