On the analysis of English exhaustive conditionals

Abstract

So-called ˋˋExhaustive Conditionals'' (ECs, also known as ˋˋUnconditionals'') have been an important focus of recent research. We develop an HPSG analysis of governed ECs (e.g. ˋno matter how intelligent the students are ...'), sketch an approach to ungoverned ECs (e.g. ˋhowever intelligent the students are...'), and evaluate three possible analyses of reduced ECs (e.g. ˋno matter how intelligent the students ...', ˋhowever intelligent the students...').