À nouveau, sur le remplacement fonctionnel du passé simple dans deux types de textes journalistiques

Abstract

The paper deals with the use of different tense forms for the narration of past events in two French newspapers, Le Figaro and Le Monde. The backdrop of this study is the assumption that the phenomenon of aoristic drift has displaced the passé simple not only from the oral language but also from the standard French used in written communication media. Tense forms are analysed comparing daily news and a report on historical events, with the passé simple used only marginallyin the latter case. The article examines the many different means by which the language of the press replaces the passé simple with other tenses (for instance, besides the passé composé, also the historical present and special functions of the imparfait). The corresponding formal strategies vary depending on the type of text and the time of the events being reported on.