Absolute-relative tense

Definition

Absolute-relative tenses are temporal categories that locate a situation both the some other situation (or topic time) and to an extra-linguistic reference point, typically the moment of speech.

Example

• He had finished his book by yesterday evening.

The English Past Perfect form (had finished) locates the event both prior to an innner-textual reference point (yesterday evening) and to the moment of speech.

See also

• tense

Literature

Comrie, B. (1985). Tense. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.