The Development of Future Constructions in English: The Pragmatics of Modal and Temporal "Will and "Shall in Middle English

by Leslie K. Arnovick

Arnovick examines the evolution of the English verbal system in a period of significant transformation by tracing the development in Old and Middle English of will and shall future constructions. Through pragmatic analysis of speech acts, she demonstrates how speakers employed both modal and temporal auxiliaries to communicate attitudes about the future. Arnovick finds historic precedent as well as intrinsic rationale for the received rules about will and shall.

215 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1990