Definitional Generics

Lawler suggests that “indefinite generics seem most natural in definitional sentences, or ones used somehow to identify the nature of the thing specified by the generic by means of properties peculiar to it; they are less acceptable when an accidental quality is predicated on them” (p. 112). Judgements of this type have been repeated in subsequent research. For a recent experimental study, cf. Leslie e.a. (2009), who found that sentences that express “principled” and “characteristic” generic assertions are nearly equally well expressed with indefinite singulars as with bare plurals (Dogs have / A dog has four legs and Ducks lay / A duck lays eggs), whereas “majority” assertions fared generally lower but were better expressed with bare plurals (Barns are red vs. #A barn is red). Interestingly, assertions referring to a minority but “striking” property where generally judged slightly less natural but, in comparison, more equally (Sharks attack bathers vs. A shark attacks bathers).