Aspectual Inquiries

The study of the linguistic reflexes of aspect has been an active field of research in various sub-disciplines of linguistics, such as syntax, semantics (including discourse theory) and acquisition studies. However, communication and dissemination of results across these various subfields has often been indirect. The different angles brought together give us a comprehensive picture of the representation of aspect in the mind/brain of the speaker.

The papers in this volume represent the results of a workshop on the syntax, semantics and acquisition of aspect held in 2002 whose purpose was to foment active cross-disciplinary communication. A number of the papers examine the syntactic representation of lexical or situation aspect, while others focus on the syntactic interaction of lexical aspect with grammatical aspect, and of grammatical aspect and tense. Other papers examine the role of aspect in discourse representations, while a third group of papers reports on results of empirical studies on the acquisition of aspect in both first and second language acquisition, and patterns of loss of morphosyntactic reflexes of aspect in language attrition.

From the reviews:

"Aspectual inquiries is a highly coherent edited volume that contains important contributions to our understanding of aspectual distinctions in the lexicon, in the grammar, in language use, and in language development/breakdown. ... I expect the book to be widely read in the generative linguistic community because of its relevance to the discussion on functional categories. The papers are well written and accessible enough that they can be used in (advanced) seminars on aspect as well." (Henriette de Swart, Language, Vol. 83 (4), 2007)