Description

Discourse Domains and Information Structure

The hierarchical structure of a discourse is best represented by different
kinds of discourse domains: Anaphoric accessibility crucially depends on
semantic operators that create new domains (like negation),
presuppositions are projected according to properties of the discourse,
and the quaestio or q(estion)u(nder)d(iscussion)-approach structures a
discourse into a hierarchical tree. Information structure, on the other
hand, is commonly assumed to be a flat structure: the partition into
backgrounded and focused information or into topic and comment. The
workshop will investigate the interaction between discourse domains and
information structure.

Suggested topics:
- Background accessibility in hierarchical discourse domains
- Presuppositions as anaphors in a theory of information structure
- Presuppositions,  anaphoric relations, and alternative sets
- Focus/background structure and embedded sentences
- Topic/comment and embedded sentences