Тета критериі және сөйлем құрылымындағы рөлдері

The theta criterion (also named θ criterion) is a constraint on x bar theory that was first proposed by as a rule within the system of principles of the government and binding theory, called theta theory (θ theory). As theta theory is concerned with the distribution and assignment of theta roles (a. k. a. thematic roles), the theta criterion describes the specific match between arguments and theta roles (θ roles) in logical form (LF):

Being a constraint on x bar theory, the criterion aims to parse out ill formed sentences. Thus, if the number or categories of arguments in a sentence does not meet the theta role assigner's requirement in any given sentence, that sentence will be deemed ungrammatical. In other words, theta criterion sorts sentences into grammatical and ungrammatical bins based on c selection and s selection.

Since trace transmits theta role, movements resulting in non local relations between theta role assigners and receivers in surface structure don't violate theta criterion. This allows us to generate sentences with DP raising, head movement, wh movement, etc. However, if a phrase occupies a theta position (complement or selected subject) in D structure, it can no longer move to another theta position or it will receive two theta roles .

Cognate objects are nominal complements of their cognate verbs that are normally intransitive. For example,
(8) John died a gruesome death. Such a structure posed a problem for theta criterion because normally the verb assigns only one theta role, theme, which is already taken by the DP, "John." The sentence should be thus predicted ill formed. To explain the phenomenon, one way is to re categorize such a verb as "die" so as to change the way it assigns theta roles. For that purpose, (8) can be interpreted as follows:
(9) John met a gruesome death. Or John underwent a gruesome death. If the verb "die" is essentially similar to the operation verb "meet," the cognate objects should be assigned a theta role—one restricted to the nominal form of the verb head In other words, "die" is now classified as a potentially transitive verb, assigning two theta roles, agent to "John" and theme to "a gruesome death." Such a possibility is falsified, however, because cognate object constructions cannot be passivized
(10) a. A gruesome death was met by John. b. *A gruesome death was died by John. As we can no longer consider verbs that take cognate objects the same as potentially transitive verbs, argues, based on the framework of , that cognate objects are adjuncts rather than arguments, having the same meaning and structure as the manner adverbs in (12b). Theta role<THEME>|(11a)Johndieda gruesome death.(11b)Johndiedgruesomely. Such an analysis restores cognate objects to the group of arguments satisfying the theta criterion, as adjuncts, by definition, are not counted as arguments and therefore need not be restricted by theta criterion. The tree form (11c) shows the adjunct DP in its relative position.

Theta criterion experienced its golden age in the 1980s when people discussed its application to various languages and structures and developed many other theories from it. However, after the minimalist program challenged some cornerstones of government and binding theory, people started to question the validity of this criterion, especially the number of theta roles allowed to be taken by an argument. Hornstein and Boeckx, for example, proposed that there is no upper limit on the number of theta roles an argument can receive during derivation. In their theory, the function of selecting correct number of arguments is shouldered by case theory, and theta roles are just features on verbs that needs to be checked .