Tense
From UNL Wiki
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| − | + | '''Tense''' is a category used in the grammatical description of verbs (along with [[aspect]] and [[mood]]), referring primarily to the way the grammar marks the time at which the action denoted by the verb took place. | |
| − | == | + | == Natural language == |
| + | In synthetic languages, the distinction between grammatical tense, aspect, and mood is fuzzy and at times controversial. In order to avoid the problems concerning isolating these categories, which are often amalgamated in a single morpheme, the UNLarium proposes a single [[TAM]] (Tense-Aspect-Mood) typology, to be found [[TAM|here]]. | ||
| − | + | == UNL == | |
| − | + | In UNL, tense is to be represented as attributes indicating the actual '''time''' of the event. <br> | |
| − | + | Tenses are broadly classified as: | |
| − | + | *'''absolute tense''': indicates time in relationship to the time of the utterance (i.e. "now"). | |
| + | *'''relative tense''': in relationship to some other time, other than the time of utterance. | ||
| + | The corresponding values are the following: | ||
| − | + | {{#tree:id=unl_tense|openlevels=0|root=Time| | |
| − | + | *absolute tense | |
| − | + | **@past: a time before the moment of utterance | |
| − | + | **@present: the moment of utterance | |
| − | + | **@future: a time after the moment of utterance | |
| + | **@recent: close to the moment of utterance | ||
| + | **@remote: remote from the moment of utterance | ||
| + | *relative tense | ||
| + | **@anterior: before some other time other than the time of utterance | ||
| + | **@posterior: after some other time other than the time of utterance | ||
| + | }} | ||
| − | == | + | ;In most languages, there is no simple one-to-one relationship between tense forms and time. In English, for instance, the present (grammatical tense) may be used to represent the future (time). The UNL representation should indicate the time rather than the grammatical tense of a form. |
| + | :I’m going home tomorrow = go.@future.@recent | ||
| + | ;@present should be used to indicate an action at the present and not habits, routines and statements: | ||
| + | :I'm in Frankfurt. = @present | ||
| + | :I always come to school by cycle. = no tense information | ||
| + | :The sun sets in the Occident. = no tense information | ||
| + | ;Tense values may be combined. | ||
| + | :I'm going home tomorrow = go.@future.@recent | ||
| + | :I had been there = @past.@anterior | ||
| + | === Examples === | ||
| + | List of grammatical tenses: | ||
*[[English grammar#tenses|English tenses]] | *[[English grammar#tenses|English tenses]] | ||
*[[French grammar#tenses|French tenses]] | *[[French grammar#tenses|French tenses]] | ||
Revision as of 11:26, 15 January 2010
Tense is a category used in the grammatical description of verbs (along with aspect and mood), referring primarily to the way the grammar marks the time at which the action denoted by the verb took place.
Natural language
In synthetic languages, the distinction between grammatical tense, aspect, and mood is fuzzy and at times controversial. In order to avoid the problems concerning isolating these categories, which are often amalgamated in a single morpheme, the UNLarium proposes a single TAM (Tense-Aspect-Mood) typology, to be found here.
UNL
In UNL, tense is to be represented as attributes indicating the actual time of the event.
Tenses are broadly classified as:
- absolute tense: indicates time in relationship to the time of the utterance (i.e. "now").
- relative tense: in relationship to some other time, other than the time of utterance.
The corresponding values are the following:
- In most languages, there is no simple one-to-one relationship between tense forms and time. In English, for instance, the present (grammatical tense) may be used to represent the future (time). The UNL representation should indicate the time rather than the grammatical tense of a form.
- I’m going home tomorrow = go.@future.@recent
- @present should be used to indicate an action at the present and not habits, routines and statements
- I'm in Frankfurt. = @present
- I always come to school by cycle. = no tense information
- The sun sets in the Occident. = no tense information
- Tense values may be combined.
- I'm going home tomorrow = go.@future.@recent
- I had been there = @past.@anterior
Examples
List of grammatical tenses:
