Processing temporal modifiers: The influence of lexical aspect

Previous psycholinguistic research has primarily focused on the processing of verbal arguments. When addressed, the secondary status of adjuncts has been contrasted with that of verbal arguments, or locality constraints have determined adjunct attachment preferences in ambiguity. This thesis has tackled two apparently unrelated problems: (1) Exactly what determines the attachment of verbal modifiers in the absence of ambiguity? (2) What determines the ability of humans to stretch the core meanings of verbs (type shift) and how automatic is that process?;The answer to both these questions involves the sub-lexical features of lexical aspect. I claim that lexical aspect determines the routine attachment of temporal modifiers. I also claim that the structure of lexical aspect both allows and constrains type shift, setting the stage to investigate the processing of non-deviant temporal modifier process as well as the processing of type shift sentences.;The goal of this thesis was to add the processing of unselected temporals to the inventory of processable structures, such that their processing proceeds routinely, except when their potential licenser is inadequate. The specification for dynamicity or telicity (and sometimes durativity) guarantees the routine attachment of temporal modifiers. In problematic cases, lexical aspect specification signals the error, but semantic inferencing adjusts the verb meaning and resolves the problematic attachment The consequence is the addition of lexical aspect features to the inventory of dynamic processing influences. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).