What is relative past tense?

Definition
	Relative past tense is a relative tense that refers to a time located before that of a contextually determined temporal reference point.

Example (English)
	The construction “having + verb” in the following sentences expresses relative past tense: Having spoken, he sat down. Having spoken, he will sit down. The speaking occurs before the time of sitting, which may have differing relations to the moment of utterance.

Generic
	Relative past tense is a kind of
	What is relative tense?

Source
	Comrie 1985b 59

Context for this page:

Concept module: relative past tense
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): R
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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