ABSTRACT
In this essay I discuss the theory of reference Brian Loar explains and defends in essay, “The Semantics of Singular Terms”, (1976) focusing on his treatment of Donnellan’s distinction between referential and attributive uses. I accept most of what Loar says, but argue that semantics should deal with conventions for saying rather than meaning. I present a variation of Frege’s view of sense and reference which has sentences referring to circumstances rather than truth-values, and argue that this provides a good framework for Loar’s ideas.
