Datapoint Sranan/Internal order of tense, aspect, and mood markers

Younger speakers claim that only older people use the combination ben + sa + e, but that is just their impression. Note also that combinations of Past + Future + IPFV (ben o e/ bio e/ bo e) are ungrammatical in Sranan.

Values

Tense-Mood-Aspect Frequency: 70.0%

Example 2-99:
Wel, dan granpa ben sa e gi den (owru tori) ma dati mi no miti.
Wel,
Well
dan
then
granpa
granddad
ben
pst
sa
mood
e
ipfv
gi
give
den
them
(owru
(old
tori)
story)
ma
but
dati
that
mi
1sg
no
neg
miti.
meet
Well, then granddad would have (habitually) told them, but I never experienced that.

Source: Winford 2002: 336

Example 2-100:
Efu John ben de dya, a ben sa e sribi now.
Efu
if
John
John
ben
pst
de
cop
dya,
here
a
3sg
ben
pst
sa
mood
e
ipfv
sribi
sleep
now.
now
If John were here, he would be sleeping now.
Example 2-101:
A ben musu e taki nanga en m’ma.
A
3sg
ben
pst
musu
must
e
ipfv
taki
talk
nanga
with
en
3sg.poss
m’ma.
mother
She must have been talking to her mother.
Confidence:
Very certain

Mood-Tense-Aspect Frequency: 30.0%

Example 2-102:
Nownow de Tanti M. sa ben e ferteri stori efu a ben de na libi ete.
Nownow
now
de
there
Tanti
Aunt
M.
m
sa
mood
ben
pst
e
ipfv
ferteri
tell
stori
story
efu
if
a
sg
ben
pst
de
cop
na
loc
libi
life
ete.
yet
Aunt M would have been telling stories right now if she were still alive.
Confidence:
Certain