Selectional Restriction Violations

Question 1

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Negative Example:

(Attributing conscious awareness to an inanimate object, to an abstraction, to a mode of communication, or to a creature or entity that doesn’t have that mode. (“A chair can have feelings.”) Also, Denying conscious awareness in conscious beings, or denying a mode of communication or capability to a creature that does have that mode. Also, Excluding complementary categories by definite description (gender, race, religion, etc.).

“You have the personality of a stump.”

Answer 1

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Positive Challenge:

“Stumps always speak highly of you.”

Question 2

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Negative Example:

(Attributing conscious awareness to an inanimate object, to an abstraction, to a mode of communication, or to a creature or entity that doesn’t have that mode. (“A chair can have feelings.”) Also, Denying conscious awareness in conscious beings, or denying a mode of communication or capability to a creature that does have that mode. Also, Excluding complementary categories by definite description (gender, race, religion, etc.).

“Your dress probably wishes you were younger.”

Answer 2

Presupposition Selectional Restriction Violations Positive Challenge:

“My dress definitely wishes you were smarter.”

Question 3

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Negative Example:

(Attributing conscious awareness to an inanimate object, to an abstraction, to a mode of communication, or to a creature or entity that doesn’t have that mode. (“A chair can have feelings.”) Also, Denying conscious awareness in conscious beings, or denying a mode of communication or capability to a creature that does have that mode. Also, Excluding complementary categories by definite description (gender, race, religion, etc.).

“Men cause wars.”

Answer 3

Presupposition Selectional Restriction Violations Positive Challenge:

“Believing men cause wars causes a war between the genders.”

Question 4

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Negative Example:

(Attributing conscious awareness to an inanimate object, to an abstraction, to a mode of communication, or to a creature or entity that doesn’t have that mode. (“A chair can have feelings.”) Also, Denying conscious awareness in conscious beings, or denying a mode of communication or capability to a creature that does have that mode. Also, Excluding complementary categories by definite description (gender, race, religion, etc.).

“Women are manipulative.”

Answer 4

Presupposition Selectional Restriction Violations Positive Challenge:

“So then, every woman is always manipulative and no man ever is?”

Question 5

Presupposition (Selectional Restriction Violations) Negative Example:

(Attributing conscious awareness to an inanimate object, to an abstraction, to a mode of communication, or to a creature or entity that doesn’t have that mode. (“A chair can have feelings.”) Also, Denying conscious awareness in conscious beings, or denying a mode of communication or capability to a creature that does have that mode. Also, Excluding complementary categories by definite description (gender, race, religion, etc.).

“To my parrot, I’m just ‘The Food Lady’.”

Answer 5

Presupposition Selectional Restriction Violations Positive Challenge

“So then, what are you to the food?”: