Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

A-Z 1183perspective of the speaker. In English the past tense ( imperfect, preterite) expressesthe temporal relationship of E before S, while the present tense expresses simultaneity ofE and S. In addition to these absolute tenses there are relative tenses which relate both Sand E together to another temporal reference point (R): past perfect (E before R beforeS), future perfect (E before R after S), present perfect (E before R simultaneous withS). 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). Thereare various language-dependent rules for the choice of tense in embedded clauses inrelation 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, suchas aspect and mood. Because of this, the analysis of tense can be fairly complicated,especially when stylistic and pragmatic factors are taken into consideration.ReferencesBasbøll, H., C.Bache, and C.E.Lindberg (eds) 1994. Tense, aspect, actionality. Berlin and NewYork.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 modalityin the languages of the world. Chicago, IL.Chung, S. and A.Timberlake. 1985. Tense, aspect, mood. In T.Shopen (ed.), Language typologyand 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 thelogic 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. NewYork.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.)