Discourse-structuring conditionals and past tense

Authors

  • Eva Csipak

Abstract

In this paper I present some data that challenges the view that a unified semantics of biscuit conditionals and hypothetical conditionals is possible. There is a class of biscuit conditionals that cannot occur with past temporal reference. In these cases, the antecedent serves to structure the discourse and as such must be true of the discourse situation. I argue that this is the reason why the past tense is incompatible with these conditionals, and therefore we can nevertheless maintain a unified semantics for hypothetical and biscuit conditionals.

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How to Cite

Csipak, E. (2019). Discourse-structuring conditionals and past tense. Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 21(1), 301–316. Retrieved from https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/sub/index.php/sub/article/view/139