The microsystem of means for expressing prospectivity in English: a synthesis of classical and modern approaches

the article presents a comprehensive analysis of the microsystem of means for expressing prospectivity in the English language. The research integrates classical grammatical theories with modern approaches, in particular, Construction Grammar and the theory of grammaticalization. It is proven that prospectivity is realized not by a paradigm of forms of a single category, but by a network of competing constructions, each of which contributes unique modal-aspectual meanings. A central place is occupied by “the would + infinitive construction”, interpreted as a polyfunctional unity rather than as an analytical form of the “future-in-the-past”. Special attention is paid to the role of hypotheticality as a scalar, rather than binary, category related to the speaker’s epistemic stance. The article introduces and examines in detail the concept of “narrative perspective” as a key factor determining the choice of a prospective construction. The article contributes to the theory of functional-semantic fields by proposing a model for describing prospectivity as a zone of interference of temporal reference, modality, and aspectuality.

prospectivity, construction grammar, grammaticalization, modality, narrative perspective