The Use of the Present Perfect and Simple Past in New Zealand English

A sample of speakers of New Zealand English was surveyed regarding metalinguistic perceptions of how the simple past (e.g., went) and the present perfect (e.g., have/has gone) can be used. All sections of the survey received at least 60 responses. Participants were exposed to a range of sentences, both in isolation and in context, and including a mixture of adverbials designed to examine recent, remote, and general temporal relationships. The study presents both paired and graded grammaticality judgements, and the effect on perceived grammaticality of contracting the auxiliary has/have. The results for each sample sentence are discussed, and an analysis of variation by demographic factors is also performed. The simple past was found to be favoured more often and in a broader range of contexts, with the perfect being restricted to particular situations, often those that could be interpreted as falling within the 'extended now'. Contracted perfects were found to be favoured over uncontracted perfects, pointing to an ongoing grammaticalization effect. Taken in its totality, the data demonstrates that New Zealand English usage is largely consistent with other global varieties of English. However, the data shows that younger speakers often favour the simple past in contexts where older speakers prefer the perfect, suggesting a generational shift in favour of the simple past in contemporary New Zealand English.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Linguistics

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Chapman, Brett

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Greenberg, R
• Brown, J

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/46940

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/46940