The work offers a new perspective on the semantics of agent-oriented manner adverbials, actions and intentionality. It proposes a treatment of these adverbials which accounts for their impact on the manner of the event as well as for their agent-orientation. The analysis is developed in a case study of Germansorgfältig ('carefully') andvorsichtig ('cautiously') and makes use of the philosophical concept ofaction-plans. It is proposed that the modifiersorgfältig has impact on the given goal of the agent whilevorsichtig introduces an additional goal of minimizing risk. The modification of the goal restricts the possible methods of realization of the action, i.e. the manner of action.

The analysis makes use of Goldman's Theory of Human Action and is spelled out in Düsseldorf Frame Theory, including extensions in the form of Cascade Theory and the semantic adaptation of models of intention from the philosophical literature. Altogether, the formalization involves a detailed representation of actions and plans, i.e. of intentionality, necessary to capture the complexity of a number of modification phenomena.