TNTL 111

A.M. Duinhoven

Had gebeld! De irreële imperatief

Abstract - Reproaching remarks as you should have given me a call and you should have come correspond with imperative forms in Dutch: had gebeld, was gekomen! ('had called, had come!'). As an order requires an action in the future, the past tense is intriguing. How could this recent sentence type come into being? This article describes the gradual development of the construction. We could not use the imperative form if it did not convey an imperative meaning. Therefore, had gebeld! must be regarded as a command indeed, but of no avail as the moment for execution has passed.