Time in Natural Language investigates the relationship between the
syntactic and semantic representations of sentences within the domain
of tense. Assuming that tenses are semantically composed of three
distinct times, Thompson proposes that these times map onto the syntax
in a regular fashion: each time is associated with a unique syntactic
head. Adopting the Minimalist approach to syntactic theory, this
approach makes possible insightful analyses of syntactic structures
involving temporal dependency. Thompson argues that, depending on
their adjunction site, temporal adverbials modify different parts of
the tense structure of the clause. Locating the Event time within VP,
it is correctly predicted that an adverbial that modifies the Event
time is adjoined to VP. On the other hand, since the Reference time is
argued to be within AspP, when an adverbial is adjoined to AspP, it
modifies the Reference time. The syntax of temporal adjunct clauses is
accounted for in a similar fashion; they may be adjoined either to VP,
where they are interpreted as simultaneous with the matrix event, or
to AspP, where they are interpreted as nonsimultaneous. Thompson shows
that the analysis sheds light on the less-studied issue of the
temporal syntax of arguments. Subjects with gerundive relative clauses
are claimed to be interpreted in VP at LF when the relative clause is
temporally dependent on the Event time of the main clause, and in TP
when the relative clause is dependent on the Speech time of the main
clause. By extending the syntactic proposal to investigate the
discourse-level effects of tense, an original analysis of the
discourse representation of tense is proposed. Thompson argues that
the discourse representation of tense is based on same primitives and
subject to the same principles as the syntactic representation of
tense, based on an in-depth examination of the structure and meaning
of the temporal discourse adverb then.
Les mer
Syntactic Interfaces with Semantics and Discourse
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9783110197563
Publisert
2015
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
De Gruyter Mouton
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter