360 Syl 23

INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTICS
Fall 2023
(latest version: August 29, 2023)
COURSE:
name: ling 360 Introduction to Semantics
time: Mn Wd Fr 11h35–12h25
location: McIntyre Medical rm. 1034 (Mn Wd) Arts West rm. 120 (Fr)
INSTRUCTORS:
principal assistant
name: Brendan Gillon Gaurav Kamath
office: rm 119 rm 312
1085 Dr. Penfield 1085 Dr. Penfield
tel. no.: 514 398 4868
email: brendan.gillon@mcgill.ca gaurav.kamath@mail.mcgill.ca
hours: Fr 10h30–11h30 Tu 14h00–15h00
and by appointment and by appointment
AIM:
As its title indicates, this course introduces students to the basic concepts of
semantics and pragmatics, many of which were developed by philosophers and
logicians. Contributors to this field include: Gottlob Frege (1848–1925) and
Edmund Husserl (1859–1938), Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), Alfred Tarski
(1901–1983), Willard Quine (1908–2000), Yehoshua Bar-Hillel (1915–1975),
Peter Geach (1916–2013), Peter Strawson (1919–2006), Richard Montague
(1930–1971), Max Cresswell (1939–), David Kaplan (1933–), David Lewis
(1941–2001), Robert Stalnaker (1940–) and many others. Except for logic
(PHIL 210), knowledge of which is required for the course, the course is
self-contained.
1
COURSE MATERIAL:
• required: Natural Language Semantics : formation and valuation,

by Brendan S. Gillon, MIT Press. The book is available for purchase
from The Word (https://www.wordbookstore.ca/ling-360-semantics1;
514 845 5640; wordbook@securenet.net; 469 Milton street), either by
pick up or by post ($ 10 for shipping) at a cost of CDN $ 110 (GST
not included). MIT Press provides access to an electronic edition of
the book for 4 months for US$ 32 (CDN$ 42.50, GST not included).
• supplementary: Semantics: A Reader, Oxford University Press,

edited by Steven Davis and Brendan Gillon
EVALUATION:
• 10 problem sets (2% each), midterm (35%) and final (45%)
• Midterm Exam: 35%
• Final Exam: 45%
• In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University’s

control, the content or evaluation scheme may be subject to change.
2
SYLLABUS
week 1 30 Aug introduction ch. 1 §1

01 Sep introduction ch. 1 §2
week 2 04 Sep no class

06 Sep introduction ch. 1 §2.1
08 Sep introduction ch. 1 §2.2.1–3
week 3 11 Sep introduction ch. 1 §3

13 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §1–2
15 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §3–4
week 4 18 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §5

20 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §6.1–6.2
22 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §6.3
week 5 25 Sep basic English grammar ch. 3 §2.3–3.2

27 Sep basic English grammar ch. 3 §3.3
28 Sep basic English grammar ch. 3 §3.4.1
week 6 02 Oct basic English grammar ch. 3 §3.4.2–4

04 Oct language and context ch. 4 §1–2
Reader : ch. 39
06 Oct no class
week 7 09 Oct no class

11 Oct no class
13 Oct language and context ch. 4 §3–5
week 8 16 Oct language and belief ch. 5 §1–2

18 Oct language and belief ch. 5 §3–5
20 Oct classical propositional logic ch. 6 §1–2 (up to §2.1.2)
week 9 23 Oct classical propositional logic ch. 6 §2.1.3

25 Oct classical propositional logic ch. 6 §2.2–2.2.2
27 Oct classical propositional logic ch. 6 §2.2.3
3
week 10 30 Oct English connectors ch. 8 §1–3
1 Nov English connectors ch. 8 §4
3 Nov English connectors ch. 8 §5
week 11 06 Nov English connectors ch. 8 §6–8

Reader ch. 31
08 Nov classical predicate logic ch. 9 §1–2
10 Nov classical predicate logic ch. 9 §3–4
week 12 13 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §1–2.1

15 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §2.2–2.4
17 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §3.1
week 13 20 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §3.2–3.3

22 Nov classical quantificational logic ch. 11 §1
24 Nov classical quantificational logic ch. 11 §2.1.1–3
week 14 27 Nov classical quantificational logic ch. 11 §2.1.4

29 Nov classical quantificational logic ch. 11 §2.3
Reader ch. 23
01 Dec tba
week 15 04 Dec review
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must un-
derstand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other
academic offences under the code of student conduct and disciplinary proce-
dures. (See www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more information.)
L’Université McGill attache une haute importance à l’honnêteté académique.
Il incombe par conséquence à tous les étudiants de comprendre ce que l’on
entend par tricherie, plagiat et autres infractions académiques, ainsi que les
conséquences que peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le Code de conduite de
l’étudiant et des procédures disciplinaires. (Pour de plus amples renseigne-
ments, veuillez consulter le site www.mcgill.ca/integrity.)
4
PROCEDURES and ADVICE:
• Problem sets
– Problem sets should be turned in online.

– You are advised to keep a copy of any problem set you submit.
– You may submit hand written answers for the problem sets, but
it is your responsibility to ensure that what you have written is
legible.
– No late problem sets will be accepted, unless a medical excuse is
provided or permission was secured 24 hours ahead of time for a
late submission.
• All assessed work
– Please be as concise and as clear as possible in your answers. The

assessment of any answer depends in part on the clarity of its
presentation. If your answer is not clear either in presentation
or in expression, it will be marked down. Resources are limited.
Part of what you are being assessed on is your ability to express
yourself clearly and succinctly.
– Answers may be submitted in either English or French.
• When asking questions, please be as precise as possible. The more

precise you are the better we can help you. If possible indicate an
exact phrase or sentence you do not understand.

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INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTICS

• required: Natural Language Semantics : formation and valuation,

• supplementary: Semantics: A Reader, Oxford University Press,

• 10 problem sets (2% each), midterm (35%) and final (45%)

• Midterm Exam: 35%

• Final Exam: 45%

• In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University’s

week 1 30 Aug introduction ch. 1 §1

week 2 04 Sep no class

week 3 11 Sep introduction ch. 1 §3

week 4 18 Sep basic set theory ch. 2 §5

week 5 25 Sep basic English grammar ch. 3 §2.3–3.2

week 6 02 Oct basic English grammar ch. 3 §3.4.2–4

week 7 09 Oct no class

week 8 16 Oct language and belief ch. 5 §1–2

week 9 23 Oct classical propositional logic ch. 6 §2.1.3

week 11 06 Nov English connectors ch. 8 §6–8

week 12 13 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §1–2.1

week 13 20 Nov English grammatical predicates ch. 10 §3.2–3.3

week 14 27 Nov classical quantificational logic ch. 11 §2.1.4

week 15 04 Dec review

– Problem sets should be turned in online.

• All assessed work

– Please be as concise and as clear as possible in your answers. The

• When asking questions, please be as precise as possible. The more

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