More on semantic restrictions on certain complementizers

Abstract This article is an extension of the previous work of the author on the semantic explanation of constraints on the choice of sentential complements and thus on the form of specific sentence modifiers. First, various semantic properties of sentence modifiers or sentential operators are described. Second, a novel notion of non-informative or trivial sentence modifier is proposed. This notion is a generalization of the notion of an analytic sentence in which the notion of presupposition plays an essential role. It is shown that the presence or absence of the complementizer that or whether in the sentence modifier (sentence operator) depends on whether the modifier forms an informative or non-informative sentence with its sentential argument. Among new examples of sentential operators complex operators in which additionally verbal modifiers occur are discussed. Such additional modification may force a change of the choice of the complementizer. All these considerations are made within a framework in which no possible worlds or similar entities are used.