Abstract
African American English simple V-ed sentences such as John ate the rutabagas are ambiguous; they have both past perfective and present perfect readings. This paper focuses on the role that verb morphology plays in this ambiguity. It argues that the ambiguity can be traced to the presence of a covert present tense operator found in the present perfect (but not past perfective) versions of such sentences, and the interaction of this operator with -ed, the morphology that turns the verb eat into ate. When it interacts with a covert present tense operator, -ed is interpreted as perfect aspect, but when it is t the highest tense/aspect marker in the sentence, it is interpreted as past tense.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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.
