Issues on the Form and Interpretation of Argument Structure
Date: July 1, 2005
Time: 9am-8pm
Location: Harvard, Emerson 101

The proper characterization of argument structure is a central question in linguistic theory. One can contrast a projectionist approach according to which verbs lexically determine the expression of their arguments, to a constructionist approach according to which argument structure is constructed in the syntax rather than being lexically determined. Alongside these approaches one can also distinguish what has been referred to as the Davidsonian tradition emphasizing the importance of events. Notwithstanding the substantial progress achieved, several aspects of the properties of arguments structure and their legibility at the semantic interface are yet to be fully understood. The purpose of this workshop is thus to address questions on the form and the interpretation of argument structure from different theoretical perspectives and to raise the question of whether a novel integrated approach can be envisioned.

Program (pdf)

Organizers:
Anna Maria Di Sciullo, Calixto Aguero-Bautista and Marcin Morzycki

Contact:
di_sciullo.anne-marie@uqam.ca

Invited Speakers:
Hagit Borer (USC)
Adele Goldberg (Princeton)
Angelika Kratzer (UMASS)
Beth Levin (Stanford)
Liina Pylkkanen (NYU)
James Pustejovsky (Brandeis)
Carol Tenny (Carnegie Mellon)