A Critical Examination of Two Classical Approaches to Aspect

Abstract

This paper discusses the merits and shortcomings of the two leading paradigms in the model-theoretic account of the perfective and the imperfective aspect: the propostition-based approach in the tradition of Tense Logic, and the eventuality-based approach in the tradition of Donald Davidson's semantics for event expressions. It is shown that neither approach may claim general validity for their respective format of analysis, as their theoretical means suit one particular aspect only: those of the proposition-based approach are confined to the imperfective aspect, and those of the eventuality-based approach are confined to the perfective aspect. Contrary to what is suggested by their advocates, neither format of analysis can be generalized to account for the other aspect. Rather, it is imperative to have a theory which integrates the two complementary approaches to one unified account. The basic features of such an integrated theory are outlined in the final part of the paper.