A Thesis For The Degree Of Master Of Arts

The present thesis attempts to probe the relationship between English tense/aspect and cohesion through the exploration of the cohesive function of English tense and aspect.First, the thesis demonstrates the theoretical possibility of English tense and aspect as cohesive devices in English texts. According to Halliday and Hasan (1976), cohesion, part of the system of a language, is semantic in nature, denoting meaning relations within a text, and it is a multi-level system and theoretically expressed by cohesive devices---any form at any level of a language system; English tense and aspect are also parts of the English language system, and they are capable of expressing meaning besides denoting temporality in a text. From a theoretical perspective, English tense and aspect, like reference, substitute, etc., can be cohesive devices. Then the thesis presents the practical feasibility of English tense and aspect as cohesive devices in English texts. It probes into the problem in three textual layers: the intra-sentence layer, the inter-sentence layer or the intra-paragraph layer, and the inter-paragraph layer. From a practical perspective, English tense and aspect are cohesive devices.Second, the thesis delves into English texts to classify the textual functions of English tense and aspect. It introduces four sets of textual functions of English tense and aspect in English texts: FACTUAL and IMAGINARY FUNCTION, TIME-FASTENING and TIME-SHIFTING FUNCTION, GROUPING and DEMARCATING FUNCTION, and GENERALIZING and PARTICULARIZING FUNCTION.And last, the thesis produces a case study, developing a new paradigm in analyzing a text.