Paul Portner

Paul Portner is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts and a B.A. from Princeton University. His research focuses on semantics and pragmatics, particularly their interfaces with syntax, exploring topics such as verbal mood, speaker-addressee relations, and modality. He has led NSF-funded projects on clause types and gradable modal expressions, collaborating with researchers like Raffaella Zanuttini and Aynat Rubinstein. His book Mood (2018) and numerous articles in journals like Natural Language Semantics and Language reflect his contributions to formal semantics and pragmatics. Current projects include studies on speech style and politeness, and a book under contract with Oxford University Press. Portner teaches courses such as Semantics and Pragmatics and frequently participates in summer schools globally.

Education:
- Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Massachusetts
- B.A. in Linguistics, Princeton University

Research Interests:
- Syntax-semantics interface
- Modality and mood systems
- Pragmatics of discourse
- Cross-linguistic variation in speech styles

Funded Projects:
- NSF BCS-0234278: 'Clause Types: Form and Force in Grammatical Theory' (with Zanuttini and Pak)
- NSF BCS-1053038: 'The Semantics of Gradable Modal Expressions' (with Katz, Herburger, and Rubinstein)

Advising & Grants:
- No formal student advisees listed in the provided materials.
- Collaborations with international scholars in computational linguistics and formal semantics.

Labs/Teams:
- Active participation in interdisciplinary research groups at Georgetown and global institutions, focusing on mood systems and linguistic pragmatics.