And therefore

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article focuses on ‘therefore’ constructions such as ‘The switch is on, and therefore the lights are on’. We submit that the contribution of ‘therefore’ is to express a dependence as part of the core content of these constructions, rather than being conveyed by conventional implicature or a triggered presupposition. We argue that the standard objections to this view can be answered by relying on a general hypothesis about projection, leaving our view on solid ground.