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Immediacy and certainty: factors in understanding future reference*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Lorraine Harner
Lorraine Harner
Affiliation:
Brooklyn College
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Abstract

Seventy-five children, 3, 4, and 5 years old, were interviewed about: (a) toys they had played with just a few minutes earlier, (b) toys they had played with on the preceding day, (c) toys they would play with in a few minutes, and (d) toys reserved for use on the following day. Verb forms indicating past and future time were used as well as the adverbials before and after. The past verb form was understood equally well in reference to the immediate past and the more remote past. However, the future verb form was better understood in reference to the immediate future than in reference to the remote future (the following day). The difference is discussed in terms of the intersection of time and mood in future verb forms. Immediacy of action and certainty of occurrence are suggested as early meaning components of future verb forms.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , February 1982 , pp. 115 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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References

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