On the interaction of tense, aspect and modality in Dutch

In this chapter the interplay between tense, aspect and modality in the interpretation of modal auxiliaries in three different past tenses in Dutch is studied. After discussing the semantic effects of these factors separately, it is shown that each factor exerts a different, conflicting force on the meaning of a proposition. It is argued that a bidirectional optimality theoretic model explains how Dutch speakers use the various past tense modal constructions in the Dutch language in order to convey different interpretations.