ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the lexical aspect classes should be described as combinations of privative features, which may be marked or left unspecified, rather than as fully specified equipollent features. The marked semantic features Limit rather than Determine lexical aspect interpretation, because some features may be left unspecified; full interpretation is determined by pragmatic principles operating on the semantic representation within the larger discourse context. In all models of lexical aspect, verbs are assigned to classes or assumed to be assigned based on their behavior in a variety of syntactic and semantic frames. Although the frames are sometimes informally described as tests for class membership, they are actually sensitive to individual features distinguishing the classes from each other. Lexical aspect consists of three marked members of privative semantic oppositions, with uncancelable interpretations, and their unmarked counterparts, the interpretation of which depends on pragmatic context and other sentential constituents.
