While, When, Before, and After: Verbal Aspect in Prepositional Infinitives

Abstract

Abstract:Traditionally, the academy understands that the infinitive’s temporal reference in prepositional constructions depends on the combination of tense form and the preposition itself. However, this does not explain the many cases in which different temporal contexts use the same tense form, even with prepositions often assumed to function in specific time relations. This study applies verbal aspect theory for such constructions and demonstrates how the aspectual approach becomes important in exegesis. Moreover, deictic markers help us determine the time reference of infinitive verbs within prepositional phrases and not the construction itself