Comments on: Needing and getting things out http://noncompositional.com/2008/09/needing-and-getting-things-out/ Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:04:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Russell http://noncompositional.com/2008/09/needing-and-getting-things-out/comment-page-1/#comment-29617 Russell Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:36:54 +0000 http://noncompositional.com/?p=288#comment-29617 <p>I agree that that's a reasonable paraphrase of what he meant, but I'm wary of saying that "me to get you" was elided. That is, I don't think you can <em>always</em> not say "me to get you" in every context.</p> <p>But maybe you can; I haven't thought it through. Maybe in the context of "need" it always works. "He needs a pencil" means that he needs <em>to have</em> a pencil. I don't think there's a particular alternate reading where it means "he needs someone to get him a pencil" -- such a "get" reading is possible, but it's not like the sentence is ambiguous between getting and not getting.</p> <p>Anyway...uh, back to real work. =) It's so easy to get distracted.</p> I agree that that’s a reasonable paraphrase of what he meant, but I’m wary of saying that “me to get you” was elided. That is, I don’t think you can always not say “me to get you” in every context.

But maybe you can; I haven’t thought it through. Maybe in the context of “need” it always works. “He needs a pencil” means that he needs to have a pencil. I don’t think there’s a particular alternate reading where it means “he needs someone to get him a pencil” — such a “get” reading is possible, but it’s not like the sentence is ambiguous between getting and not getting.

Anyway…uh, back to real work. =) It’s so easy to get distracted.

]]> By: The Ridger http://noncompositional.com/2008/09/needing-and-getting-things-out/comment-page-1/#comment-29552 The Ridger Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:54:50 +0000 http://noncompositional.com/?p=288#comment-29552 <p>grr. clearly "Do you <i>need me to get you</i> ..."</p> grr. clearly “Do you need me to get you …”

]]> By: The Ridger http://noncompositional.com/2008/09/needing-and-getting-things-out/comment-page-1/#comment-29551 The Ridger Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:49:36 +0000 http://noncompositional.com/?p=288#comment-29551 <p>I think he pretty clearly meant (it's what I mean when I say this, which I do) "Do you you <i>me to get you</i> something out of this bag?" That is, the PP isn't really modifying "something" but rather is an argument of an elided verb.</p> I think he pretty clearly meant (it’s what I mean when I say this, which I do) “Do you you me to get you something out of this bag?” That is, the PP isn’t really modifying “something” but rather is an argument of an elided verb.

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