THE RELEVANCE OF “STATE” AND “ACTION” IN UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH VERB TENSES
Autora:
Linda Gentry El-Dash (UNICAMP)
Resumo:
Few English speakers, even native Americans, are consciously aware of the importance of the concepts of “state” and “action” in the use of English verb tenses. Not only does this characteristic distinguish, obligatorily, between the use of the Simple Present and the Present Progressive tenses, but also explains the meanings of all of the Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Perfect Progressive) and their contrast with the simple tenses in English, as well as with the tenses of Portuguese. This presentation will explore the importance of the concept of “state” in understanding the semantics of the tenses in English, as well as some of the pragmatic implications which have arisen from it. Emphasis will be on the Present Perfect and Past Perfect tenses, their meanings and their use.