Semantics 8
Situation types
1. Situations as subject matter of sentences: describing states of affairs, events, actions...
1.1 States: knowing someone, being in love...
Grammatical properties of stative verbs:

disallow/resist imperative form:


no movement
no (necessary) change over time
* Know him better
? Love her more
 disallow/resist progressive form: * I’m knowing him better (already)
? I’m loving her more than ever
Semantic properties of states:
1.2 Events: meeting someone, falling in love, getting married...
events as dynamic situations (involving change and/or movement): The window broke
actions as events initiated by agents: The thief broke the window
2. Semantic distinctions between verbs/predicates:
2.1 Static vs dynamic
2.2 punctual (taking pace at a point of time) vs durative
2.3 telic (directed toward goal/endpoint) vs atelic
3. Features defining situation types (known as “verb classes” but really a classification of
predicates)
stative verbs (know, love, resemble)
durative: accomplishments (learn a language, buy a house)
verbs /
\
telic: /
dynamic verbs: /
\ punctual: achievements (arrive, graduate)
\
atelic: activities (run, sing, study)
3.1 Properties of verb types
states: have duration, do not change during course; lack inherent endpoint;
activities: have duration without endpoint (like states: they talked for half an hour);
imply change over time (unlike states)
accomplishments: include endpoint but have duration (she learnt Chinese in two years)
achievements: instantaneous events without duration (she arrived at 9 p.m./ *all evening)
Situation types in Cantonese
stative verbs:
ci5 `resemble', zi1 `know'; arguably also adjectives: fei4 `fat' etc.
activities:
coeng3 go1 `sing', duk6 syu1 `study'
accomplishments: hei2 nguk1 `build a house'
achievements: heoi3 dou3 `arrive', bat1jip6 `graduate', daa2 laan4 `break'
4. Interaction of situation type and grammatical aspect
state + Progressive -> temporary or wilful state
She is resembling her sister more than usual today (temporarily)
She's being sick on purpose (intentionally)
I’m having a headache right now (temporarily or intentionally)
accomplishment + Progressive -> activity
They have repaired the machine ==> The machine has been repaired
They have been repairing the machine =/=> The machine has been repaired
state + perfective -> inchoative (entering new state: achievement)
Lei5 hai2 bin1dou6 sik1-zo2 keoi5 aa3? “Where did you meet/get to know him?”
Ngo5 zung1ji3-zo2 keoi5 “I’ve fallen in love with him”
Resultative complements / particles and situation type
duk6-syu1 `study' (activity) -> duk6 jyun4 syu1 ‘finish studying’ (achievement)
hei2 nguk1 `build a house' (accomplishment) -> hei2 hou2 gaan2 nguk1 (achievement)
English particles and situation type
We've used up all our funds. (completion)
Read on !
(continuation)
Read away!
(inchoative: "start reading")
I read it over and over. (iterative: repeatedly
Japanese verb classes and the continuous -te iru form
Statives: * Koko kara umi-ga miete-iru
here from sea see-CONT
“*We are seeing the sea from here.”
(ungrammatical with -te iru form)
Activities: Mary-wa kinoo Ziroo-to kooen-o aruite-ita
Mary yesterday Ziroo-with park walk-CONT-PAST
“Mary was walking in the park with Ziroo yesterday.” (progressive interpretation)
Achievement: Kekkonsiki-no hidori-wa moo kimatte-iru no?
Wedding’s
date already decide-CONT Q
“Has the wedding date already been set?” (resultative interpretation)