Experimental studies of grammar: Anaphora resolution in speech comprehension.

This paper addresses one of the central problems in mental grammar studies — the problem of modularity in anaphoric processing. Our study is based on Reuland’s model “Primitives of binding” arguing that anaphoric relations can be established in three independent language modules: syntax, semantics, and discourse. These modules work sequentially: from the most economic syntax to the least economic discourse. We conducted a series of experiments with healthy adult native speakers of Russian (control group), 4-5 year old children with no speech problems, and participants with agrammatic aphasia. Pronoun interpretation in sentences where syntactic and semantic analyses lead to different interpretations was studied.