The Present Perfect and the Preterite in Late Modern and Contemporary English: A corpus-based study of grammatical change

This book explores the use of the present perfect and preterite in Late Modern and contemporary English, focusing on American and British English. It proposes a neo-Gricean pragmatics analysis of these verb forms, tracing their functional changes over two and a half centuries using state-of-the-art corpus linguistic methods. It presents new evidence of grammatical change and offers a compelling account of regional variation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 235 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2024
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate dynamics of the present perfect and preterite in Late Modern and contemporary English, with a particular emphasis on American and British English. Drawing upon neo-Gricean pragmatics, it offers a novel and principled analysis of these verb forms, exploring their context-independent meanings and context-dependent inferences. Employing state-of-the-art corpus linguistic methods, the book traces their functional changes over a span of two and a half centuries. Moreover, it presents fresh evidence of grammatical evolution and presents a compelling account of regional variation, drawing insights from diverse fields such as formal semantics, historical linguistics, linguistic typology, and variationist sociolinguistics.

The book begins by examining the historical development of the present perfect and preterite in English, tracing their evolution from Old English to Late Modern English. It explores the semantic and pragmatic changes that have occurred over time, as well as the influence of other languages on English grammar. The next chapter delves into the theoretical framework of neo-Gricean pragmatics, which provides a basis for analyzing the meanings and inferences of verb forms. The author then applies this framework to examine the context-independent meanings and context-dependent inferences of the present perfect and preterite in different contexts.

Using a vast corpus of English language data, the book tracks the functional changes of these verb forms over centuries. It identifies patterns of grammatical evolution and explores the factors that contribute to grammatical change. The book also discusses the regional variations in the use of the present perfect and preterite, highlighting the differences between American and British English. The author argues that these variations are influenced by a variety of factors, including cultural norms, social practices, and historical developments.

Throughout the book, the author employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from various fields to provide a comprehensive analysis of the present perfect and preterite. The book is well-organized, with clear headings and subheadings that guide the reader through the various topics. The language is accessible to a wide audience, including students, scholars, and professionals interested in English language and linguistics.

In conclusion, this book is a valuable contribution to the field of English language and linguistics. It offers a novel and principled analysis of the present perfect and preterite, shedding light on their context-independent meanings and context-dependent inferences. By employing state-of-the-art corpus linguistic methods and a multidisciplinary approach, the book provides fresh evidence of grammatical change and offers a compelling account of regional variation. It will be of interest to students, scholars, and professionals in the field.

ISBN-13: 9789027214430