perfect tense (Q14730)

A value of Tense Feature assigned to the designated element in the clause when the meaning selected for the clause is that intended to locate the event spoken about as anterior, simultaneous, or posterior to the deictic centre of the utterance, and additionally the reference point from which this event is viewed is separated and moved away from the event time. This alters the viewing of the temporal location of the event even though the event"s actual location with respect to the deictic centre remains the same. "Perfect" temporal relations contrast with "simple" temporal relations in which the reference point coincides with the location of the event spoken about. Modelling of this distinction originates from [Reichenbach 1947]. There are two types of "perfect" context which may lead to separate tense values: (1) The first type occurs when the reference point is moved away from the event time and instead located after the event time. A common example occurs with an anterior temporal