The grammar of the english verb phrase part 73 pptx

This means that not only the central orientation time of a post-present domain but also any situa-tion time that is represented as T-simultaneous with it is treated as a pseudo-t0.. The

the fact that the two situations do not really overlap but concentrates on the

fact that they follow each other closely and that there is some logical relation

between them The use of a tense form whose basic function is the expression

of T-simultaneity then means that the speaker treats the two situations as

be-longing to the same ‘occasion’ and hence as falling within the same time

in-terval.10Another clear illustration of such a use is provided by examples like

the following, where the relevant verb form is a form whose basic meaning is

the expression of simultaneity, viz a present participle:

Opening the drawer, he took out an old photo of a man in uniform.

Raising the lid of the well, she pointed to the green water.

The locomotive jumped the rails, narrowlymissing a couple of trees near the railway.

In these examples, the situation referred to in the present participle clause

either precedes (in the first two examples) or follows (in the third example) the

head clause situation

The fact that verb forms expressing T-simultaneity can be used in a sloppy

way illustrates the fact that T-simultaneity is the unmarked relation of the three

that can be expressed by verb forms This is especially clear in conditional

sentences referring to the post-present, where the expression of a temporal

relation between the two clauses is less important than the expression of the

logical link (‘if p, then q’) In such conditional sentences the if-clause is

there-fore likely to use a tense form expressing T-anteriority only if it contains a

time adverbial likeby 5 o’clock (as in I will punish you if you haven’t finished

by 5 o’clock) Otherwise, it normally involves a tense form expressing

simulta-neity This may even be the case when the two clauses contain adverbials

refer-ring to different times, as in If John doesn’t do it today, I will do it myself

tomorrow In such a sentence the speaker represents the two situations as if

simultaneous if he is just thinking of them as two post-present situations that

are logically connected with each other.11 It is only when he wants to draw

explicit attention to the fact that one situation is over before the other takes

place that he selects the verb form expressing anteriority (If John hasn’t done

it today, I will do it myself tomorrow).

10 In fact, this also holds for the absolute use of the present tense, which represents a

situation as T-simultaneous ( ⫽ coinciding) with t 0 Leech (1971: 3) points out that the

‘instantaneous’ use of the present tense does not require that the situation be strictly

simultaneous with t 0 A sentence likeNow I open the envelope may be uttered seconds

before the action takes place As Leech points out, “it is subjective rather than objective

simultaneity that is conveyed”.

11 The fact that conditional sentences represent the contents of the two clauses as

simulta-neous is also apparent from the fact that the head clause can be introduced bythen (e g.

If John doesn’t do it, then I’ll have to do it myself tomorrow) This use of then may not

be purely temporal, but it is reminiscent of the temporal meaning of the adverb, which

is ‘at that time’, i e ‘at the time referred to in theif-clause’.

9.21 T-simultaneity with an orientation time coinciding

with the central orientation time

A time that is T-simultaneous with a pseudo-t0, or with another time that is T-simulta-neous with a pseudo-t0, also functions as a pseudo-t0

When a situation time is represented as coinciding with a pseudo-t0 (i e the central orientation time of a post-present domain), that situation time can be the binding orientation time for another situation time In that case the relation of T-simultaneity (coincidence) is also expressed by the present tense This means that not only the central orientation time of a post-present domain but also any situa-tion time that is represented as T-simultaneous with it is treated as a pseudo-t0 If such a pseudo-t0binds another situation time, the latter will therefore be referred

to by one of the four pseudo-absolute tenses In the following examples the tense forms referring to the bound situation time are italicized, whereas the binding situation times (which are also bound pseudo-t0’s because they are each repre-sented as coinciding with another pseudo-t0) are underlined:

I’ll give a fiver to anyone I meet while Iam there and who says he is glad to meet me.

They will find out that Jack thinks that hewas born in London.

[If we don’t hide this letter from Gladys] she will go and tell everybody that she knows why Timhas been fired.

[Do not inform Jack, or] he will tell the police that he knows that a murder will

be committed.

The tense structure of (the relevant part of) the last example is represented by Figure 9.11

Figure 9.11 The tense structure of [Do not inform Jack, or] he will tell the police that

he knows that a murder will be committed.

E The expression of T-posteriority in a post-present

domain

9.22 T-posteriority in a post-present domain

To represent a situation time as T-posterior to t0 we use the future tense or a futurish form This means that the situation time in question is represented as a pseudo-t0 functioning as the central orientation time of a pseudo-post-present subdomain

Predictably, to represent a situation time as T-posterior to the central

orienta-tion time, or to any other pseudo-t0 in the post-present domain, we use the

same tense as is used to represent a situation time as T-posterior to (the real)

t0, viz the future tense (or one of the ‘futurish’(see 2.9) verb forms) This tense

form is then used as a pseudo-absolute tense form, which locates its situation

time in the ‘pseudo-post-present’ and in doing so creates a ‘pseudo-post-present

subdomain’ within the post-present domain

He will swear that hewill never tell her the ugly truth.

[When I’m throwing my own party next month] I’ll be able to tell you whether there

{will / is going to} be a display of fireworks after the speeches, [but this time I

don’t know]

In the same way as a situation time that is posterior to t0 is treated as if it

were t0, any situation time that is represented as T-posterior to such a

pseudo-t0 is also treated as a pseudo-t0 when another situation time is related to it

This means that the latter situation time is located in one of the four

pseudo-absolute zones:

She will think that John will tell the others {that he was here tonight / that he has

not told them the truth yet / that he is dissatisfied with their behaviour / that he

will tell them the truth later}.

Figure 9.12 represents the tense structure of this sentence whenwill tell is used

in the final clause

This use of the future tense to establish a pseudo-t0can repeat itself

indefi-nitely Any situation time that is T-posterior to a pseudo-t0 functions as a

pseudo-t0itself This can produce structures with multiple pseudo-t0’s, such as

the following (in which each pseudo-t0is underlined):

Shirley will think that John will find out that Ted will tell Susan {that hewas here

tonight / that he has not told her the truth yet / that he is dissatisfied with her

behaviour / that hewill tell her the truth later}.

Figure 9.12 The tense structure of She will think that John will tell the others that he

will tell them the truth later.

9.22.1 Examples can be found in which the post-present domain is

estab-lished indirectlyby a tense form expressing a T-relation within the domain: Yesterday Sheila said she would be abroad when our weddingtakes place.

In this example the situation times ofsaid and would be are located in a past

domain, while the situation time of takes is located in a post-present domain.

The latter is not established ‘directly’ (i e by a future tense or futurish verb form whose situation time is the central orientation time of a post-present domain) but by the use of a form representing its situation time as coinciding with the unspecified central orientation time of the domain This is possible because the situation time of would be abroad is meant to be interpreted as

W-posterior to t0, so that would be abroad evokes ‘will be abroad’.

The use of the present tense in examples like the following can probably be explained in a similar way:

I don’t care if he {is / *will be} exhausted tomorrow.

As noted in 10.7.1, the future tense cannot be used in clauses expressing an open condition (i e a condition which may or may not be fulfilled in the future: I will be sad if she {doesn’t get / *won’t get} that job) The same rule

appears to be at work inI don’t care if he {is / *will be} exhausted tomorrow.

Here the post-present domain is established indirectly by is, which represents

the being exhausted as T-simultaneous with a central orientation time which

is specified only by virtue of being ‘contained’ in the Adv-time indicated by to-morrow.

It is possible that the same analysis is also applicable to sentences like the following, in which the present tense can be used as an alternative to the fu-ture tense:

I hope our train {isn’t / won’t be} late again today.

I bet I {get / will get} there before him.

However, it is equally possible that the use of the present tense here represents

a ‘shift of temporal perspective’ similar to what we observe inIt doesn’t matter

what we do ⫺ see 10.6.2.

9.23 The theoretical status of pseudo-absolute tense forms

9.23.1 It has been shown that, in a post-present domain, any T-relation

be-tween a bound situation time and the binding post-present pseudo-t0 is

ex-pressed by exactly the same tense as T-relates a situation time to the real t0

The only difference is that in the latter case the tenses are absolute tenses

establishing domains, whereas in the former case they are pseudo-absolute

tenses establishing (pseudo-absolute) subdomains Because in doing so they

express a T-relation in a post-present domain, we might feel tempted to say

that these pseudo-absolute tenses are relative tenses, but it would not be correct

to do so That is, it would be mistaken to conclude that next to the absolute

present tense there is a relative present tense, and similarly, that there are two

different present perfect tenses and two different post-present tenses

Pseudo-absolute tenses result from applying a ‘shift of perspective’, i e from

locating a situation time in an absolute time-zone that is different from the one

in which it would naturally be located Treating a post-present situation time

as if it were t0is similar to treating a past situation time as if it were present,

as in the historic present, or to treating a pre-present situation time as if it

were present, as in I hear you have been promoted, or as treating the central

orientation time of a domain established by an indefinite present perfect as if

it were a past orientation time when the domain is expanded, as in I’ve never

told you before that you were very talented In each case a situation time is

treated as if it were a situation time belonging to a different absolute

time-zone from the one that it would naturally be located in This is done by a

marked choice of tense, i e by a tense which is not used with its basic meaning

but in a metaphorical way In the same way the use of a pseudo-absolute tense

to expand a post-present domain is a metaphorical use of an absolute tense

By contrast, there is usually nothing metaphorical about the use of relative

tenses, i e the past perfect, the relative past tense, the conditional tense and

the conditional perfect tense (The latter are used metaphorically only if they

are used to expand a pre-present domain as if it were a past one.)

It follows that speaking of ‘pseudo-absolute tenses’ is really a sloppy way

of speaking of ‘the pseudo-absolute use of tenses whose basic use is absolute’

For example, there is only one present perfect tense, but it has two uses because

it can locate a situation time either in the pre-present zone, which leads up to

t0, or in a pseudo-pre-present period leading up to a post-present pseudo-t0.

By contrast, as far as past tense forms are concerned, there are two past tenses, the absolute one and the relative one (See the elaborate defence of this claim

in 8.23⫺32.) The relative past tense is used in one sense only, viz to express the idea that the time of the situation referred to is T-simultaneous with a binding time which forms part of a past (or pseudo-past) domain or subdo-main ⫺ see 2.44 The absolute past tense has two uses: in its basic (nonmeta-phorical) use it locates a situation time in the past relative to t0, while in its metaphorical use it locates a situation time in the past relative to a post-present pseudo-t0 These different uses are illustrated by the following sentences:

Hedidn’t have the time to do it (unmarked use of the absolute past tense)

[If he doesn’t do it] his explanation will be that he didn’t have the time to do it (pseudo-absolute use, i e metaphorical use of the absolute past tense)

He realized hedidn’t have the time to do it (unmarked use of the relative past tense expressing T-simultaneity)

[If he doesn’t do it] his explanation will be that when he made his promise, he didn’t realize that hedidn’t have the time to do it (relative past tense expressing T-simultaneity in a pseudo-past subdomain inside a post-present domain)

9.23.2 The use of the present tense as pseudo-absolute tense is not based on the same kind of metaphor as we observe inI’m leaving tomorrow, where the

present tense is also used to make it clear that the post-present situation time

is treated as if it coincided with t0(see 2.20) In the case of the pseudo-absolute use of the present tense (e g [If you go there] you will have to tell the security man why you want to be there) there is clearly a shifted deictic centre relative

to which the present tense locates a situation as ‘present’ InI’m leaving tomor-row the present tense can be seen as locating the situation time at t0 in order

to be understood as ‘arranged at t0’ These are two different metaphorical uses, and it is therefore not surprising that they can be combined, as inHe will say that he’s leaving the next day (See 10.2.3 for further explanation.)

9.24 Subdomains and recursivity

It should be clear from the previous sections that some of the rules involved in the English tense system apply recursively This is true, for example, of the rules for expanding a past domain Once a past domain has been established,

a relative tense that expresses a relation in this domain can be said to create a subdomain within the past domain Any situation time introduced into a past domain is therefore potentially the central orientation time of a past subdo-main, which is developed in exactly the same way as the over-all domain This accounts for the fact (noted in 8.34) that the relative tense used for expressing

a particular T-relation in a past domain is always the same, irrespective of the

location of the binding orientation time in the domain For example:

John said that Bill had told him that he would resign if he did not get his way

As shown in Figure 9.13, each of the tense forms here creates a past domain

or subdomain Each of the temporal relations in the domain is a relation

be-tween the central orientation time of a subdomain and the central orientation

time of the (sub)domain into which it is temporally embedded

Figure 9.13 The tense structure of John said that Bill had told him that he would

resign if he did not get his way.

There is also recursivity in post-present domains The rule stipulating that

the central orientation time of a post-present domain is treated as if it were t0

applies recursively in the sense that an orientation time represented as

coincid-ing with or posterior to that pseudo-t0 is also treated as a pseudo-t0, and that

the same is true of any other orientation time represented as T-simultaneous

with or posterior to a pseudo-t0⫺ see Figure 9.11 in section 9.21

9.25 Relating a situation time to the situation time of a

future perfect

As noted in 2.47, the future perfect is an ‘absolute-relative’ tense because it

establishes a post-present domain and at the same time expresses anteriority in

it The anteriority in question is similar to either the anteriority to t0expressed

by the absolute past tense or the anteriority to t0 expressed by the present

perfect Compare: