Chapter Two
44
Temporal profiling
As detailed in Verhagen (2007, 50) grammatical constructions impose a
particular kind of profile on the temporal interpretation of a situation. For
example, the English progressive construction (be V-ing) may be
interpreted in terms of viewpoint: the position from which the situation is
viewed is contained in the ongoing process itself so that any boundaries
are not “in view” and backgrounded, imposing a specific profile on the
interpretation of the clause. There are many examples of deviant temporal
profiling in event descriptions in SmPCs as compared to PILs as illustrated
by examples (27) and (28):
(27) When driving vehicles or operating machinery it should be taken into
account that dizziness or drowsiness may occasionally occur when
taking antihypertensive therapy such as Telmisartan Teva Pharma.
(28) Some people feel dizzy or tired when taking Telmisartan Teva
Pharma. If you feel dizzy or tired, do not drive or operate machinery.In both examples the same event is from different positions: In (27) the
processes when driving vehicles respectively when taking antihypertensive
therapy contain the position from which the situation is viewed, namely
the medical patient being the implicit agent who will take the drug and
who should be warned. These processes are selected as Ground, whereas
the inanimate subject dizziness or drowsiness represents the Figure. In
(28), by contrast, the situation is differently conceptualized. Here, the
patient is selected as Figure (Some people feel dizzy or tired) which is
profiled against the backgrounded process when taking Telmisartan Teva
Pharma. The first process is realized as respectively conditional clause and
imperative, foregrounding the patient as Figure, and profiling the
beginning point of the processes being tired and driving or operating
machines.
Temporal profiling by means of conditional (if) or temporal (when,
before) conjunctions is also illustrated by examples (29-30):
(29) Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine
because it contains important information for you.
(30) Talk to your doctor before taking Telmisartan Teva Pharma if you are
taking an ACE-inhibitor or aliskiren.In example (31) the ending point of the process is explicitly
foregrounded by the verb to stop:
(31) In some cases you may have to stop taking one of the medicines.