Exploring Semantic Information in English Tense Markers

Abstract

The English tense-marking system is usually introduced very early, and it has occupied a prominent role in ESL/EFL classes. Yet, even advanced learners of English still have substantial difficulty acquiring the system. Usage of English tenses has been one of the many challenging areas for both teachers and learners. Researchers and educators assert that difficulty in the English tense usage stems from the complex interplay of multiple form-function mappings encoded in the system. Tense-related errors tend to result from learners’ lack of a clear understanding of the referential relationships that exist between the two types of semantic information expressed by their grammatical markers; namely, time reference and aspectual property in association with their grammatical markers. This paper, therefore, seeks to review linguistic theories in order to describe these two types of semantic information conveyed in tense markers. It is hoped that this paper will offer pedagogical implications for teachers to develop a more informed method and design more appropriate materials for teaching English tenses to ESL/EFL learners.