Skip to main content
Log in

Focus on Again

  • Published:
Linguistics and Philosophy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper examines the effect that focus has on repetitive versus restitutive again. It is argued that a pragmatic explanation of the effect is the right strategy. The explanation builds largely on a standard focus semantics. To this we add an anaphoric analysis of again’s presupposition and a detailed analysis of the alternatives triggered when focus falls on again.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bale, A.: 2005, ‘Quantifier Raising, the Semantics of Again and the Complexity of Verb Phrases’, Paper presented at SALT 2005, UCLA.

  • D. Beaver (2001) ‘Presupposition and Assertion in Dynamic Semantics CSLI Stanford

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Beck (2005a) ArticleTitle‘There and Back Again: A Semantic Analysis’ Journal of Semantics 22 3–51 Occurrence Handle10.1093/jos/ffh016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, S.: 2005b, ‘A Second Time and Again’, in: Proceedings of the 15th Amsterdam Colloquium.

  • Beck, S.: (to appear a) ‘Alternatives to Again’. To appear in: UConn Working Papers in Linguistics.

  • Beck, S.: (to appear b) ‘Quantifier Dependent Readings of Anaphoric Presuppositions’. To appear in Uli Sauerland et al. (eds.), Palgrave.

  • S. Beck K. Johnson (2004) ArticleTitle‘Double Objects Again’ Linguistic Inquiry 35 97–124 Occurrence Handle10.1162/002438904322793356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimroth, C. (2004), ‘Fokuspartikelnn und Informationsgliederung im Deutschen’. Studien zur Deutschen Grammatik 69, Stauffenburg, Tuebingen.

  • C. Fabricius-Hansen (1983) ‘Wieder ein Wieder? Zur Semantik von Wieder’ R. Baeuerle C. Schwarze A. Stechow Particlevon (Eds) Meaning, Use and Interpretation of Language De Gruyter Berlin 97–120

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Fabricius-Hansen (2001) ‘Wi(e)der and Again(st)’ C. Fery W. Sternefeld (Eds) Audiatur Vox Sapientiae. A Festschrift for Arnim von Stechow Akademie Verlag Berlin 101–130

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Fintel Particlevon (2003) Pragmatics; Notes on Presupposition MIT MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Heim, I.: 1990, ‘Presupposition Projection’. in R. van der Sandt (ed.), Presupposition, Lexical Meaning and Discourse Processes, Workshop Reader, University of Nijmegen.

  • Huitink, J.: 2003, ‘We Cannot Have Pizza Again’, in: Proceedings of the ESSLI ’03 Workshop’ The Meaning and Implementation of Discourse Particles’, M. Stede and H. Zeevat (eds.), Downloaded from https://doi.org/www.phil.kun.nl/tfl/janneke/papers.html#again.

  • van der Sandt, R. and J. Huitink: 2003, ‘Again’, in: Proceedings of the 2003 Amsterdam Colloquium.

  • Jäger, G. and R. Blutner: 2000, ‘Against Lexical Decomposition in Syntax’, in Proceedings of IATL 15.

  • Jäger, G. and R. Blutner: 2003, ‘Competition and Interpretation: The German Adverb wieder (‘again’)’, in E. Lang, C. Maienborn and C. Fabricius-Hansen (eds.), Modifying Adjuncts, pp. 393–416, Mouton de Gruyter.

  • N. Kadmon (2001) Formal Pragmatics. Semantics, Pragmatics, Presupposition and Focus Blackwell Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Kamp A. Rossdeutscher (1994) ArticleTitle‘DRS-construction and Lexically-Driven Inference’ Theoretical Linguistics 20 165–235

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Klein (2001) ‘Time and Again’ C. Fery W. Sternefeld (Eds) Audiatur Vox Sapientiae A Festschrift for Arnim von Stechow. Akademie Verlag Berlin 267–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Kratzer, A. (1996). ‘Severing the External Argument from Its Head’. In: J. Rooryck and L. Zaring (eds.), Phrase Structure and the Lexicon, pp. 109–137.

  • Kratzer, A.: 1998, ‘More Strucural Analogies Between Pronouns and Tenses’, in: Proceedings of SALT 8, MIT, MA.

  • B. Partee (1973) ArticleTitle‘Some Structural Analogies Between Tenses and Pronouns in English’ The Journal of Philosophy 70 601–609 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2025024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pittner, K.: 2003, ‘Process, Eventuality and Wieder/Again’, in E. Lang, C. Maienborn, and C. Fabricius-Hansen (eds.), Modifying Adjuncts, pp. 365–391, Mouton de Gruyter.

  • M. Rooth (1992a) ArticleTitle‘A Theory of Focus Interpretation’ Natural Language Semantics 1 75–116 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF02342617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rooth, M.: 1992b, ‘Ellipsis Redundancy and Reduction Redundancy’, in B. Steve and A. Hestvik (eds.), Proceedings of the Stuttgart Ellipsis Workshop. Report 29 of the series ‘Sprachtheoretische Grundlagen fuer die Computerlinguistik’, IBM Heidelberg.

  • J. K. Sæbø (2004) ArticleTitle‘Conversational Contrast and Conventional Parallel: Topic Implicatures and Additive Presuppositions’ Journal of Semantics 21 199–217 Occurrence Handle10.1093/jos/21.2.199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Sandt Particlevan der (1992) ArticleTitle‘Presupposition Projection as Anaphora Resolution’ Journal of Semantics 9 333–377 Occurrence Handle10.1093/jos/9.4.333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Schwarzschild (1999) ArticleTitle‘GIVENness, AvoidF and other Constraints on the Placement of Accent’ Natural Language Semantics 13 87–138

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Soames (1989) ‘Presupposition’ D. Gabbay F. Günthner (Eds) Handbook of Philosophical Logic Kluwer New York

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Stalnaker (1973) ArticleTitle‘Presuppositions’ Journal of Philosophical Logic 2 447–457 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00262951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Stechow (1995a) ‘Lexical Decomposition in Syntax’ U. Egli P.E. Pause Ch. Schwarze A. Stechow Particlevon G. Wienhold (Eds) The Lexicon in the Organization of Language John Benjamins Amsterdam and Philadelphia 81–118 Occurrence Handle10.1075/cilt.114.05ste

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stechow, A.: 1995b, ‘On the Proper Treatment of Tense’, Proceedings of SALT 5.

  • A. Stechow (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Different Readings of Wieder ‘Again’: A Structural Account’ Journal of Semantics 13 87–138 Occurrence Handle10.1093/jos/13.2.87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stechow, A.: 2003, ‘How are Results Represented and Modified? Remarks on Jäger and Blutner’s Anti-Decomposition’, in E. Lang, C. Maienborn, and C. Fabricius-Hansen (eds.), Modifying Adjuncts, pp. 417–451, Mouton de Gruyter.

  • Tomioka, S.: 1997, ‘Focusing Effects in VP-Ellipsis and Noun Phrase Interpretation, PhD dissertation, University of Massachusetts.

  • Project Gutenberg official homesite: http://promo.net/pg

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sigrid Beck.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beck, S. Focus on Again . Linguistics & Philosophy 29, 277–314 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-005-5794-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-005-5794-z

Keywords

Navigation