SENTENCE SEMANTICS: SITUATIONS

SENTENCE SEMANTICS: SITUATIONS

1. Situation types

   • Is a label for typology of situations encoded in the semantic language
     • Dynamic situations
       • They imply the action as subparts
         • Aspect
           • Is also a grammatical system relating to time, but here the speaker may choose how to describe the internal temporal nature of the situation
             • Dynamic verbs
               • Involves an action or an active process
                 • Telic
                   • Refers to those processes which are seen as having a natural complexion
                 • Atelic
                   • They can continue indefinitely
                 • Durative
                   • Is applied to verbs which describe a situation or process which lasts for a period of time
                     • Punctual
                       • Describes an event that seems so instantaneous that it involves virtually no time
             • Stative verbs
               • Physical action, feelings and thoughts. Thought and opinion, likes or emotions.

2. States

   • In describing states the speaker gives no information about the internal structure of the state: it just holds for a certain time.