This book investigates whether thematic roles function as valid semantic entities and argues for the autonomy of syntax and semantics. Yael Ravin presents a decompositional approach to lexical semantics, drawing upon the theoretical framework established by Katz. The work evaluates the independence of linguistic structures while proposing a model that accounts for complex event concepts without relying on traditional thematic role assignments.

Linguists and researchers in semantic theory frequently cite this work for its rigorous challenge to standard role-based models. The text is noted for its dense, technical prose and is considered a significant contribution to the debate regarding the modularity of grammar.