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Diagnosing focus

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

van der Wal, Jenneke 

Abstract

jats:pMany tests have been used in eliciting focus constructions and determining what type of focus a certain linguistic strategy expresses. This paper provides an overview of the various diagnostics for focus, indicating how they show the size of the focused constituent and what semantic-pragmatic type of focus is expressed. These types range from simple pragmatic focus to semantically more complex focus, signalling exclusivity or exhaustivity either as an inherent semantic part of the focus, or merely an implicature. The discussion of these diagnostics brings to light how some diagnostics are flawed, and whether the linguistic strategy tested is actually a dedicated strategy for focus at all.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

focus, exhaustivity, elicitation, semantics/pragmatics interface

Journal Title

Studies in Language

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0378-4177
1569-9978

Volume Title

40

Publisher

John Benjamins Publishing Company
Sponsorship
European Research Council (269752)
This paper is part of the research project ‘Rethinking Comparative Syntax’, funded by the European Research Council Advanced Grant No. 269752.