Subcategorization frame

In syntactic linguistic theory, the subcategorization frame of a word is the number and types of syntactic arguments that it co-occurs with (i. e. the number and kinds of other words that it selects when appearing in a sentence). So, in "Indiana Jones ate chilled monkey brain", "eat" selects, or subcategorizes for, "Indiana Jones" and "chilled monkey brain".

Subcategorization frames are specifications of the number and types of arguments of a word, and they are believed to be listed as lexical information (that is, they are thought of as part of a speaker's knowledge of the word in the vocabulary of the language). For instance, a monotransitive verb, like "eat", subcategorizes for a subject noun phrase and an object noun phrase. A ditransitive verb, like "give", subcategorizes for a subject noun phrase, an indirect object noun phrase, and a direct object noun phrase. A caused-motion verb, like "put" subcategorizes for a subject noun phrase, an object noun phrase and a locative adverbial prepositional phrase.

Subcategorization frames are essential parts of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar and Lexical Functional Grammar.