An inquiry into the internal structure of infl has led to the view in the generative grammar that universally the head of the I(nfl)P(hrase) is decompositional in that a series of functional categories can be located there, e.g. T(ense)P(hrase), Agr(eement)P(hrase), Neg(ation)P(hrase), Asp(ect)P(hrase), etc.; each of these categories projects its…

This study explores the relationship between question intonation patterns in French using dislocated questions and question-focus (Q- focus). A dislocated question is defined as an interrogative sentence whose sequence is interrupted by the topicalization of a constituent at the left ("Toi, tu viens?"), at the right (Tu viens,…

This paper explores the relationship between the structure of orthographies and the way they are laid out spatially. In most written systems, consonantal alphabets have been written right to left, while vocalic ones have been written left to right, suggesting directional properties are the consequences of different processing strategies.…

Six criteria for the existence of a discourse community are given, and the genre of the reprint request (RR) is discussed in terms of the discourse communities using it. (Author/LMO)

This paper reconsiders Chomsky's Adjunction Condition and suggests some modification of the theory of barriers to solve problems arising mainly from the improper definition of the blocking category and the barrier. It is argued that in S-structure, there is no adjunction in movement except extraposition and topicalization. First, it is suggested…

Presents a critical review of linguistic research on the temporal structure of sentences, with particular reference to the progressive aspect of the English verb. All works reviewed analyze the temporal meaning of these forms using the concepts of "Interval Semantics" and the methods of logical analysis. (MES)

Outlines a system that modifies, and expands on, PTQ ("The Proper Treatment of Quantification in English" by R. Montague), in order to include an analysis of the present and past tenses, and of the perfect and progressive aspects. Also analyzes temporal adverbs and their interactions with tense and aspect. (MES)

Examines the "situation-problem-solution-evaluation" structure, as well as other organizational structures useful in report writing. Discusses briefly the limitations and applications of information structures. (HTH)

Discusses Providence Island Sign Language (PSL), an autochthonous and relatively immature language of about 20 speakers. It is a nascent and evolving language whose description can produce rich results for linguistic theory. Such a description will also be an explanation of the phylogeny of a linguistic system. (Author/PJM)

The construction "won't" is ambiguous: it can be a prediction by the speaker based on his assumptions, or it may be a report of what the expressed subject of "won't" said. "I talked to them and they won't come" could mean "I predict they won't come" or "they refused to come." (PJM)

Modal verbs in Chinese are characterized in terms of internal and external modality; the former defines a state a noun is in or a quality a noun has while the latter defines a circumstantial factor that affects an event. Modal verbs and their compounds are contrasted in Mandarin and Amoy dialects. (Author/PJM)

Discusses different kinds of discourse analysis and notes that they vary in their focus, claims, and techniques. Argues that the philosophical foundations of critical discourse analysis are open to serious question and that it relies on a naive sociological model involving an overambition undermining sound research. (72 references) (Author/CK)

Presents an integrated theory of the syntactic and semantic representation of complements where the unexpressed subjects of the embedded verb-phrase complement are subject to certain interpretation restrictions. It is argued that the grammar of English controlled complements can be derived from the interaction of semantically based principles of…

Argues that English intonational structure and surface syntactic structure are one and can be captured in a single unified grammar. The interpretations that the grammar provides for such constituents corresponds to the entities and open propositions of intonational meaning that have been described as "theme" and "rheme,""given" and "new," and…

Discusses how determination of lexical items with Sub-Saharan origin in songs of voodoo rites of candomble and umbanda in southern and northeastern Brazil is complicated by factors like existence of phonological correspondence without accompanying semantic correspondence, difficulty of determining meaning of word in a given text, and high…