Toward a Universal Characterization of Passivization

Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (1977), pp. 394-41

Some , And Possibly All, Scalar Inferences Are Not Delayed: Evidence For Immediate Pragmatic Enrichment

Scalar inferences are commonly generated when a speaker uses a weaker expression rather than a stronger alternative, e.g., John ate some of the apples implies that he did not eat them all. This article describes a visual-world study investigating how and when perceivers compute these inferences. Participants followed spoken instructions containing the scalar quantifier some directing them to interact with one of several referential targets (e.g., Click on the girl who has some of the balloons). Participants fixated on the target compatible with the implicated meaning of some and avoided a competitor compatible with the literal meaning prior to a disambiguating noun. Further, convergence on the target was as fast for some as for the non-scalar quantifiers none and all. These findings indicate that the scalar inference is computed immediately and is not delayed relative to the literal interpretation of some. It is argued that previous demonstrations that scalar inferences increase processing time are not necessarily due to delays in generating the inference itself, but rather arise because integrating the interpretation of the inference with relevant information in the context may require additional time. With sufficient contextual support, processing delays disappear

Accessing decavanadate chemistry with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, and evaluation of methylene blue bleaching

Two decavanadates (trisH)4[H2V10O28]·10H2O ( 1 ) and (trisH)6[V10O28] ( 2 ) have been synthesised from NaVO3 or V2O5 in an aqueous solution of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tris). Bimetallic derivatives [Cu(OH2)5(trisH)]2[V10O28]·6H2O ( 3 ) and [Cu(OH2)3(2–amp)]2(trisH)2 [V10O28]·2H2O ( 4 ) were obtained by the addition of CuCl2 or CuCl2 / 2–amp (2–(aminomethyl)pyridine) to the route that gave 2 . The products were characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, Raman and EPR spectroscopies. Moreover, 4 was effective in bleaching a methylene blue (MB) solution under natural light in acidic media by either degradation of the dye or precipitation of a MB-decavanadate salt depending on the experimental conditions

'Tough'-constructions and their derivation

This article addresses the syntax of the notorious 'tough' (-movement) construction (TC) in English. TCs exhibit a range of apparently contradictory empirical properties suggesting that their derivation involves the application of both A-movement and A'-movement operations. Given that within previous Principles and Parameters models TCs have remained “unexplained and in principle unexplainable” (Holmberg 2000: 839) due to incompatibility with constraints on theta-assignment, locality, and Case, this article argues that the phase-based implementation of the Minimalist program (Chomsky 2000, 2001, 2004) permits a reanalysis of null wh-operators capable of circumventing the previous theoretical difficulties. Essentially, 'tough'-movement consists of A-moving a constituent out of a “complex” null operator which has already undergone A'-movement, a “smuggling” construction in the terms of Collins (2005a,b