Semantics in Generative Grammar

Written by two of the leading figures in the field, this is a lucid and systematic introduction to formal semantics.

Preface ix

1 Truth-conditional Semantics and the Fregean Program 1

2 Executing the Fregean Program 13

3 Semantics and Syntax 43

4 More of English: Nonverbal Predicates, Modifiers, Definite Descriptions 61

5 Relative Clauses, Variables, Variable Binding 86

6 Quantifiers: Their Semantic Type 131

7 Quantification and Grammar 178

8 Syntactic and Semantic Constraints on Quantifier Movement 209

9 Bound and Referential Pronouns and Ellipsis 239

10 Syntactic and Semantic Binding 260

11 E-Type Anaphora 277

12 First Steps Towards an Intensional Semantics 299

Index 313

"The reader gets the immediate impression that they are being invited to contribute to real work, which is inspiring. The style is easy to read and the exposition of many difficult and confusing topics is very clear. Semantics in Generative Grammer is really an advanced introduction, and is a good example of how advanced-level texts should be organized...essential reading" Jennifer Spenader, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

"This elegant and thorough text will take the reader through many of the advances in linguistic semantics during the past 25 years of generative grammar. It is a fine achievement by two of the most prominent researchers, and teachers, of the subject." James Higginbotham, University of Oxford

"This book shows that natural language semantics has reached its maturity. A careful and enlightening discussion guides the reader through the intricacies of argument structure, quantification, and binding, some of the very central topics in semantics and in the syntax/semantics interface. Traditional techniques from logic are presented in a way aimed at bringing out what is really important to the study of language. An excellent introduction for the linguist-to-be." Gennaro Chierchia, University of Milan

"This superb new introduction to formal semantics in linguistic theory helps and invites teh serious beginner to think through arguments among potential alternatives right from the start. It's a great textbook." Barbara Partee, University of Massachusetts

Irene Heim is Professor of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the author of The Semantics of Definite and Indefinite Noun Phrases (1987) and, with Angelika Kratzer, is Founder and Editor of Natural Language Semantics.

Angelika Kratzer is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and, with Irene Heim, is Founder and Editor of Natural Language Semantics.

Written by two of the leading figures in the field, this is a lucid and systematic introduction to semantics as applied to transformational grammars of the "Government-Binding" model. It covers the fundamental constructions thoroughly with analyses, but goes well beyond that core, providing extensive discussion of quantification, binding and anaphora, and ellipsis.

With exercises and guides to further reading, the volume will be a key text for graduate level and advanced undergraduate introductory courses in semantics.