Semantics: Situations

Semantics: Situations

1. Classifying situations

   • Situation type
     • Is a label for the typology of situations encoded in the semantics of a language
   • Tense
     • The time reference is given by the time words, “now”, “yesterday” and “tomorrow”.
   • Aspect
     • The speaker gives no information about the internal structure of the state
   • Dynamic Situation
     • Changes over time.
   • Stative Verbs
     • not used in the PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2. Verbs and situations types

   • -These verbs allows the speaker to view a situation as a steady state, with no internal phases or changes
   • Dynamic verbs
     • Can be classified into a number of types,based on the semantic distinctions durative/punctual and telic/atelic.
     • semantic distinctions
       • durative/punctual
       • telic/atelic

3. Tense and Aspect

   • Tense and aspect systems allow speakers to relate situations to time, but they offer different slants (angles, slopes) on time.

4. Comparing Aspects Across...

   • The perfective aspect focuses ...
     • the end-points of a situation
     • the imperfective aspect doesn't

5. Combining Situations Type and Aspect

   • The interaction between situation type and aspect is complex area of semantics

6. Modality

   • Is a cover term for devices

7. Moods

   • When distinctions are marked by verb endings which form distinct conjunctions

8. Subjunctive mood

   • used in different languages
     • identify to opposite poles of use.

9. Subjunctive mood

   • In many languages, the subjunctive is most commonly found in subordinate clauses,