Abstract
This paper compares two different theories of focus. On the one hand, alternative semantics, introduced in Rooth 1985, postulates a semantic interpretation of focus according to which the focus of a sentence is interpreted as a set of alternative propositions to the actual one. On the other hand, a representational approach to focus has been developed in SDRT (Asher 1995, Gomez Txurruka 1997) within which the focus/background structure introduces a partition of the representation contributed by the utterance. We first introduce both approaches and then attempt to use them to analyze the focus-discourse interface. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between focus and the discourse relation of Question-Answer Pair.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.