How to cancel an implicature

Cancelability is one of the main tests to identify conversational implicatures in general, and scalar implicatures in particular. Despite this fact, cancelability itself is a phenomenon rarely looked at. This paper presents an account of when the cancellation of a scalar implicature is an acceptable discourse move and provides experimental evidence to support our proposal. Our main claim is that the felicity of a scalar implicature cancellation depends on the discourse structure. More specifically, cancellation is acceptable only if it addresses a Question Under Discussion that differs from the previous one. As will be shown, this proposal has the additional benefit of permitting us to tease apart cancellations from self-repairs.

► Implicature cancellation is a constrained phenomenon. ► Projective meaning (CIs and presuppositions) and some assertions cannot cancel implicatures. ► Cancellation requires that there be a change of Question Under Discussion. ► Experimental data support our proposal.