Appear/seem to do (future refetence?)

[ademoglu]

Hello,

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/appear

appear to do something: The survey appears to contradict motor industry claims.

I would like to ask if "appear/seem" + infinitive is used with future or general reference. Namely, does he above sentence mean "It appears as if the survey will contradict motor industry claims."?

Does it depend on the context?

Thanks.

 

[Mehrgan]

***NOT a teacher***

It already does. It's a general fact that the 'survey' contradicts the 'claims' which have already been made in the past.

 

[ademoglu]

What about this one:

- Our team seems to repeat its success.

Does it refer to the future or a general fact?

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't see how a team can "seem" to repeat its success at all. Either the team repeated its earlier success or it didn't.

 

[engee30]

NOT A TEACHER

To my way of thinking, the verb 'appear', as well as 'seem', doesn't actually convey the meanig of tense; rather, it takes you to the very point of 'nowness', which gives you the idea of the current circumstance. Thus, general or future reference would not be valid.

If you appear somewhere, we know that you weren't there, don't know that you will, and surely know that you are there now.

 

[Mehrgan]

Can we possibly make sense by saying, 'The team seems to have repeated its success' as if we didn't know it for certain, but only have heard so?

(Or, say, half through a match, the reporter goes like, 'the teem seems to be repeating its last-year success'. Is this possible at all?)