Quantificational variability effect

Quantificational variability effect (QVE) is the intuitive equivalence of certain sentences with quantificational adverbs (Q-adverbs) and sentences without these, but with quantificational determiner phrases (DP) in argument position instead.

• 1. (a) A cat is usually smart. (Q-adverb)
• 1. (b) Most cats are smart. (DP)
• 2. (a) A dog is always smart. (Q-adverb)
• 2. (b) All dogs are smart. (DP)^[1]

Analysis of QVE is widely cited as entering the literature with David Lewis' "Adverbs of Quantification" (1975), where he proposes QVE as a solution to Peter Geach's donkey sentence (1962). Terminology, and comprehensive analysis, is normally attributed to Stephen Berman's "Situation-Based Semantics for Adverbs of Quantification" (1987).

See also

• David Kellogg Lewis
• Donkey pronoun
• Existential closure
• Irene Heim