Procedural dynamic semantics, verb-phrase ellipsis, and presupposition

In this paper, we study Verb-phrase Ellipsis (VPE) and show its relationship to presupposition and its failure. In doing so, we use a novel representation of VPE by means of a dynamic semantics approach, using an extended version of Dynamic Predicate Logic which includes procedures, scope rules and functions. We focus on the representation of the strict/sloppy ambiguity in connection with ellipsis constructs, which comes "for free" in a procedural context. We also provide independent justification for our representation of VPE in terms of procedure definitions and their invocations. The relationship of VPE and presupposition also sheds some new light on the arguments about the question whether VPE is syntactic or semantic in nature, as well as on the relative order of meaning determination and presupposition determination.