The Propositional Interpretation of Noun Phrases

Abstract

Vendler (1967, 1968, 1975) observed that derived NPs and ing _of -NPs may be paraphrased by that-clauses in some contexts, but not in others:

• (1) John is informed of the collapse of the Germans

• (2) John is informed of the collapsing of the Germans

• (3) John is informed that the Germans collapsed

• (4) the collapse of the Germans was gradual

• (5) the collapsing of the Germans was gradual

• (6) # that the Germans collapsed was gradual

I’ll refer to the question why different readings of derived and ing _of -nominals are selected in different contexts as the selection problem. A possible solution to the problem is that different readings are selected in different contexts because (i) derived NPs and ing _of -NPs are ambiguous between the event-interpretation and the propositional interpretation and (ii) the selectional properties of the predicates with which they combine determine which interpretation is chosen. I’ll refer to claim (i) as the ambiguity hypothesis. In section 6.2, I’ll address the selection problem, in particular I’ll discuss whether the ambiguity hypothesis is correct.