Richard K. Larson

Distinguished Professor
Ph.D. 1983, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Email: Richard.Larson@stonybrook.edu
Tel. (631) 632-7777

Richard Kurth Larson's research has spanned a wide range of topics in syntax and semantics, including relative and adverbial clauses, NP adverbs, disjunctions, quantifiers and quantifier scope, comparatives, prepositional phrases, double object and applicative constructions, psych verbs, pronoun interpretation, and clausal complementation. Languages of investigation include Warlpiri, Japanese, Turkish, Haitian, Russian, Mandarin, Iranian Persian, Gilaki and Zazaki.

In addition to linguistics research, Larson has worked in undergraduate science education in connection with the NSF-sponsored Grammar as Science Project. His contributions to developing the Syntactica and Semantica software under GAS were recognized by a 1998 EduCom medal, awarded in partnership between EDUCAUSE and the Linguistic Society of America. He has also received the MIT Graduate Council Teaching Award, the Stony Brook President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Stony Brook Dean's Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching.

Note: For electronic copies of the papers listed on this website, please contact the author directly at the email address above.

Selected Articles

2024 Larson, R.K. VP Preposing and constituency "paradox". Linguistic Inquiry 55: 659–695.
2024 Larson, R.K. Quantification, matching and events. Natural Language Semantics 32: 269-313.
2023 Samiian, V. and R.K. Larson. Ezafe in Middle Persian. In Advances in Iranian Linguistics 2, Simin Karimi, Narges Nematollahi, Roya Kabiri & Jian Gan Ngui (eds). 100-129. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2022 Larson, R.K. Adjectives, case and concord. In A⁰: The Adjective as a Lexical Category, Phoevos Panagiotidis and Moreno Mitrovic (eds). 73-120. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2022 Larson, R.K. and Chong Zhang. Applied objects in Mandarin and the nature of selection. In New explorations in Chinese theoretical syntax. Studies in honor of Yen-Hui Audrey Li, Andrew Simpson (ed). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2021 Larson, R.K. Rethinking cartography. Language97(2): 245-268.
2020 Larson, R.K. and V. Samiian. The Ezafe construction revisited. In Advances in Iranian Linguistics, R.K. Larson, S. Moradi and V. Samiian (eds). 173-236. Amsterdam: J. Benjamins Press.
2020 Larson, R.K. The DP hypothesis and (a)symmetries between DP and CP. Linguistic Analysis 42(3-4): 507-548.
2020 Larson, R.K. and V. Samiian. Ezafe, PP and the nature of nominalization. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 39: 157–213.
2019 M. DeSalvo, R.K. Larson and L. Repetti. On the introduction of linguistics in the Secondary School curriculum through Latin. In La linguistica moderna nella pratica didattica: dalla riflessione alle competenze, S. Bertoldo and G. Cavallo (eds). 73-88. Padova: CLEUP.
2019 Larson, R.K., K. Denham and A. Lobeck. The AP Linguistics initiative. Language 95: 381-393.
2019 Larson, R.K., S. Antonyuk and L. Liu. Superiority and scope freezing. Linguistic Inquiry 50: 233–252.
2018 Cheung, C. and R.K. Larson. 'Make' causatives in English and Mandarin. Lingua Sinica 4:4 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40655-018-0036-9
2018 Larson, R.K. AP-de (地) Adverbs in Mandarin. Studies in Chinese Linguistics 39: 01-28.
2018 den Dikken, M., R.K. Larson, and P. Ludlow Intensional transitive verbs and abstract clausal complementation. In Non-Propositional Intentionality, A. Grzankowski and M. Montague (eds). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2017 Zhang C. and R.K Larson. Light heads and applicative shift in Mandarin. In Hanyu qingdongci jufa yanjiu (Studies in Chinese Light Verb Syntax,《汉语轻动词句法研究》, S. Feng, Shengli & W-t.D Tsai (eds). Beijing: Peking University Press.
2017 Larson, R.K. On "dative idioms" in English. Linguistic Inquiry 48: 389-426.
2017 Larson, R.K. and I. LaTerza. Revisiting Article-S. Revista LinguíStica 13: 51-87.
2017 Larson, R.K. Hierarchies of features vs. hierarchies of projections. InStudies in Syntactic Cartography, Fuzhen Si (ed). 41-65. Bejiing: China Social Sciences Press.
2015 Cheung, C. and R.K. Larson. Psych verbs in English and Mandarin. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 33: 127-189.
2012 Larson, R.K. and M. Sawada. Root transformations and quantificational structure. In Main Clause Phenomena: New Horizons, L. Haegeman, R. Nye and L. Aelbrecht (eds). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2011 Larson, R.K. Clauses, propositions and phases. In The Biolinguistic Enterprise: New Perspectives on the Evolution and Nature of the Human Language Faculty. A-M. DiSciullo and C. Boeckx (eds). 366-391. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2010 Larson, R.K. On Pylkkänen's semantics for low applicatives. Linguistic Inquiry 41: 701-704.
2009 Larson, R.K. Chinese as a reverse Ezafe language. Yuyanxue Luncong (Journal of Linguistics) 39: 30-85. Peking University.
2009 Harada, N. and R.K. Larson. Datives in Japanese. In Proceedings of the 5th Workshop on Altaic Formal Linguistics (WAFL5). MIT Working Papers in Linguistics Vol. 54, R. Shibagaki and R. Vermeulen (eds). 3-17. Cambridge, MA: MITWPL.
2008 Larson, R.K. and H. Yamakido. Ezafe and the deep position of nominal modifiers. In Adjectives and adverbs. Syntax, Semantics, and Discourse, L. McNally and C. Kennedy (eds). 43-70. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2007 Larson, R.K. and N. Takahashi. Order and interpretation in prenominal relative clauses. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Altaic Formal Linguistics II. MIT Working Papers in Linguistics Vol. 54, M. Kelepir and B. Öztürk (eds). 101-120. Cambridge, MA: MITWPL.
2005 Vassilieva, M. and R.K. Larson. The semantics of the plural pronoun construction. Natural Language Semantics 13:101-124.
2004 R.K. Larson. Sentence-final adverbs and scope. In Proceedings of NELS 34, M. Wolf and K. Moulton (eds).23-43. UMASS: GLSA.
2004 Sawada, M. and R.K. Larson. Presupposition & root transforms in adjunct clauses. In Proceedings of NELS 34, M. Wolf and K. Moulton (eds). 517-528. UMASS: GLSA.
2004 Larson, R.K. and F. Marusic. Indefinite pronoun structures with APs. Linguistic Inquiry 35: 268-287.
2003 Larson, R.K. Time and event measure. In Philosophical Perspectives 17, Language and Philosophical Linguistics, J. Hawthorne and D. Zimmerman (eds). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2003 Larson, R.K. Event descriptions in Fon and Haitian Creole. In Development in Creole Studies, D. Adone (ed). Tuebingen: Niemeyer.
2003 Larson, R.K. and C. Cho. Temporal adjectives and the structure of possessive DPs. Natural Language Semantics.11:217-247.
2002 Larson, R.K. and H. Yamakido. A new form of nominal ellipsis in Japanese . In Japanese/Korean Linguistics Vol. 11, P. Clancy (ed). Stanford: CSLI.
2002 Larson, R.K. The grammar of intensionality. In Logical Form and Language, G. Preyer and G. Peter (eds). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
2001 Vassilieva, M. and R. Larson. The semantics of the plural pronoun construction. In Proceedings of Semantics and Linguistic Theory (SALT) XI, R. Hastings, B. Jackson and Z. Zvolenszky (eds). Ithaca: CLC Publications, Dept. of Linguistics, Cornell University.
1999 Larson, R.K. and C. Cho. Temporal adjectives and the structure of possessive DPs. In Proceedings of WCCFL 18.Somerville, MA: Casadilla Press.
1998 Larson, R.K. Events and modification in nominals. In Proceedings from Semantics and Linguistic Theory (SALT) VIII, D. Strolovitch and A. Lawson (eds). Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1996 den Dikken, R. Larson and P. Ludlow. Intensional 'transitive' verbs and concealed complement clauses. Rivista di Linguistica 8(2): 331-348.
1995 Larson, R.K. Semantics. In Invitation to Cognitive Science. Vol. 1 Language, Lila Gleitman (ed). Cambridge: MIT Press.
1993 Larson, R.K. and P. Ludlow. Interpreted logical forms. Synthese 95, 305-355.
1991 Larson, R.K. and C. Lefebvre. Predicate clefting in Haitian Creole. In Proceedings of NELS 21, GLSA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
1991 Larson, R.K. Some issues in verb serialization. In Verb Serialization, C. Lefebvre (ed). John Benjamins, Amsterdam.
1991 Larson, R.K. Promise and the theory of control. Linguistic Inquiry 22: 103-139.
1990 Larson, R.K. Double objects revisited: reply to Jackendoff. Linguistic Inquiry 21: 589-632.
1990 Larson, R.K. Extraction and multiple selection in PP. The Linguistic Review 7: 169-182.
1990 Larson, R.K. Semantics. In Invitation to Cognitive Science. Vol. 1.Language, D. Osherson, (ed). Cambridge: MIT Press.
1990 Larson, R.K. and R. May. Antecedent containment or vacuous movement: reply to Baltin. Linguistic Inquiry 21: 103-122.
1989 Kim, Y.j. and R.K. Larson. Scope interpretation and the syntax of psych-verbs. Linguistic Inquiry 20: 681-688.
1988 Larson, R.K. Implicit arguments in Situation Semantics. Linguistics and Philosophy 11: 169-201.
1988 Larson, R.K. On the double object construction. Linguistic Inquiry 19: 335-391.
1988 Larson, R.K. Scope and comparatives. Linguistics and Philosophy 11: 1-26.
1987 Larson, R.K. 'Missing prepositions' and the analysis of English free relative clauses. Linguistic Inquiry 16:239-266.
1985 Larson, R.K. Bare-NP adverbs. Linguistic Inquiry 14: 595-621.
1985 Larson, R.K. On the syntax of disjunction scope. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 3: 217-264.
1982 Larson, R.K. A note on the interpretation of adjoined relative clauses. Linguistics and Philosophy 5: 473-482.
1982 Larson, R.K. and R. Cooper. The syntax and semantics of when-questions. Linguistics and Philosophy 5:155-169.
1980 Larson, R.K. On a recent analysis of English auxiliaries. Cahiers Linguistiques d'Ottawa 9: 283-293.

Books

Selected Presentations

2023 Larson, R.K. High School Linguistics: Attractions, Challenges and Prospects. Roundtable Talk at the XIII Congresso Internacional da Abralin (30.October 2023).
2023 Honda, Maya and R.K. Larson. Teaching About Language(s) in Basic Education. Course taught at the XIII Congresso Internacional da Abralin (23-27.October 2023).
2022 Larson, R.K. Faces and vases. First International Conference on Biolinguistics - Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (24-26.June 2022).
2022 Larson, R.K. What Adverbials & Adverbial Clauses May Teach Us about Quantification. International Conference on Adverbial Clauses. Between Subordination and Coordination. University of Cologne, Germany (21.May 2022).
2018 Larson, R.K. Adjectives and Concord. A⁰: The Adjective as a Lexical Category Workshop. Bled, Slovenia. (October 11, 2018).
2018 Larson, R.K. The AP Linguistics Initiative. Ohio State University. (September 14, 2018).
2018 Larson, R.K. and H. Wu. Quantifier Scope and Topicality in Mandarin. 26th Meetings of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics (IACL). University of Wisconsin-Madison. (May 6, 2018).
2018 Larson, R.K. and V. Samiian. Ezafe, PP and the Nature of Nominalization. 54th Meetings of the Chicago Linguistic Society (CLS). University of Chicago. (April 28, 2018).
2017 Larson, R.K.. Rethinking Cartography. Biolinguistic Conference on Interface Asymmetries. New York University. (November 11, 2017).
2017 Larson, R.K. Rethinking Cartography. Second International Workshop on Syntactic Cartography (IWSC2). Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PRC (October 28 2017).
2017 Larson, R.K. Revisiting Article-S. Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PRC (October 30 2017).
2017 Wu, H., R.K. Larson, Y. Liu, L. Liu and G. Mar. Rethinking quantifier scope in Mandarin. 48th Meetings of the Northeast Linguistic Society. University of Iceland. Reykjavik, Iceland. (October 29, 2017).
2016 Larson, R.K. Transitive agreement? Stony Brook Linguistics Brownbag presentation.
2016 Larson, R.K. and C. Zhang. Applicative Shift and Light Heads in Mandarin. Roundtable on Current Issues in Light Verb Syntax in Chinese, Chinese University of Hong Kong, HK (May 28 2016).
2016 Larson, R.K. Quantificational states and argument separation. Workshop on the Syntax and Semantics of the Nominal Domain. Frankfurt University, (February 5 2016).
2016 Larson, R.K. Warlpiri adjoined clauses. Workshop on the internal and external syntax of adverbial clauses. Zentrum für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft-Berlin (ZAS) (July 23 2016).
2015 Larson, R.K. On AP-地 manner adverbs in Mandarin. 27th North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL 27), UCLA (April 4 2015).
2015 Larson, R.K. Hierarchies of projections vs. hierarchies of features. International Workshop on Syntactic Cartography (IWSC1), Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PRC (December 7 2015).
2014 Larson, R.K. Nominal structure and interpretation. Invited plenary address at Linguistic Society of America Annual Meetings (LSA), Minneapolis, MN (January 4 2014) (Canceled due to weather)
2013 Larson, R.K. Tutorial: the structure and projection of DP. Macquarie University Sydney, Australia (December 3 2013)
2012 Larson, R.K. On “Dative Idioms” in English. One-Day Workshop on Syntax and Semantics. Fuji Women’s University, Sapporo, Japan (September 8 2012)
2011 Larson, R.K. θ-Features and projection. Keynote Address at The Fifth International Conference on Formal Linguistics (第五届形式语言学国际研讨会) Ghangdong, PRC (December 11 2011)
2011 Larson, R.K. and D. Jaspers. Broad and Narrow Language Faculties. Workshop on the Evolution of Human Cognition, Georgetown University. (March 18 2011).
2010 Larson, R.K. Lectures on θ-features and projection. Center for Research on Syntax, Semantics and Phonology (CRISSP) KU Leuven Brussels, Belgium (December 17, 20, 21 2010)
2010 Larson, R.K. and M. Sawada. Root Transformations and Quantificational Structure. GIST 2: Main Clause Phenomena, Ghent, Belgium. (Sept 29- Oct 01 2010).
2009 Larson, R.K. The nature of “attributive markers”. ConSOLE XVII. Nova Gorica, Slovenia (January 18, 2009)
2009 Larson, R.K. Underlying Form. Plenary presentation at AEDEAN 33, University of Cadiz, Spain (November 14 2009)
2008 Harada, N. and R.K. Larson. Datives in Japanese. The Fifth Workshop in Altaic Formal Linguistics (WAFL 5) London, UK. (May 23-25 2008).
2008 Larson, R.K. and C. Cheung "Make" as a triadic unaccusative. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meetings, Chicago, IL (January 3-6, 2008)
2007 Larson, R.K. Clauses, propositions and phases. Biolinguistic Investigations, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (February 23-25, 2007).
2006 Cheung, C. and R.K. Larson. Chinese psych verbs and covert clausal complementation. Chicago Workshop on Chinese Linguistics, Chicago, IL (December 2, 2006).
2006 Larson, R.K. and H. Yamakido. Zazaki "double Ezafe" as double case-marking. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meetings. Albuquerque, NM (January 8, 2006).
2006 Harada, N. and R.K. Larson. Two-goal datives. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meetings. Albuquerque, NM (January 8 2006).
2006 Larson, R.K. The position and interpretation of nominal modifiers in Indo-Iranian. The Sixth Western Conference on Linguistics (WECOL 17) Fresno, CA (October 29, 2006).
2004 Larson, R.K. The projection of DP. University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany (January 15, 2004).
2000 Larson, R.K. Temporal modification in nominals. International Round Table "The Syntax of Tense and Aspect." Paris, France (November 15-18, 2000).
2000 Larson, R.K. ACD in AP?. 19th West Coast Conference of Formal Linguistics (WCCFL 19). Los Angeles, CA.
1999 Larson, R.K. Semantics of adjectival modification. Dutch National Graduate School (LOT). Amsterdam, The Netherlands (January 18-22 1999).
1997 Larson, R.K. The Grammar As Science Project: Day 1. Linguistic Society of America Summer Institute, Workshop on Linguistics and the Language Sciences: New Computer-based Methods and Materials for Undergraduate Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
1997 Larson, R.K. The Grammar As Science Project: Day 2. Linguistic Society of America Summer Institute, Workshop on Linguistics and the Language Sciences: New Computer-based Methods and Materials for Undergraduate Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
1996 Larson, R.K. Grammar as a laboratory science. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Meetings, Special Session "From Curiousity to Science Through Linguistic Inquiry." Baltimore, MD (February 10 1996).
1995 Larson, R.K. Olga is a beautiful dancer. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meetings. New Orleans, LA (January 7 1995).

Unpublished Work

1989 Larson, R.K. and M Luján. Emphatic pronouns.
1985 Larson, R.K. Quantifying into NP.