Seminar in Semantics

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Sentence moods and intonation The concepts of clause types and sentence moods are used to analyze the relation between grammatical form and conversational function. For example, interrogative sentences have a special connection to the function of asking a question, even though they can, of course, be used as indirect speech acts with other functions. This canonical function of a clause type is often labeled the sentential force. Theories of clause types and sentence moods have traditionally focused on explaining the sentential forces of the three major clause types: declaratives, interrogatives, and imperatives.In addition to the major types, there has been some research on minor types like exclamatives and promissives. Beyond these canonical cases, research on clause types and sentence moods has extended to the effects of intonation of sentential force. For example, declaratives with rising intonation can be used to ask a question, but are not equivalent to interrogatives (Gunlogson 2001, Jeong 2018, Rudin 2022). Similarly, intonation affects the interpretation of imperatives (Portner 2018, Rudin 2018). This role of intonation challenges traditional ideas about sentential force. In a similar way some work has examined the special semantics of embedded clause structures used as main clauses, such as root infinitives and subjunctives (Grohmann & Etxepare 2003, Oikonomou 2016, Portner et al. 2022), and at constructions which combine the properties of multiple clause types, such as wh-imperatives (Reis & Rosengren 1992, Kaufmann 2013). In this course, we will aim to better understand the nature of clause types and sentential force, with special attention to the interpretation of intonation.