The Narrative Present Perfect Revisited: A Study of Middle English Texts

Vladimir Bondar

doi:10.18172/jes.6713

Authors

Vladimir Bondar Independent Researcher https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7636-0326

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18172/jes.6713

Keywords:

Narrative present perfect, preterit, tense variation, Pragmatics, Middle English

Abstract

This paper explores the emergence and functions of the narrative Present Perfect (NPP) in Middle English, using data from the Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. The study compares the NPP with the historical present, drawing on Steadman’s findings, and examines its distribution across genres and dialects. Results suggest that the NPP and the historical present arose around the same time and often appeared in similar genres, supporting the hypothesis that the historical present may have influenced the rise of the NPP under favorable grammatical conditions. Its primary function was to modulate the pace of a narrative, enabled by the aspectual features of the present perfect. While the influence of the Old French passé composé cannot be entirely excluded, the findings point to internal developments within the Middle English tense-aspect system as the main driver of NPP usage. These results align with Steadman’s observations on narrative functions of the historical present.

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