Stage and Individual-level predicates whithin "if" and "when" clauses: what works and what doesn't

Asuncion Martínez-Arbelaiz

doi:10.7557/1.2.1.2413

Abstract

Clauses headed by if and when are very often considered syntactically and semantically equivalent.&nbsp; Nevertheless, in this paper we show that the type of predicate has an impact both on the grammaticality and the interpretation of the subordinate clause in Spanish. Theses clauses provide evidence for the proposal that stage-level predicates involve an extra-argument that individual-level predicates lack. Following Kratzer (1995), we assume that this is extra-argument is a spatio-temporal argument. While stage-level predicates in the subordinate clause are perfectly grammatical, individual-level predicates yield to ungrammatical sentences, unless an indefinite or a kind-referring NP is involved. &nbsp;Kratzer&acute;s Prohibition against vacuous quantification provides a sound account for the asymmetry between the two types of predicates.&nbsp; In addition, a stative verb in the when clause is grammatical, but it forces an epistemic reading. When both predicates are individual-level predicates in the subordinate and the main clause, the if clause may can take a factual reading while the when clause is ungrammatical unless there is some kind of operator involved through a generic, a kind-referring NP or an indefinite pronoun.

Highlights

Clauses headed by if and when are often considered syntactically and semantically equivalent
The explanation we can provide to the oddity of this type of examples has not been given yet. This case has nothing to do with the banning on vacuous Quantification just posited, given that a state is clearly a stage-level predicate and as such, it involves a spatio-temporal argument suitable to be identified with a variable
Assuming with Kratzer (1995) that stage-level predicates have a spatio-temporal argument that individuallevel predicates lack, these spatio-temporal coordinates function as a variable that the generic quantifier can bind

Summary

Introduction

Clauses headed by if and when are often considered syntactically and semantically equivalent. Summarizing, stage-level predicates in both the main and the subordinate clause yield to grammatical sentences. True that this type of sentence improves if there is an indefinite NP in the subordinate clause, as was already pointed out by Kratzer (1995): (11) Jon se la recomienda a todo el mundo {si / cuando} le gusta una película.

Results

Conclusion