Knowledge of Variable Binding in VP–Ellipsis: Language Acquisition Research and Theory Converge

Abstract

In this paper, we relate results from recent experimental study of young children's (3;0–7;11) comprehension of coordinate VP–ellipsis structures in English to a new theoretical proposal regarding their representation. Historically, theoretical treatments of these structures have been challenged by the nature of the ambiguity they involve, which includes both a “sloppy” interpretation (represented in terms of a bound variable) and a “strict” interpretation (represented as referential), at the same time that other interpretations are ruled out. Based on our study of language acquisition, we propose a solution capturing the ambiguity in the syntax, including two different types of operator–variable binding (local and long–distance) over a shared coordinate configuration. Pragmatic focus motivates the choice of the syntactic option for the long–distance strict interpretation. Empirical results reveal that, at all ages, (i) the sloppy interpretation is preferred, (ii) the strict interpretation is nevertheless in evidence, (iii) ungrammatical interpretations are ruled out, and (iv) choice of the strict reading is influenced by semantic/pragmatic factors.