Algumas questões semânticas acerca da sequência de tempos em português

Abstract

This article analyses the semantics of the sequence of some past tenses in intensional contexts in Portuguese. From this study it follows that the time of evaluation in such contexts can be obtained in two ways. The tense of the embedded sentence establishes anaphor with the matrix (past) tense and it precedes the utterance time. In this case, the analysis of tense is mostly de re. Another way shows that the anaphor is established within the intensional context scope, with possible projection to the future, and the past tenses are due to the sequence of tenses. In this case the morphological tenses are empty and a temporal abstractor determines whether it is a case of overlap or posteriority. In Portuguese, the difference between the two interpretations is, in many examples, obtained by the contrast Imp./Pperf and the mood contrast.