COMMON GROUND AND MODAL DISAGREEMENT

ABSTRACT. The common ground in an inquiry consists of what the participants agree on, at least for the sake of the inquiry. The relations between the factual and linguistic components of common ground are notoriously difficult to trace. I clarify them by exploring how modal disagreements – disagreements about how things might be – interact with the linguistic and the factual common ground. I argue that modal agreement is essential to common ground of any kind. (pp. 134–143)

Keywords: common, ground, linguistic, factual, modal, disagreement