Relative Past Tense
Relative Past Tense
| Relative past tense is a relative tense that refers to a time located before that of a contextually determined temporal reference point. |
The construction “having + verb” in the following sentences expresses relative past tense:
- Having spoken, he sat down.
- Having spoken, he will sit down.
The speaking occurs before the time of sitting, which may have differing relations to the moment of utterance .
Page/s: 59
Source: Comrie 1985b
Comrie, Bernard. 1985b.Tense. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University.
Broader Terms
- BT↑ Relative Tense
Related terms
- RT⇆ Utterance
