ABSTRACT
Fundamental subcategorization of aspect. Durative verbs describe processes which are temporally not delimited (burn, work, read), in contrast to non-durative verbs, whose lexical meaning implies temporal delimitation, an accomplishment, or a change in the process involved (burn down, burn up). This distinction determines the choice of temporal modifiers indicating the duration of the action. Durative verbs can be used with modifiers such as for two hours or for a long time, but not with modifiers such as in an hour: The house has been burning for two hours/*in two hours. Cf. the non-durative verb: The house burnt down in two hours/*for two hours.
