Homework 5

Read: Geurts and Beaver, "Discourse Representation Theory", sections 1-4.

Answer the following questions:

1. In "Pedro doesn't own a donkey. It is grey", "it" cannot have "a donkey" as its antecedent. How is this accounted for in DRT? Explain carefully, using the relevant definitions from the text. Hint: The answer should use the word "accessible".

2. In donkey sentences like "If Pedro owns a donkey, he beats it", the pronoun "it" can refer back to "a donkey". What allows this in DRT? Explain carefully, using the relevant definitions from the text.

3. How do indefinites in donkey sentences acquire universal force in DRT? Use the rules for verification of DRSs.

4. What are the "weak" and "strong" readings, respectively, of "Every farmer who owns a donkey beats it"? (Just provide paraphrases.)

5. What is the difference between indefinites and quantifiers in DRT?

6. What makes DRT "dynamic"?