Interpreting ‘be’

Abstract

This paper proposes an approach to the interpretation of copular sentences in English that analyses be as a one-place predicate with underspecified semantic content. The interpretation of a copula clause is determined through the interaction of syntactic and pragmatic processes and depends on the properties of expressions collocated with be and general contextual factors, both local and non-local. Analyses are provided for predicational, specificational and equative sentences using the framework of Dynamic Syntax.