Peter Lasersohn Livres

The dissertation introduces an event-based model-theoretic semantics for plural expressions in English, arguing that distributive predicates apply to groups rather than just individuals. By framing the collective/distributive distinction through event structure, it addresses issues in prior group-level analyses. The author highlights the ambiguity of certain adverbials, which can indicate either collective action or spatial/temporal proximity, and proposes that the event-based definition of collective action allows for a unified approach to these interpretations.

This book explores linguistic and philosophical issues presented by sentences expressing personal taste, such as Roller coasters are fun, and examines how truth-theoretic semantics can account for expressions of this type. It provides a detailed and explicit formal grammar paired with semantic analysis and pragmatic theory.