The discourse function of floated quantifiers

English floated quantifiers (FQs) all, both, and each, although associated with a subject nominal, occur after modals, have, and be. This paper argues that these expressions serve as exhaustive discourse partitives, evoking a universal representation of an accessible discourse group, usually central to the discussion, and that in FQ position, this function is localized to the predicate. Evidence includes: distributional parallels with overt partitives and intensive reflexives and interpretive patterns for nonfloated and floated all and the interpretation of FQs with indefinite conjoined hosts, etc. The localized interpretation of FQs, triggering a re-evaluation of the subject with respect to the predicate, is shared by overt partitives and intensive reflexives in float position.