Predicate: soften
Roleset id: soften.01 , to make soft or softer, vncls: 45.4, framnet: Change_of_consistency , Cause_change_of_consistency
soften.01: Based on survey of sentences in WSJ. Member of VNcls other_cos-45.4.
Roles:
Arg0: cause of softening (vnrole: 45.4-agent)
Arg1: entity softened (vnrole: 45.4-patient)
Example: intransitive
person: ns, tense: ns, aspect: ns, voice: active, form: infinitive
Sales of new cars in Europe fell 4.2 % in September from a year earlier and analysts say [the market]-1 could continue [*-1] to soften in the months ahead .
Arg1: [*-1]
Rel: soften
Argm-tmp: in the months ahead
Example: transitive
person: ns, tense: past, aspect: ns, voice: active, form: full
He softened the talk about a recession .
Arg0: He
Rel: softened
Arg1: the talk about a recession
Example: transitive with manner
person: ns, tense: ns, aspect: ns, voice: active, form: infinitive
They-1 also address such taboo subjects as the likelihood of unemployment and high inflation , and recommend ways [0]-2 [*]-1 to soften the social consequences [*T*-2] .
Arg0: [*]-1
Rel: soften
Arg1: the social consequences
Argm-mnr: [*T*-2] (= [0])
Argm-slc: [0] -> ways