CONCEPTUAL REFERENCE POINTS - A COGNITIVE GRAMMAR ACCOUNT OF PRONOMINAL ANAPHORA CONSTRAINTS

This paper presents an analysis of the constraints on pronominal anaphora in English within the framework of Cognitive Grammar in terms of semantic distinctions between pronouns and full noun phrases. Semantic notions of prominence and conceptual interconnection are used to develop a model of Conceptual Reference Points which defines the contexts within which coreference is acceptable or unacceptable. The analysis provides a conceptual-semantic account of the 'core' anaphora facts which have previously been explained in terms of structural notions such as c-command, as well as certain data which have long been problematic for structural accounts.