Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
Fundamental grammatical (morphological) category of the verb which expresses the temporal relation between a speech act (S) and the state of affairs or event (E) described in the utterance, i.e. which places the event spoken of in relation to the temporal perspective of the speaker. In English the past tense (
imperfect, preterite) expresses the temporal relationship of E before S, while the present tense expresses simultaneity of E and S. In addition to these absolute tenses there are relative tenses which relate both S and E together to another temporal reference point (R): past perfect (E before R before S), future perfect (E before R after S), present perfect (E before R simultaneous with S). In some languages the temporal distance between E and S or R can also be expressed, e.g. that E is before S but belongs to the same type (Ger. heute ‘today’+past tense). There are various language-dependent rules for the choice of tense in embedded clauses in relation to the tense in the main clause. ( matrix sentence, also sequence of tenses)
Tense systems are language-specific and often encode other sorts of information, such as aspect and mood. Because of this, the analysis of tense can be fairly complicated, especially when stylistic and pragmatic factors are taken into consideration.
References
Basbøll, H., C.Bache, and C.E.Lindberg (eds) 1994. Tense, aspect, actionality. Berlin and New York.
Binnick, R.I. 1991. Time and the verb: guide to tense and aspect. Oxford.
Bybee, J. 1985. Morphology: study of the relation between meaning and form. Amsterdam.
Bybee, J., R.Perkins, and W.Pagliuca. 1994. The evolution of grammar: tense, aspect and modality in the languages of the world. Chicago, IL.
Chung, S. and A.Timberlake. 1985. Tense, aspect, mood. In T.Shopen (ed.), Language typology and syntactic description. Cambridge. Vol. 3, 202–58.
Comrie, B. 1985. Tense. Cambridge.
Dahl, Ö. 1985. Tense and aspect systems. Oxford.
Declerck, R. 1991. Tense in English: its structure and use in discourse. London.
Engel, D. 1990. Tense and text: study of French past tenses. London.
Erhart, A. 1985.
Zur Entwicklung der Kategorien Tempus und Modus im Indogermanischen. Innsbruck.
Fleischman, S. 1990. Tense and narrativity. London.
Klein, W. 1994. Time in language. London.
Reichenbach, H. 1947. Elements of symbolic logic. New York.
Rohrer, C. (ed.) 1980. Time, tense and quantifiers: proceedings of the Stuttgart conference on the logic of tense and quantification. Tübingen.
Schopf, A. (ed.) 1987. Essays on tensing in English, vol. 1: Reference time, tense and adverbs. Tübin-gen.
Strunk, K. 1968. Zeit und Tempus in altindogermanischen Sprachen. IF 73.279–311.
——1969. ‘Besprochene und erzählte Welt’ im Lateinischen? Eine Auseinandersetzung mit H. Weinrich. Gymnasium 76.289–310.
Tedeschi, T. and A.Zaenen (eds) 1981. Syntax and semantics, vol. 14: Tense and aspect. New York.
Thieroff, R. and J.Ballweg (eds) 1994. Tense systems in European languages. Tübingen.
Vet, C. (ed.) 1985. Le pragmatique de temps verbaux. Paris.
Vet, C. and C.Vetters (eds) 1994. Tense and aspects in discourse. Berlin and New York.
Weinrich, H. 1964. Tempus: besprochene und erzählte Welt. Stuttgart. (4th edn 1985.)
Bibliographies
Bäuerle, R. 1977. Tempus, Zeitreferenz und temporale Logik: eine Bibliographie, 1940–1976. LingB 49.85–105.
Brons-Albert, R. 1978. Kommentierte Bibliographie zur Tempusproblematik. Trier.
universal grammar
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