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Old 26-May-2004, 10:49
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shun
Default Remoteness and Immediacy

Does anyone know about Lewis's The English Verb?

I want to learn more about remoteness and immediacy.
What exactly are these things?

Thank you in advance.

Shun
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Old 26-May-2004, 16:31
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The 'remote' form is a term used by some instead of past tense. The reason is that it describes the function of this form of the verb better, as they see it; it allows for distance in time, or the other uses of the past- the unlikely (hence remote) future and politeness (social distance or remoteness).
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Old 26-May-2004, 16:49
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Thank you very much Tdol,

Quote:
Originally Posted by You
The 'remote' form is a term used by some instead of past tense. The reason is that it describes the function of this form of the verb better, as they see it; it allows for distance in time, or the other uses of the past- the unlikely (hence remote) future and politeness (social distance or remoteness).
Honestly, I don't know much about this theory. How can we use a tense to tell a distance in time? Can you give examples for illustration?

Shun
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Old 26-May-2004, 23:46
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If it is in the past, then distance is automatic and not so important. If it was before something else, then we use the past perfect, if not the past. In the future, we have the likely and the less likely,which is the distance of probability.
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Old 29-May-2004, 18:57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
If it is in the past, then distance is automatic and not so important. If it was before something else, then we use the past perfect, if not the past. In the future, we have the likely and the less likely,which is the distance of probability.
Thank you, Tdol. I was looking for examples explaining remoteness.
As you say it is "not so important", I had better forget it. Thank you for your help.

Shun
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Old 30-May-2004, 07:07
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I didn't mean that. What I meant was that events in the past are usually remote because we cannot go back. However, events in the future can seem remote if they are unlikely or closer if they are likley, which would be reflected in the tenses (will- present- for likely, would-past- for remote futures).
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