Beyond aspect: will be -ing and shall be -ing

This article discusses the synchronic status and diachronic development of will be -ing and shall be -ing (as in I’ll be leaving at noon).2 Although available since at least Middle English, the constructions did not establish a significant foothold in standard English until the twentieth century. Both types are also more prevalent in British English (BrE) than American English (AmE). We argue that in present-day usage will/shall be -ing are aspectually underspecified: instances that clearly construe a situation as future-in-progress are in the minority. Similarly, although volition-neutrality has been identified as a key feature of will/shall be -ing, it is important to take account of other, generally richer meanings and associations, notably ‘future-as-matter-of-course’ (Leech 2004), ‘already-decided future’ (Huddleston & Pullum et al. 2002) and non-agentivity. Like volition-neutrality, these characteristics appear to be relevant not only in contemporary use, but also in their historical expansion. We show that the construction has evolved from progressive aspect towards more subjectivised evidential meaning

Person to Person in Ireland

While still in the midst of their study abroad experiences, students at Linfield College write reflective essays. Their essays address issues of cultural similarity and difference, compare lifestyles, mores, norms, and habits between their host countries and home, and examine changes in perceptions about their host countries and the United States. In this essay, Emily Ing describes her observations during her study abroad program at the National University of Ireland in Galway

Border X-ing

The sun out-stretched its bright arms in an embrace with the mesquite trees that beckoned upwards. The wind greeted the clothes drying upon delicate wire while my mother meticulously placed white towels in the light and the jeans under the shade of the Arizona Ash. The washboard sits upright in the bucket full of suds and other assorted laundry. Inside the shed there is both a working dryer and washer only a few years old, but she has chosen to do this chore outside. Here she can close her eyes and be back in Mexico with the dry heat and the dusty wind hitting against the houses of colorful concrete walls. She senses the animals of the ranch pecking at the maize that has been long picked since the harvest. She hears the commotion of the bar-b-que that is smoking next door at Tia Alaida’s house, a world that I have only visited a few times, never quite experiencing it as deeply as she. [excerpt

THE TAX POLICY AND ITS IMPACT ON LABOUR MARKET IN SLOVAKIA

The global financial crisis has manifest unfavorably also in Slovakia namely in economic growth decline and in the increase unemployment. The labor market is depressed by excess labor supply over labor demand. Under the impression of global crisis the Slovak republic, as well as the other states, takes in arrangements for reduction its impacts on economy and on entrepreneurs and citizens. Received measures of labor market policy against crisis should affect labor demand, i.e. willingness to employ and incentive to find a job. Tax policy measures against crisis should support low consumption through lowering tax burden of income and improvement business environment.tax policy, labor market, unemployment, tax stabilization function, employment policy, employee premium