Lessons on the English Verb: No Expression Without Representation

by Walter Hirtle

Overview

Guillaume's theory of psychomechanics views language as systemic and semiotic, with the use of verb forms governed by the meaning we want to express, which is embedded in the unconscious resources of one's native tongue rather than in rules. Through his application of Guillaume's framework Walter Hirtle provides original insights on such topics as the treatment of the progressive and the perfect in English, the use of 'do' as an auxiliary in questions and negations, and tense and its relation to aspect and mood.

About the Author:
Walter Hirtle is the former director of the Fonds Gustave Guillaume, an archive of 60,000 manuscript pages of Guillaume's work, housed at Universite Laval, the world centre for the study of psychomechanics

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780773560277
Publisher:	McGill-Queens University Press
Publication date:	03/19/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Walter Hirtle is associate professor, Laval University, and the author of several books including Time, Aspect, and the Verb.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     3
Studying the Verb     9
Chronogenesis I: Aspect     25
Chronogenesis II: Mood     37
Chronogenesis III: Tense     55
The Simple Form I: Activities     68
The Simple Form II: States     86
The Simple Form III: Prospective Events     103
The Subjunctive     120
Person in the Verb     145
What Does Do Do?     167
Compounding with Do     178
The Progressive     195
The Transcendent Aspect: Perfective Events     222
The Transcendent Aspect: Imperfective Events     241
The Passive     253
Auxiliaries     277
The System of Voice: A Hypothesis     291
Conclusion     309
Glossary     317
Notes     321
Bibliography     335
Index     343