Course plan

This course aims to discuss the challenges that modification poses for semantic theory, especially with respect to compositionality and the ontology. We will talk about the semantic properties of different kinds of adjectives and adverbs, and will entertain a cross-categorial analogy between degrees and manners, which is one of the current hot topics of debate in semantics and philosophy of language.

Week 1

• Introduction. What is modification? Why is modification relevant for linguistic theory? Interfaces of semantics with syntax and pragmatics. Restrictive vs. non-restrictive modification.
• Adjectives. Classification (intersective, subsective and non-subsective). Analyses of intersective adjectives. Intersective analysis of apparently subsective adjectives (eventive adjectives, relational adjectives). Privative adjectives.
• Degree. Gradable adjectives. Degree expressions. Vagueness. Grammatical vs. semantic gradability (gradability across categories).

Week 2

• Adverbials. Classification according to their category (PPs, adverbs) and to their syntax-semantics properties (manner, degree, agent-oriented, evaluative, modal, speech act, etc.).
• Events. Event semantics, event structure, events vs. states.
• The clausal/manner duality. Various accounts. Reduction of higher level adverbs to manner adverbs.
• Manner. Manner in the ontology. Manner as event kinds.
• Manner, result, degree. well.