Roleset distinguish.01 Verbnet Class: 1 "separate, divide":

Roles:

Arg0:entity causing separation


Arg1:thing(s) being divided


Arg2:source, separated from, if separate from arg1

Examples:

person: ns tense: ns aspect: ns voice: ns form: infinitive


all args (-)
Soon the studio is producing a $40 million picture called ``Tet, the Motion Picture,'' *trace* to distinguish it from ``Tet, the Offensive,'' as well as ``Tet, the Book'' and ``Tet, the Album.''
Arg0:	*trace* -> the studio
REL:	distinguish
Arg1:	it
Arg2-from:	``Tet, the Offensive,'' as well as ``Tet, the Book'' and ``Tet, the Album

person: ns tense: past aspect: ns voice: active form: full


just transitive, singular arg1 (-)
In the classroom, students say, Mrs. Yeargin distinguished herself by varying teaching approaches -- forcing kids to pair up to complete classroom work or using college-bowl type competitions.
ArgM-LOC:	In the classroom
Arg0:	Mrs. Yeargin
REL:	distinguished
Arg1-REC:	herself
ArgM-MNR:	by varying teaching approaches -- forcing kids to pair up to complete classroom work or using college-bowl type competitions

person: ns tense: past aspect: ns voice: active form: full


just transitive, plural arg1 (-)
He distinguished the two cases: In Salinger, Judge Leval noted, the quotations were for the purpose of enlivening the biography rather than of proving points about the subject.
Arg0:	He
REL:	distinguished
Arg1:	the two cases

person: ns tense: ns aspect: ns voice: ns form: infinitive


Bork Bork Bork! (-)
Unfortunately, Mr. Bork failed *trace* to distinguish between such pressures and the emergence of great issues critical to a society that must be settled judicially if it is to cohere.
Arg0:	*trace* -> Mr. Bork
REL:	distinguish
Arg1-between:	such pressures and the emergence of great issues critical to a society that must be settled judicially if it is to cohere

When arg1 is singular, there's a default arg2 along the lines of "from his/her/its peers". When arg2 is plural and potentially introduced by a preposition like "between" or "among" the figure (arg1) and ground (arg2) have been merged.