Part 3: Sentence Meaning Part 3: Sentence Meaning

PROPOSITIONS & PROPOSITIONS & PROPOSITIONAL PROPOSITIONAL

CONTENTCONTENT

Same or different?

I bought this radio in Singapore. It was this radio that I bought in Singapore. It was in Singapore that I bought this radio.

Different structuresSame proposition

PropositionProposition

PROPOSITIONPROPOSITION

The object of a psychological state. (N.Hoa, P189)An object of thought. (H&H, P23) Independent of any particular language. (N.Hoa,

P190)An abstraction grasped by the mind of an

individual person.

(Hurford & Heasley, P23)

Thoughts

Propositions

Sentences

Utterances

Mental processes

Abstract semantic entities

Linguistic entities

Actions

Utterances

Sentences

Proposition

Can be loud or quietCan be grammatical or notCan be true or falseIn a particular regional accentIn a particular language (Hurford & Heasly, P22)

Proposition: truth-valueSentence: truth-condition

Marry married a rich man.

Conditions for the proposition to be true?

PROPOSITION CONTENT PROPOSITION CONTENT

1. Predicate: Events2. Argument: Entities3. Role of each argument

Mary

is preparing

breakfast.

argument

argument

event

(1) Predicate(1) PredicateOne-place predicate

The kangaroo jumped up.Two-place predicate

X. kicked the semantics book.Three-place predicate

He gave her a sweet rose.

The DEGREE of a predicate indicates the number of arguments in simple sentences

(2) Argument(2) ArgumentArguments: realized by referring

expressions

Argument vs. predicate:John is a bachelor.

Argument Predicate

A bachelor is John. unacceptable

Participant argumentsNon-participant arguments

She hit the dog with a ruler.

? ?

(3) Role of argument(3) Role of argument

Semantic roles = means to represent sentence meaning in logical terms, assigned to nouns and noun phrases according to the relation they hold with the predicate

Doer/agentAffectedEffectedLocativeInstruments/meansRecipientGoalExperiencerCarrierIdentifiedIdentifier

The man bit the dog. The dog bit the man.

Same predicate: BITE Same arguments: MAN, DOG

Different semantic roles of arguments: doer, affected Different meanings

NOTATIONAL REPRESENTATION NOTATIONAL REPRESENTATION OF OF

PROPOSITIONSPROPOSITIONSArgument: single lower-case lettersPredicate: capital letters

She is nice. sNICEMary is smiling. mSMILEJoe was in New York last month. jINnMy brother is the best manager. bX(mBEST)

Embedded propositions as arguments

She has said that she will wait for me.

sSAYx x=sWAITm

More practiceMore practice

1. John and Marry are married.

2. Arthur dreamt.

3. Phil introduced Mary to Jack.

4. Margaret is looking at Billy.

5. Ellen is envious of James.

6. I want you to post this letter.

7. She is a beautiful girl.

8. Working hard is a good start .

1. * j MARRY m* (j MARRY x ) (m MARRY y)

2. a DREAM3. p INTRODUCE m j4. m LOOK b5. e ENVIOUS j6. i WANT x(y POST l)7. s X (g BEAUTIFUL)

8. x (w HARD) X(s GOOD)x = argumentX = predicate

THEORY CHECKTHEORY CHECK Can a propostion be ambiguous? Is an utterance tied to a particular time and place? Is a sentence tied to a particular time and place? Can an utterance be true or false? Can interrogatives and imperatives mention

propositions? Do “Go away, will you?” and “you will go away”

have the same proposition? Which questions the truth? Which asserts the truth?

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Practice 3: Units 2+5, Hurford & Heasley (2001)