Discusses theories and findings concerning the status of the present perfect in American Spanish. In Spain, the present perfect is preferred to the preterite whereas the simple preterite is more frequently used in South America. The lessened usage of the past perfect parallels the narrower usage of the present perfect in Latin America. (Author/LMO)

Details a study which attempted to develop a set of pedagogical priorities for the teaching of infinitival verb complementation to nonnative speakers of English and presents six categories of infinitival verb complementation and two ways for teaching about them. (Author/CB)

Reviews the development of the shifting stress (SS) pattern in the Russian present tense. Attempts to account for its continued increase in use. The origin of the SS pattern can be seen in the development of the "a/i-" stem verbs. Verbs deriving imperfectives with the suffix "-yv + aj" also analogize the SS pattern. (Author/LMO)

Expands and develops the theory of "ser" and "estar" with predicate adjectives which was first presented in "Hispania" in May 1983. This theory holds that the selection of "ser" or "estar" in constructions with predicate adjectives expresses different types of implied comparisons. (SED)

Discusses the English grammar rule of backshifting in reported speech, that after a past tense reporting verb the reported verb is backshifted. However, backshifting need not always take place. Examination of numerous examples indicates that the past is the unmarked form; the unbackshifted present is marked, as is the past perfect. (SED)

Using "begin" and "start" as examples, it is shown that English grammars (for German schools) are syntactically deficient in their description of verbs. Several typical grammar books are cited. Conclusions are drawn and proposals are made for constructing a new English grammar for German schools. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Presents theoretical syntactic formulas for translating sentences from one language to another. (KM)

Shows that using the German "tust du malen?" to teach the English construction "do you (paint, etc.)?" is wrong; the construction can also mean "are you painting?" So "tust du --?" fits only those English verbs which never use progressive tense forms. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

This grammar handbook emphasizes formal written usage, offering clues to help with comprehension. The seven sections discuss: (1) "Nouns" (e.g., most nouns can follow "the," and possessives can show more than possession); (2) "Pronouns" (e.g., pronouns come in small groups, and some pronouns defy logic); (3) "Verbs" (e.g., some plural subjects…

This analysis of verb morphology in Seri finds evidence that empty consonants occur in root-medial position. Analysis focuses on the parallel conjugation patterns of the verbs for "know" and "give," finding an empty consonant slot in the middle of each. This position is never preceded by a consonant, so it never appears as a…

The aim of this paper is to describe verbal complementation in Malagasy and to consider how the Malagasy data reflect the "binding hierarchy" proposed by Givon (1980). It is shown that the Malagasy data provide support for the hierarchy and that the occurrence of the complementizer "fa" can be accounted for in terms of the strength of binding the…

Noun phrases are often used in academic writing to express the abstract character of the topics discussed. Nouns, especially nominalizations, make it possible to express complicated ideas in a condensed and compact manner, whereas the corresponding verbs make texts easier to understand and more dynamic. In this paper, a case study is presented…

This issue of Studies in Philippine Languages and Cultures contains the following articles: "Functions of Locatives in Northern Subanen Expository and Hortatory Discourse" (Josephine Sanicas-Daguman); "Functions of Demonstratives in Sama Bangingi' Expository Discourse" (John Blakely); "A Brief Look at Sinama Basic Verbs…