What is relative present tense?

Definition
	Relative present tense is a relative tense that refers to a time that is simultaneous with some contextually determined temporal reference point.

Example (English)
	The -ing forms in certain subordinate clauses express relative present tense, as in the following: Walking in the woods, he saw a squirrel. Walking in the woods, he will find buried treasure. Walking in both cases is understood as simultaneous with the time of the action of the main verb. This time may have different temporal relations with the moment of utterance.

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

Source
	Comrie 1985b 57–59

Context for this page:

Concept module: relative present 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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