Roleset ratchet.01 Verbnet Class: NONE "incremental growth":

Roles:

Arg0:cause of growth, agent


Arg1:thing growing


Arg2:EXT


Arg3:start point


Arg4:end point

Examples:

person: ns tense: ns aspect: ns voice: ns form: gerund


quasi-nominal (-)
But the 1989 fall total of 80, while well below 1988 activity, shows ``a steady ratcheting up in citizen referenda and initiatives,'' says Patrick McGuigan, editor of Family, Law and Democracy Report.
ArgM-MNR:	steady
REL:	[ ratcheting] [ up]
Arg1-in:	citizen referenda and initiatives

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


most args (-)
Mary ratcheted up her beatings of John to once per week prior to the holidays.
Arg0:	Mary
REL:	ratcheted up
Arg1:	her beatings of John
Arg4-to:	once per week
Argm-TMP:	prior to the holidays

If ever is seen 'ratchet down' then this verb should not be phrasal, but rather the directional particle should be Arg5.