Abstract
Recent work on modals has shown that cross-linguistically, root readings of modal verbs differ from epistemic readings with respect to: (a) subject/non-subject orientation; (b) interaction with finite tense; and (c) effects of perfective aspect on veridicality. This paper considers how the division of clauses into phases may shed light on these properties of modals. In languages whose epistemic and root modals have different distribution, the differences in reading can be derived from the modal’s interpretive relationship to the phase in which the modal is merged. However, for the finite modals of English, which are arguably all Tense items, it is proposed that the divergent properties noted above can be traced to features of the modal, which in turn affects the grammatical relationship between the modal and other clausal constituents. The crucial distinction is proposed to be (un)interpretability of the tense feature of the modal. This in turn affects interpreted temporal location, predication and interaction with aspect.
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Zagona, K. (2008). Phasing in Modals: Phases and the Epistemic/Root Distinction. In: Guéron, J., Lecarme, J. (eds) Time and Modality. Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, vol 75. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8354-9_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8354-9_12
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