Disambiguating two conditional construals: Evidence from the optionality of 'if'

Abstract

In Kratzer’s restrictor analysis, conditionals without overt modals are assumed to contain a covert epistemic necessity modal (Kratzer 1986, 1991a). Although this assumption has gained empirical support from a number of conditional phenomena (Frank 1996; Zvolenszky 2002; von Fintel and Iatridou 2002 among others), it still remains unclear whether the covert epistemic necessity modal is always present. I argue that conditional construals with and without the covert epistemic necessity modal are both needed, evidenced by the distribution of Mandarin ruguo in deontic conditionals.