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Abstract: This article analyzes the temporal-aspectual syncretism of postpositives of English phrasal verbs that express the meaning of chronological succession, their functioning, and referential ties. The study focuses on a detailed examination of the lexical significance of these elements, their capacity to modify the original lexical meaning of the verb, as well as the characteristics influencing the formation of the temporal context of the utterance and its aspectual categories. The research employs the methods of mental-logical analysis and translation comparison, which allows identifying the connections between the thematic structures of the text and the temporal-aspectual meanings conveyed by postpositive particles in English phrasal verbs. Within the framework of this study, the article analyzes the works of both Russian and foreign linguists, confirming the fact that the meaning of the postpositive particle is a key component in the formation of the lexico-semantic system of English phrasal verbs. Research indicates that the role of the particle goes beyond a simple functional purpose and actively participates in creating semantic images that reflect such concepts as movement, completion of an action, change of state, and others. This significantly broadens the theoretical understanding of the semantics of such constructions. The semantics of the postpositive particle can determine the aspectual properties of the verb, for example, indicating the completion of an action, and can also play an important role in expressing prospective and future tense meanings, as well limit or facilitate their realization within a specific context. The investigation takes into account the initial-reference, situational-reference, and referential points, facilitating an in-depth analysis of the temporal structure of the text. Particular attention is paid to the issue of semantic importance of postpositives in shaping the temporal context with a prospective orientation, as well as how postpositives such as “on, off, upon, forward” and others demonstrate spatial and temporal relations, indicating not only the movement of objects in space but also their progression along a temporal scale. The object of the study covers English phrasal verb postpositives that express the meaning of chronological succession outside nominal adverbial constructions. The material comprises works of the 19th century English writers and their translations into Russian, which makes it possible to analyze the specific features of functioning of postpositives in various contexts. The results indicate the multifunctionality of postpositive particles and broaden our understanding of the semantics of chronological succession and aspectual meanings in the English language.

About the author(s) :

Diana E. Rakhmatullina

Kazan State Power Engineering University (Kazan, Russian Federation)

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8991-0079

Gulnara F. Filippova

Kazan State Power Engineering University (Kazan, Russian Federation)

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4679-8457

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 22.03.2025; date of publication: 30.06.2026

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