Chapter Introduction. Syntactic focus theory and the phenomenon of secondary predication The primary goal of this monograph is to examine the interaction of ...

This volume uncovers a great mystery about language: why can we communicate so effectively despite the fact that ambiguity is pervasive? Conversely, how do speakers use ambiguity to achieve a specific goal? Answers to these questions are provided from different fields: linguistics, literary criticism, rhetoric, theology, media studies, law.