<def-root>Words in this frame have to do with a <fen>Cognizer</fen> being aware (or not being aware) of the difference between two <fen>Phenomena</fen>, which may be expressed jointly or disjointly.
<ex>It is very difficult for <fex name="Cognizer">people</fex> to <fex name="Means">visually</fex> <t>distinguish</t> <fex name="Phenomena">between living and non-living things</fex> <fex name="Circumstances">from such a great distance</fex> .</ex>
</def-root>
<def-root>The cognizer is the person (or other sentient being) who potentially determines that two Phenomena are distinct from each other. It is normally expressed as an External Argument:
<ex> <fex name="Cognizer">The teacher</fex> couldn't <t>distinguish</t> one child from the other. </ex></def-root>
<def-root>The phenomena that are potentially judged to be different from one another can be expressed as separate constituents. When they are, one is typically expressed as an NP Object, and the other as a PP Complement headed by <ment>from</ment>:
<ex> The teacher couldn't <t>distinguish</t> Pat from Kim.</ex>
In this case, the phenomenon expressed more prominently as an NP Object is called <fen>Phenomenon_1</fen>:
<ex>The teacher couldn't <t>distinguish</t> <fex name="Phenomenon_1">Pat</fex> from Kim. </ex></def-root>
<def-root>See Phenomenon_1, above. The phenomenon expressed less prominently as a PP complement is called <fen>Phenomenon_2</fen>:
<ex>The teacher couldn't <t>distinguish</t> Pat <fex name="Phenomenon_2">from Kim</fex>. </ex></def-root>
<def-root>Both phenomena that are potentially judged to be different from one another can be expressed jointly by the same constituent:
<ex>The teacher couldn't <t>distinguish</t> <fex name="Phenomena">the twins</fex>.</ex>
Such constituents are assigned the FE <fen>Phenomena</fen>. They are always plural, as in the above example, or involve conjunction:
<ex>The teacher couldn't <t>distinguish</t> <fex name="Phenomena">Pat and Kim</fex>. </ex></def-root>
<def-root>This is a property that is potentially used by the Cognizer to distinguish one phenomenon from another. It is normally expressed as a PP headed by a preposition such as <ment>from</ment>, <ment>by</ment>, or <ment>on the basis of</ment>:
<ex>The coach could <t>distinguish</t> the twins <fex name="Quality">by their hair</fex>.</ex> General Grammatical Observations: Verbs in this domain often occur with the modal auxiliary <ment>can</ment>. </def-root>
<def-root>Degree to which event occurs</def-root>
<def-root>State of a participant while the action is ongoing.
<ex>We <t>differentiated</t> between the squid, <fex name="Dep">certain that their characteristics put them in different species</fex>.</ex></def-root>
<def-root>Manner of performing an action</def-root>
<def-root>An intentional action performed by the <fen>Cognizer</fen> that allows them to differentiate the <fen>Phenomena</fen>. </def-root>
<def-root>The <fen>Circumstances</fen> describe the situation in which the <fen>Cognizer</fen> evaluates the <fen>Phenomena</fen>.
<ex>It is difficult to <t>distinguish</t> <fex name="Phenomena">contrasing figures</fex> <fex name="Circumstances">from a distance</fex>.</ex></def-root>
Mental_activity
COD: find differences (between)
COD: recognize a distinction.
COD: recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another
COD: see or point out the difference of
FN: select from a miscellaneous group
FN: distinguish.
FN: distinguish
FN: distinguish (usually of the form X knows Y from Z)
FN: distinguish some thing from another
FN: able to be separated into separate identities.