Pragmatic Factors behind the Use and Interpretation of -teiru Sentences in Modern Japanese

摘要

The Japanese future tense is normally marked by -ru form. When the future event allows for an aspectual interpretation, -teiru form is also used. Pragmatic factors influence the choice between the -ru form and -teiru form. The -ru form is used when the action is conducted in accordance with the speaker’s outlook, while the -teiru form is used to suit the hearer’s perspective. In the choice between the two forms, pragmatic factors are sometimes found to be more influential than grammatical factors, e.g. the presence of a continuous aspect marker “zutto”. It is also found that women tend to pay more attention to pragmatic factors than men.