In Chapter 8, we fill in the detail of the theoretical framework on which our description of tense rests. This framework distinguishes between temporal location as it is represented by tenses, temporal location expressed by temporal adverbials and pragmatically implied temporal location. | Glossary 791 Multi-zone time-specifying adverbial or multi-zone adverbial deictic timespecifying adverbial specifying a time span which includes more than one timezone. For example today indicates a period which includes the present zone t0 as well as the post-present and the pre-present or the past and is therefore compatible with any of the four absolute tenses He s doing it today He finally did it today He s done it today He ll do it later today. Narrative before-clause foregrounding before-clause. See narrative time clause. Narrative time clause time clause which does not specify an Adv-time containing the situation time of the head clause but pushes forward the action i. e. forms part of the backbone foreground of the story. A typical instance is a narrative when-clause as in We had just entered the building when there was a terrific explosion in the street where the head clause situation specifies the time of the when-clause situation rather than the other way round. The following is an example of a narrative before-clause When he arrived at the house he hesitated a moment before he rang the bell. Narrative when-clause foregrounding when-clause. See narrative time clause. Narrow scope negation negation which has only one constituent of the clause in its scope e. g. John was not responsible it was Fred Narrow scope question question which has only one constituent of the clause in its scope e. g. Who did you see Was it John who was responsible . Wh-questions always have narrow scope. Necessary adverbial adverbial that cannot be omitted without a drastic change of meaning or without creating an ungrammatical or nonsensical clause. In I put the books on the table the prepositional phrase on the table is such a necessary adverbial. Like verb complements necessary adverbials form part of the verb phrase of the clause. Negative polarity item see nonassertive item. Neutral prediction use of the future tense auxiliary will or shall in cases where the speaker merely .
