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The Gerund and the Infinitive with the Verbs intend, mean, propose and their Close Synonyms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Patrick J. Duffley  and
Jean-François Joubert
Patrick J. Duffley
Affiliation:
Université Laval
Jean-François Joubert
Affiliation:
Université Laval
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Abstract

This article investigates gerundive and infinitival constructions with the verbs intend, mean, propose and their close synonyms with respect to the abstract categories of “tense” and “control”. Concerning “tense”, the gerundive construction with these verbs constitutes counterevidence to the common claim that the -ing form denotes simultaneity or temporal overlap: the explanation proposed shows that the latter does not correspond to any of the usual aspectual categories found in the linguistic literature. With respect to “control”, an explanation is offered for the tighter constraints on infinitival constructions as compared to the latitude between subject control and non-subject control readings found with the -ing form. These phenomena are explained in terms of the language-specific parameters of the basic meanings of the forms making up the constructions and the syntactic relations linking these meanings together.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article traite du comportement des constructions gérondives et infinitives avec les verbes intend, mean, propose et leurs synonymes les plus proches vis-à-vis les catégories abstraites de «temps» et de «contrôle». En ce qui a trait à la catégorie du «temps», la construction gérondive avec ces verbes résiste à l’analyse en termes de simultanéité ou d’imperfectivité. L’explication proposée des effets temporels observés avec la forme en -ing se fonde sur une réévaluation de la valeur sémantique de cette forme, qui n’est l’expression d’aucune des catégories aspectuelles communément appliquées aux formes verbales de l’anglais. En ce qui a trait au «contrôle», une explication est proposée pour les contraintes plus étroites sur les interprétations des constructions infinitives en regard des interprétations de contrôle variables avec le complément en -ing. Cette explication se fonde sur les paramètres propres à la langue anglaise que sont les signifiés du -ing et de l’infinitif, le signifié de to et la valeur sémantique de la fonction syntaxique du complément par rapport au verbe de la principale.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 44 , Issue 3 , September 1999 , pp. 251 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 1999

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