Now there will be trouble. Two puzzles of tense-modal forcing
Résumé
We consider some examples in which “now” occurs in sentence-initial position.
By means of semantic tests, we show that the meaning conveyed by such examples is
different from the meaning of the corresponding sentences in which “now” has been dis-
placed to sentence-final position. More specifically, we argue that the sentence-initial
occurrence of “now” in the original examples triggers a modal reading for the con-
taining sentence. We propose a general notion of modal forcing to provide a uniform
account of this modal reading. Armed with this account, we offer a solution to two
tense-modal puzzles, which have to do with fatalism and the possibility of a changing
past.
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