Definition and Examples of Agents in English Grammar

In  contemporary  English grammar, the agent is the noun phrase or pronoun that identifies the person or thing which  initiates or performs an action in a sentence. Adjective:  agentive. Also called actor. In a sentence in the active voice, the agent is usually (but not always) the subject (Omar selected the winners). In a sentence in the passive voice, the agent—if identified at all—is usually the object of the  preposition  by (The winners were selected by Omar).The relationship of the subject and verb is called agency. The person or thing that receives an action in a sentence is called the recipient or patient (roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of object). Etymology From the Latin agere, to set in motion, drive forward;  to do Example and Observations Broadly the term [agent] can be used in relation to both transitive and intransitive verbs. . . . Thus the old lady is the agent both in The old lady swallowed a fly  (which can be described in terms of actor-action-goal), and in The fly was swallowed by the old lady. The term can also be applied to the subject of an intransitive verb (e.g. Little Tommy Tucker sings for his supper).The term clearly makes more sense when restricted to a doer who, in a real sense, initiates an action, than when applied to the subject of some mental process verb (e.g. She didnt like it) or of a verb of being (e.g. She was old). Some analysts, therefore, restrict the term, and would not apply it to the noun phrase the old lady if her action was unintentional and involuntary.(Bas Aarts, Sylvia Chalker, and Edmund Weiner,  The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2014)   The Semantic Roles of Agents and Patients Though semantic roles influence the grammar profoundly, they are not primarily grammatical categories. . . . [F]or example, if in some imagined world (which may or may not correspond to objective reality), someone named Waldo paints a barn, then Waldo is acting as the AGENT (the initiator and controller) and the barn is the PATIENT (the affected participant) of the painting event, regardless of whether any observer ever utters a clause like Waldo painted the barn to describe that event.(Thomas E. Payne, Understanding English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2011) Subject and Agents Sentences in which the grammatical subject is not the agent are common. For instance, in the following examples the subjects are not agents because the verbs do not describe an action: My son has a very good memory for songs; This lecture was a bit special; It belongs to her mum and dad.(Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007) Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.(W. C. Fields, You Cant Cheat an Honest Man, 1939)Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.(George Orwell, Animal Farm, 1945)I write entirely to find out what Im thinking, what Im looking at, what I see and what it means.(Joan Didion, Why I Write. The New York Times Book Review, December 6, 1976)Mr. Slump hit the horses twice with a willow branch.(Grace Stone Coates, Wild Plums. Frontier, 1929)Henry Dobbins, who was  a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake.(Tim OBrien, The Things They Carried.  Houghton Mifflin,  1990)When I was two years old my father took me  down to the beach in New Jersey, carried me into the surf until the waves were crashing onto his chest, and then threw me in like a dog, to see, I suppose, whether I would sink or float.(Pam Houston,  Waltzing the Cat.  Norton, 1997)  Early in the  20th century,  parasols of lace lined   with chiffon or silk, or in chiffon and moirà © silk often matching the dress, with exquisite handles of gold, silver, carved ivory or wood with jeweled knobs, were carried by women.(Joan Nunn,  Fashion in Costume, 1200-2000, 2nd ed. New Amsterdam Books, 2000)  Walter was kicked by a mule. The Invisible Agent in Passive Constructions In many situations, . . . the purpose of the passive is simply to avoid mentioning the agent:It was reported today that the federal funds to be allocated for the power plant would not be forthcoming as early as had been anticipated. Some contracts on the preliminary work have been canceled and others renegotiated.Such officialese or bureaucratese takes on a nonhuman quality because the agent role has completely disappeared from the sentences. In the foregoing example, the reader does not know who is reporting, allocating, anticipating, canceling, or renegotiating.   (Martha Kolln and Robert Funk, Understanding English Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1998)The function served by a passive—that of defocusing an agent  (Shibatani 1985)—is useful in a variety of circumstances. The agents identity my be unknown, irrelevant, or best concealed (as when Floyd merely says The glass was broken). Often the agent is generalized or undifferentiated (e.g. The environment is being seriou sly degraded). Whatever the reason, defocusing the agent leaves the theme as the only, and thus the primary, focal participant. (Ronald W. Langacker, Cognitive Grammar: A Basic Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2008) Pronunciation: A-jent

Othello Research Paper - 1962 Words

Literary Madness Far more advanced for his time period, Shakespeare’s talent went unrecognized in the category of not just literature, but psychology as well. During the Elizabethan time period, it was unaware that a human could have psychological defects, let alone have characters who express these faults in a play. Shakespeare’s Othello was produced with two of the main characters having significant behavioral disorders. With a changing motive, the antagonist Iago expresses the symptoms of a narcissist and a sociopath by manipulating the protagonist Othello with lies about his wife. The infected Othello becomes caught up in Iago’s deception which causes him to show the traits of having low serotonin levels and appears to be going†¦show more content†¦Deep desire to be at the center of things is served by extreme self-confidence, a combination that makes narcissists attractive and even charming (Woods 256). Other symptoms can be expressed as two-faced, manipulative, sed uctive, and hypocritical (Kanter 121). The cause of these thoughts in humans has to do with an improperly working ego. There was a common theme on a general cause of this disorder which was, early transition into the real world fails in some way, leading the person to remain, at least in part, in the early self-focused. The Narcissist fails to learn regard for other people, situations, or entities (Kanter 123). Iago expressed the qualities of a diagnosed Narcissist throughout the entire play. With a need for approval, he went unfulfilled when Othello promoted Cassio instead of himself. In order to get back at Othello he plotted against him. Always appearing as trustworthy, Iago tricked Othello into believing his lies. Also throughout the play there was always a lack of empathy towards the destruction of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. These symptoms clearly identify Iago as a certified narcissist. The second psychological disorder associated with Iago is sociopathic. The symptoms of a sociopath are described as â€Å"complete disregard for other’s rights, generally physically aggressive, difficult to stay in relationships, a lot of intelligence and charm. They may seem mellow and friendly but these qualities are artificial and used byShow MoreRelatedOthello Research Paper1226 Words   |  5 PagesCarly Niedert Dr. Helen Davis English 120 1 December 2011 Othello In the play Othello written by Shakespeare, the issue of racism is addressed. Othello, the protagonist of the play, is African American or black. â€Å"According to Lois Whitney, many of Othello’s specific attributes probably derive from Shakespeare’s reading of Leo Africanus, whose Geographical Historie of Africa which was translated and published in London in 1600†(Berry, 1990). 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Cyber Bullying Is the Fastest Growing Trend in Bullying Free Essays

Cyber bullying is the fastest growing trend in bullying among teens and probably the most dangerous. It gives anonymity to those who don’t want people to actually see them bullying in school. Also, cyber bullying takes away the last sanctuary some of these kids have, their home. We will write a custom essay sample on Cyber Bullying Is the Fastest Growing Trend in Bullying or any similar topic only for you Order Now What an awful feeling that must be, to come home from a day of being picked on just to be picked on more via internet. Cyber bullying can come in many ways: text message, email, website, blogs, They can be pictures taken from a camera phone sent to many people to see. Teens spend a lot of time on the internet using social websites like, Myspace and Facebook. These are places where a kid can kind of reinvent himself and exert a little creativity. A place to â€Å"get away† and when those things are taken away the results can be disastrous. This was a difficult paper for me to write. I tend to be an empathetic person and reading all of the horrible stories about children taking their own lives and suffering all that abuse really broke my heart. I, like most people, experienced bullying in middle school and it still bothers me today. I wish there was a way to stop all bullying but over half of bullying incidents go unreported. It is terribly sad that millions of children suffer every day at the hands of bullies. These poor souls can go their entire lives living in fear and feeling completely weakened and insufficient. I know first hand the damage caused when a depressed person takes his own life. Learned Helplessness is a lie. There is always a way out, always steps that can be taken. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If only we could get these bullied kids to see that they aren’t alone and that they are capable, wonderful kids. They need to understand that their identity is not defined by these heartless and cruel actions. We may not be able to stop the bullying but we can certainly diminish the lasting effects. I tutor a 5 year old that struggles with being picked up. They make fun of the way his head is shaped and it is horribly remarkable how fast he has become sensitive about the way he looks. Some days you can see the defeat in his eyes and in the way that he moves. It is heart breaking. I am going to close with a poem written by a 14 year old girl whose best friend committed suicide as a result of being bullied. How to cite Cyber Bullying Is the Fastest Growing Trend in Bullying, Essay examples

Indian Market free essay sample

This report deals with oral market of India especially the mouthwash sector. the various aspect of marketing and research and development of mouthwash product are discussed in detail. INTRODUCTION (COSMETIC MARKET) According to to a research RNCOS industrial research-The rising beauty concerns among both men and women are propelling the Indian cosmetics industry, which has witnessed a strong growth in the last few years. The country’s cosmetic sector has, in fact, emerged as one of the markets holding immense growth potential. New product launches catering to consumers’ growing requirements will fuel growth in the industry, for which the future outlook seems exceptionally bright. According to our latest research report, the Indian cosmetics market registered impressive sales worth INR 264. 1 Billion in 2011, and with rising purchasing power and growing fashion consciousness, the industry is estimated to expand at a CAGR of around 17% during 2011-2015. Their new research report, â€Å"Indian Cosmetic Sector Forecast to 2015†, sees that the Indian cosmetics industry holds promising growth prospects for both existing and new players. We have specifically studied the trends, pertaining to cosmetic products, among male and rural population which will help consultants, industry analysts, and vendors understand the direction in which the industry is moving. During the consumer behavior analysis, we observed that consumers are increasingly shifting towards ‘natural’ and ‘herbal’ cosmetic products as they are associated with bio-active ingredients and safe for human skin. In addition to this, we found that women are spending more on cosmetics as they are actively earning and spending money on grooming themselves. Besides, rural india is also showing its willingness to look attractive. We also studied the prospects of various segments, including hair care, skin care, oral care, fragrance and color cosmetics, and presented forecasts for them in our report. The study revealed that color cosmetics market is growing at a rapid rate in comparison to other segments. Our comprehensive study also provides a brief analysis of markets for Hair Beauty Salon, Spa and Cosmetics Surgery that are an important part of the Indian cosmetics industry. With a view to understanding the industry’s competitive landscape and presenting its balanced outlook to clients, we have included an overview of the activities of key players like Hindustan Unilever, Marico and L’Oreal in the report, which will prove decisive for clients. COSMETIC MARKET SALE-2011 Others 23% Hair Care 20% Make Up 20% Fragrance 10% Skin Care 27% 2|Page Hair Care Market About 20% of all cosmetic products sold are for the hair. Shampoos make up the vast majority of this market since almost everyone uses shampoo. Other significant market segments include conditioners, styling products, hair color, and relaxers. Skin Care Market The range of products that are offered for the skin care market are much more diverse than the hair care market. Skin care makes up about 27% of the total cosmetic industry and includes skin moisturizers, cleansers, facial products, anti-acne, and anti-aging products. Of all the cosmetics, skin care products can be some of the most expensive with 2 ounces of product routinely selling for gt;$200. Women do not mind spending big bucks to keep their skin looking young. Make-up Market The color cosmetic market represents about 15% of the cosmetic industry and includes anything from lipstick to nail polish. Included are hings like blush, eyeshadow, foundation, etc. The array of products is vast and the number of color variations are practically infinite. You can spend a lot of time as a cosmetic chemist working on new shades of familiar products. The market is highly segmented so there isn’t really one dominant player. Fine Fragrance This market segment has really taken a hit in the last few years but it still makes up about 10% of the cosmetic industry so some companies are still making money. This is the highest profit segment of the cosmetic industry but consumers are fickle. Only a few brands (like Chanel #5) can last for a long time. Fine fragrances come and go like fashion and companies have to continue to reformulate just to compete. Other The â€Å"other† category represents 23% of the cosmetic industry and is made up of things like toothpaste, deodorants, sunscreens, depilatories, and other personal care products not yet mentioned. Actually, many of these products could fall under one of the categories already mentioned but the industry likes to keep them separated whenever they do stories on the various markets. 3|Page ORAL CARE According to a report from RNCOS industry research solution-In India, oral care segment holds a substantial share in the overall cosmetic market. On back of increasing awareness about oral hygiene, improving income, and high advertising expenditure by players, the Indian oral care market has shown stupendous growth. According to our latest research report, tooth paste and tooth powders hold the majority share of the market, and this is expected to remain the major sub-segment in future. It is estimated that the Indian oral care market will register a strong CAGR of around 14% during 2011-2015. As per the report, â€Å"Indian Oral Care Market Forecast to 2015†, there exists an immense potential for tooth brush market in rural areas. During our study, we also observed that dental health camps and free dental checkups have raised awareness about dental infections and diseases, especially in suburban and rural parts. The Indian Oral Care market is derived by analyzing and studying its subsegments including: tooth paste, tooth powder, tooth brush, and mouth wash. Besides, our extensive study also discusses why the markets for tooth paste, tooth powder, tooth brush, and mouth wash are growing in India and in which direction they are likely to move in the coming years. It also forecasts the share of oral care segments in oral care market As per scribd. com,the oral care category has a market for about 5000crore for year 2011-12 . Key Players-Hindustan Unilever and Colgate Palmolive. 93 per cent of the households reported some expenditure on toothpaste in 2009-10. The penetration of toothpaste was 95 per cent in urban households and nearly 88 per cent in rural households. The penetration of toothbrushes is much lower than that of toothpaste. Possibly, the index finger is a substitute for the toothbrush in many households, or toothbrushes last for over a year.