Abstract

The squib points to the empirical and theoretical problems arising from attempts to account for presupposition in VP complements of deontic modals. Two approaches are discussed: Barbiers 's model to deontic modality and the irrealis analysis of infinitival complements. On the basis of the arguments provided, it is established that presupposition in VP complements of deontic modals is not the result of the syntax-to-semantics mapping but is primarily due to pragmatic inference