Event-State Semantics: The Formal Semantics of English Temporal Sentences

Zhang Wenyan, Zhang Kai, Zhou Beihai, Dong Su, Hao Lin

Keywords: Event-State Semantics, Formal Semantics, tense, aspect

Abstract:

In English, the expressions related to time are not only tense, but also aspect. They are two dimensions of English time expressions, which form a variety of temporal dimension. Tense logic, interval semantics and RK theory did some formal semantic explanations for time expression. How to apprehend the temporal dimension and construct a comprehensive explanation of tense and aspect is a challenge in formal semantics. Event-State Semantics gave up the absolute time frame of tense logic and construct a relative time frame with events
and states as the basic elements. In this framework, 16 types of English tense-aspect sentences are formally described.

Submission Number: 17