Formal Approaches to Semantic Microvariation: Adverbial ...

2.1.2.3 Multiplicity of Events
Another major argument that beaucoup is base-generated as an adverb comes from
Obenauer (1983)’s famous observations that QAD sentences can be used in only a
subset of the contexts in which Canonical Quantification sentences are used. He proposes
that QAD sentences show a Multiplicity of Events requirement.
(21) Multiplicity of Events Requirement:
QAD sentences are only true in contexts involving multiple events
In most sentences, this is not easy to see: the plural de phrases give rise to a context
in which there are multiple objects, and the most natural way to interpret a sentence
like J’ai beaucoup lu de livres is by setting up one book with one event of reading.
However, there are a number of ways of disrupting the one-to-one relation between
events and objects in QAD sentences. In what follows, I present four tests for the
Multiplicity of Events requirement drawn from the works of Obenauer and Burnett &
Bouchard (2008).
The first way of creating a one to many relation between events and objects is by
inserting a prepositional phrase, like dans cette cassette ‘in this box’ or en soulevant
le couvercle ‘lifting the lid’ into the sentence. This serves to create a single event
context. As shown below, sentences with canonical quantification are compatible in
single-event contexts.
(22) a. Dans cette cassette, il a trouvé beaucoup de pièces d’or
In this casette, he has found a lot of pieces of gold
‘In this casette, he found a lot of gold pieces’
b. En soulevant le couvercle, il a trouvé beaucoup de pièces d’or
In lifting the lid, he has found a lot of pieces of gold
‘Lifting the lid, he found a lot of gold pieces’
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