ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some background on argument structure, theta-roles, aspect, and little v. It discusses that verbs divide into aspectual classes, of manner and result, as has been argued at least since Fillmore. The chapter refers to the three kinds of verbs as durative, telic, and stative, respectively. It also discusses argument structure and ways to talk about it and argues at inner and outer aspect. The chapter reviews a few of the reasons for making the Theme crucial but then add an argument for seeing the other arguments as part of the conceptual structure as well. The inner aspect of a verb, its Theme, and other arguments are part of the conceptual structure of a proposition. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the structure around the verb comes to be seen as playing a major role in thematic/argument structure. Many languages provide morphological clues as to whether their verbs are transitive or not.
