Syntax of Nominal Copular Clauses Conference

The Syntax of Nominal Copular Clauses Conference 2026 is a specialized theoretical linguistics workshop dedicated to one of the most debated and empirically rich structures in formal syntax: copular clauses with nominal predicates. Questions about the direction of predication, the distribution of copular types, and the syntax-semantics interface in these constructions have generated decades of productive controversy, and this conference brings the current debate into sharp focus.

Papers address predicational versus specificational copular clauses, small clause structures, the role of DP movement, cross-linguistic variation in copular systems, the semantics of identity statements, and the interaction of copular syntax with tense and agreement. Formal syntacticians and semanticists from across the globe who specialize in clausal architecture and nominal predication will find this a uniquely focused and expert forum. Graduate students working on nominal predication are especially encouraged to present and engage.