Explaining the 3/4 Signature

Linguistic Research Seminar Series
Explaining the 3/4 Signature
Dr Hans van de Koot, University College London 

Bobajik and Wurmbrand(2012) identify a recurrent pattern of (im)possible LF-PF pairings: given a binary choice at LF (A scopes over B, or B scopes over A) and a corresponding binary choice at PF (A precedes B or B precedes A) only three of the four logical pairings are acceptable. In this talk i argue that these so called 3/4 signature patterns are best understood in terms of an inviolable condition on scope shift (the CSS)

I present two case studies concerned with head scope and phrasal scope respectively. I first show that the CSS allows an account of Epistemic Containment (von FIntel and latridou 2003) and can also capture scope freezing effects observed with epistemic adverbs. I then turn to CSS effects in structures with contrastive topics and foci, and to CSS effects that involve interactions between QP's and contrasive categories.