Conditional Questions

This paper provides an analysis of conditional questions that combines a dynamic semantics for conditionals with a partition semantics for questions. We propose that conditional questions are interpreted in two steps. First, a temporary context is created in which the propositional content of the antecedent obtains. Second, the question in the consequent is asked relative to this temporary context. Subsequent answers are then asserted relative to the temporary context. Our analysis also has a pragmatic component. Previous analyses have augmented the semantics to account for denials of the antecedents of conditional questions. We show that the effect of denying the antecedent of a conditional question is not due to the semantics of the question. Instead, denials of the antecedent deny the presuppositions of the conditional, and do not directly address the question at all.