This course is the first in a series of courses through which a student may attain in-depth knowledge of the field of formal semantics, and develop the expertise needed for carrying out independent research in this field. The course combines (i) instruction in the basic formal tools used in semantic theory, and – (ii) discussing a number of central issues in the semantics of natural language. Because we need to teach the formal tools, the course will have a fairly technical nature, dealing with different logical languages and with model theory. At the same time, we will not neglect the linguistic motivation and the empirical side, dealing as noted above with a number of central issues in the semantics of natural language, including the semantics of quantification, definite and indefinite NPs, tense, and modality.