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Covert Modality in Non-finite Contexts (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R5,463
Discovery Miles 54 630
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Covert Modality in Non-finite Contexts (Hardcover)
Series: Interface Explorations [IE]
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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This book investigates the distribution and interpretation of
Covert Modality. Covert Modality is modality which we interpret but
which is not associated with any lexical item in the structure that
we are interpreting. This dissertation investigates a class of
environments that involves covert modality. Examples of covert
modality include wh-infinitival complements, infinitival relative
clauses, purpose clauses, the 'have to' construction, and the 'is
to' construction (cf. 1): 1a. Tim knows [how to solve the problem].
("Tim knows how one/he could/should solve the problem.") 1b. Jane
found [a book to draw cartoons in] for Sara. ("Jane found a book
for Sara one could/should draw cartoons in.") 1c. [The man to fix
the sink] is here. ("The man whose purpose is to fix the sink is
here.") 1d. Sue went to Torino [to buy a violin]. ("Sue went to
Torino so that she could buy a violin.") 1e. Bill has to reach
Philadelphia before noon. ("Bill must reach Philadelphia before
noon.") 1f. Will is to leave tomorrow. ("Will is scheduled/supposed
to leave tomorrow.") The interpretation of (1a-f) involves
modality; however, there is no lexical item that seems to be the
source of the modality. What (1a-f) have in common is that they
involve infinitivals. This book addresses the following questions
about covert modality: what is the source of this modality, what
are its semantic properties, why are some but not all infinitival
relatives modal, and why are all infinitival questions modal? The
infinitival [+wh] Complementizer is identified as the source of the
covert modality. The apparent variability of the force of this
modality is related to the particular semantics of this
Complementizer. Infinitival relatives that receive a non-modal
interpretation are analyzed as being reduced relatives and thus not
involving the infinitival [+wh] Complementizer.
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