| Titre | Passé simple, et imparfait : un couple mal assorti | |
|---|---|---|
| Auteur | C. Vetters | |
 |
Revue | Langue française |
| Numéro | no 100, décembre 1993 Temps et aspect dans la langue française, sous la direction de Jacqueline Guéron | |
| Page | 14-30 | |
| Résumé anglais |
The simple past (SP) and the imperfect (IMP) are generally considered to be two members of a binary opposition. Analyses of the use of these tenses can be divided into two paradigms : on the one hand, an aspectual explanation, and on the other, a discursive alternative which holds that the use of the two tenses is determined by principles such as foreground / background, given / new or setting / change. However, neither of the two paradigms succeeds in giving a satisfactory description of the opposition SP/IMP. The solution proposed here combines the two paradigms : I show that SP and IMP do not constitute a true « couple » ; rather, their fundamental meanings are situated on different levels, that of the SP on the level of sentential aspect, and that of the IMP on the level of textual construction. Source : Éditeur (via Persée) |
