On Event Structure in the Torn Dress

TL;DR

This paper analyzes event structures in sentences about a torn dress, proposing a semantic framework for nouns and adverbs, and critiques existing theories using examples from Fong and Pustejovsky.

Contribution

It introduces a Pustejovsky-like semantic analysis for event structures in specific sentences and provides a critique of prior theoretical approaches.

Findings

Proposes a new semantic framework for nouns and adverbs in event sentences

Provides lexical entries for example sentences from Fong and Pustejovsky

Identifies difficulties and critiques in existing event structure theories

Abstract

Using Pustejovsky's "The Syntax of Event Structure" and Fong's "On Mending a Torn Dress" we give a glimpse of a Pustejovsky-like analysis to some example sentences in Fong. We attempt to give a framework for semantics to the noun phrases and adverbs as appropriate as well as the lexical entries for all words in the examples and critique both papers in light of our findings and difficulties.