Abstract
The English tense system has always been one of the main subjects for linguists and grammarians. This paper adopts the metaphorical approach to study the English tense. By analyzing the prototypical uses of the present tense and the past tense, the author gives a convincing and reasonable explanation of these various uses of the English tense. The metaphorical approach used in this paper provides a new perspective for the study of the English tense. The metaphorical mapping processes of the past tense and the present tense reflect the universal cognitive mechanism of human beings, that is, learners acquire knowledge from known to unknown. The last but not least, the new interpretations of the different uses of the English tense offers a practical help for the teaching and learning of tense.
Highlights
Tense in English originates from Italian (Tempo) and the Italian took it from the Latin word Tempos, whose literal meaning is time
We believe that the present tense used to express the event/state which happens in the future, either in statements or conditionals, is the result of metaphorical extension through mapping that is based on the image schema of proximity
We have first reviewed some analysis of the past tense and the present tense by some scholars
Summary
Tense in English originates from Italian (Tempo) and the Italian took it from the Latin word Tempos, whose literal meaning is time. The ancient Greek grammarian Dionisius Thrax put forward a more detailed analysis of tense and he divided tense into three forms: present, past, future. Later in 18 century, the famous English grammarian Harris claimed that the most obvious time distinction is past, present and future It is obvious that tense as time distinction in English grammar is profoundly influenced by ancient Latin grammatical framework. The present tense normally refers to present time and past tense, past time.” Zhang This paper will adopt the bi-tense view in order to make the relevant research and analysis easier
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
