Introducing the Past Perfect

Date
1983
Authors
Wallace, William D.
Contributor
Advisor
Department
University of Hawaii at Manoa. Department of English as a Second Language.
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
The past perfect has traditionally been described as one of the twelve tenses in English. A strictly grammatical definition of this verb form is inadequate for two reasons. First, the past perfect is not only a tense, but also an aspect. Often not explicitly stated, the interpretations dictated by the aspectual system are an integral part of past perfect meaning. Second, its use is often optional when contextual clues provide the relevant tense and aspect related information. Students may come to rely on these clues and fail to develop a complete understanding of this verb form. In this paper I will show the necessity of supplementing descriptions of the past perfect as a tense with consideration of its aspectual meaning. Exercises which focus on both tense and aspect, without relying on redundant contextual information, will be presented.
Description
Keywords
english grammar, past perfect, tenses, aspect tense, temporal lobe function, transference
Citation
Extent
12 pages
Format
Geographic Location
Time Period
Related To
University of Hawai'i Working Papers in English as a Second Language 2(1)
Table of Contents
Rights
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.