An earlier action or state has relevance at a later reference point, or point of orientation.

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Holly French
5 years ago
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1 Lecture 15

2 An earlier action or state has relevance at a later reference point, or point of orientation. Perfective aspect + Present tense ("Present Perfect") the reference point is identical with the speech moment (John has bought a new car). Perfective aspect + Past tense ("Past Perfect") the reference point is earlier than the speech moment (John had bought a new car when I met him last week).

3 Past Present Perfect Focuses on the past action: John bought a new car last week (he may or may not have sold it since then). Focuses on the present relevance (result) of the past action: John has bought a new car (the car is still in his possession). Refers to a period that Refers to a period of time that terminated before the speech includes the speech moment: moment: John Smith wrote John Smith has written four four novels (before he died/in novels (he may write more) the 60s etc.)

4 It follows that only the Past can co-occur with definite past time expressions (adverbials) such as last week/month/year, in the 60s, before he died, etc. Both the Past and the Present perfect can cooccur with adverbials expressing duration, however: cf. John lived in Paris for 20 years. John has lived in Paris for 20 years.

5 we cannot say: *I have got up at five o 'clock yesterday, because the specific reference to the point of time is incompatible with the English Perfect.

6 it is not specification of time as such that is excluded, since one can specify the time within which the past situation held, provided the time includes the present: e.g. I have seen Fred today, or even I have seen Fred this morning, provided it is still morning at the time of speaking.

7 I have lost my penknife. (Perfect) I lost my penknife. (Non-perfect) 2 time-points: the time of the state resulting from a prior situation, and the time of that prior situation I have eaten the fish.

by lunch time, a relation b/n a future state and a situation prior to it; I don t

8 John had eaten the fish before I met him at the restaurant, a relation b/n a past state and an even earlier situation; Future Perfect John will have eaten the fish by lunch time, a relation b/n a future state and a situation prior to it; I don t know if John has eaten the fish yet, but he will have done so by the time you return.

9 According to Jespersen, when speaking of dead people the Past Simple is used, except when the reference is to the result as affecting the present day. Newton believed in an omnipotent God. Newton has explained the movements of the moon.

10 Comrie identifies several types of Perfect: 1. Perfect of Result. It indicates the persistence of a previous situation at some fixed moment of time: He has retired as chairman of the historical society. John has arrived vs. John arrived

11 a period of time that includes the present is chosen precisely because there are features of the present that directly link it to the past activity I've finished my homework. In this example there are features of the present which form part of the whole relevant situation set out in time.

12 It indicates that a situation has taken place at least once in the previous period of time: She has written a novel before. be vs. go in Bill has been to America Bill has gone to America The perfect of result implies that Bill is now in America. In Bill has been to America, however, on at least one occasion Bill did in fact go to America.

13 It reports a situation that started in the past and persists/continues into the present: He has taught German since We 've lived here for ten years.

14 In many languages, Comrie says, the Perfect may be used where the present relevance of the past situation referred to is simply one of temporal closeness. the adverbs: recently, just, etc. They have just left. The Perfect does not, of course, in general necessarily imply that the past situation is recent.

15 Comrie: perfect vs. imperfective? due to the tendency to confuse perfect and perfective The Perfect links a present state to a past situation (whether an event, state, or process not yet completed), so there is nothing in the definition of the Perfect to preclude combination with the Imperfective.

16 Comrie (1976): greater temporal remoteness Completed past situation prior to another past situation: A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2009? B: No, I had never been to the U.S. before. Duration before a situation in the past: We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

17 She had visited her relatives once in 2003 before she left the country in She visited her relatives once in 2003 before she left the country in No specific time expression *She never saw a white bear before she moved to Alaska. She had never seen a white bear before she moved to Alaska. (a lack of experience )

past perfect 60.1 es She has never played computer games in her life 2 I have not had the chance to see her before she left

past perfect 60.1 es She has never played computer games in her life 2 I have not had the chance to see her before she left past perfect 60.1 Turn the following sentences in the past perfect tense es She has never played computer games in her life She had never played computer games in her life 2 I have not had the chance to