The verbal periphrasis estar+gerundio (EG) conjugated in simple present (estoy viajando) is the aspectual expression of progression in Spanish of an event that develops during the moment that is spoken (speech time S). Within Reichenbach's system of temporal relations, there is a coincidence relation with expression in the present tense between S and its point of reference R, and the relation is represented as S,R. The system identifies another time interval of the event E. With EG of progressive aspect the temporal relation is of coincidence between S and E, and it is represented as S,R,E. EG has also a reading of prospective aspect that refers to events that have not yet occurred restricted to events happening at an immediate future (estoy viajando dentro de cinco minutos). The relation of coincidence S,R holds due the short temporal distance between the event E and the speech time S. In this kind of sentences, the temporal adjunct plays an important role as an argument that indicates the event time E. The relation is represented as S,R_E. This study proposes an additional reading of EG in speakers of the educated norm of Lima's variety in Peruvian Spanish (NEL). It is a modal use. When the subject is the one who performs the action (participant oriented) the modal is called volitional of deliberative intention with a reading similar to " pensar+infinitivo". With this kind of modal reading the periphrasis tense is no longer restricted by the temporal relation S,R and it allows a reading of non-immediate future events (estoy viajando mañana) with the temporal relation of posteriority S_R. I propose that EG with a modal reading allows the temporal relation S_R, E. The literature does not provide much information about the use of EG with a reading of non-immediate future in the NEL variety (Caravedo, 1992; Squartini, 1998). The use I propose as modal has been analyzed by the literature under the time and aspect perspective which considers its use as anomalous or a use influenced by the English futurate present progressive (I am travelling tomorrow). The theoretic frame of this study includes the work done by Olbertz (1998), which was used to identify the uses of EG within the Spanish periphrasis classification; by Cinque (2006), to locate EG expressions within the hierarchy of restructuring verbs; and by Giorgi and Pianesi (1997) whose proposals on the expressions of present perfect were useful to apply them to the uses of EG prospective and modal. Within those proposals, the one on the relation between semantics and morphosyntax is applied in the representation of EG. Through the semantic analysis, the temporal relations between S and E are explained, and the morphosyntactic one shows the change occurring in the auxiliary verb --in Spanish it occurs in the agreement head AGR--, that produces a prospective reading ASPprosp or a modal one MOD in their respective representation. Also, the importance of the temporal adjunct is taken into account in the representation. With prospective and modal readings, the adjunct is an argument (T-ARG) which contains a temporal feature (T-DEF) that has to check with ASPprosp or MOD of the auxiliary verb depending on the reading. With the first reading the temporal relation in ASPprosp is restricted to an imminent future S,R, so the expression holds if T-ARG expresses an event time close to S. The feature T-DEF checks in ASPprosp and if the meaning maintains the coincidental relation with S, then the expression is grammatical. With the second reading, T-DEF checks against a modal head MOD, and with modals, there are no temporal restrictions. Therefore, the modal reading of EG allows futurity readings with the temporal relation S_R,E. In regard to the lexical aspect, EG modal restricts its use to dynamic verbs and rejects stative verbs. This study also suggests that there is an opposition between EG modal and the modal morphological future. It has been discussed in the Latin-America literature (Sedano, 2006; Escobar, 2009) that the latter has been losing its reading of futurity for a modal one marking doubt or conjecture. EG modal is an expression of assertion. This study conducted an experimental test in order to find out if the contrast I propose exists between these two modal forms in speakers of the NEL. The purpose of the test was to establish an interaction between two opposing conditions of two variables. Even though this study did not obtain the interaction results that would demonstrate the proposed contrast, the experiment suggests that the speaker of the NEL variety continues to use the morphological future as assertive expressions. The experiment allowed to make the observation that the use of EG is accepted by the NEL variety as a modal expression which is what it is proposed in this study. | The verbal periphrasis estar+gerundio (EG) conjugated in simple present (estoy viajando) is the aspectual expression of progression in Spanish of an event that develops during the moment that is spoken (speech time S). Within Reichenbach's system of temporal relations, there is a coincidence relation with expression in the present tense between S and its point of reference R, and the relation is represented as S,R. The system identifies another time interval of the event E. With EG of progressive aspect the temporal relation is of coincidence between S and E, and it is represented as S,R,E. EG has also a reading of prospective aspect that refers to events that have not yet occurred restricted to events happening at an immediate future (estoy viajando dentro de cinco minutos). The relation of coincidence S,R holds due the short temporal distance between the event E and the speech time S. In this kind of sentences, the temporal adjunct plays an important role as an argument that indicates the event time E. The relation is represented as S,R_E. This study proposes an additional reading of EG in speakers of the educated norm of Lima's variety in Peruvian Spanish (NEL). It is a modal use. When the subject is the one who performs the action (participant oriented) the modal is called volitional of deliberative intention with a reading similar to " pensar+infinitivo". With this kind of modal reading the periphrasis tense is no longer restricted by the temporal relation S,R and it allows a reading of non-immediate future events (estoy viajando mañana) with the temporal relation of posteriority S_R. I propose that EG with a modal reading allows the temporal relation S_R, E. The literature does not provide much information about the use of EG with a reading of non-immediate future in the NEL variety (Caravedo, 1992; Squartini, 1998). The use I propose as modal has been analyzed by the literature under the time and aspect perspective which considers its use as anomalous or a use influenced by the English futurate present progressive (I am travelling tomorrow). The theoretic frame of this study includes the work done by Olbertz (1998), which was used to identify the uses of EG within the Spanish periphrasis classification; by Cinque (2006), to locate EG expressions within the hierarchy of restructuring verbs; and by Giorgi and Pianesi (1997) whose proposals on the expressions of present perfect were useful to apply them to the uses of EG prospective and modal. Within those proposals, the one on the relation between semantics and morphosyntax is applied in the representation of EG. Through the semantic analysis, the temporal relations between S and E are explained, and the morphosyntactic one shows the change occurring in the auxiliary verb --in Spanish it occurs in the agreement head AGR--, that produces a prospective reading ASPprosp or a modal one MOD in their respective representation. Also, the importance of the temporal adjunct is taken into account in the representation. With prospective and modal readings, the adjunct is an argument (T-ARG) which contains a temporal feature (T-DEF) that has to check with ASPprosp or MOD of the auxiliary verb depending on the reading. With the first reading the temporal relation in ASPprosp is restricted to an imminent future S,R, so the expression holds if T-ARG expresses an event time close to S. The feature T-DEF checks in ASPprosp and if the meaning maintains the coincidental relation with S, then the expression is grammatical. With the second reading, T-DEF checks against a modal head MOD, and with modals, there are no temporal restrictions. Therefore, the modal reading of EG allows futurity readings with the temporal relation S_R,E. In regard to the lexical aspect, EG modal restricts its use to dynamic verbs and rejects stative verbs. This study also suggests that there is an opposition between EG modal and the modal morphological future. It has been discussed in the Latin-America literature (Sedano, 2006; Escobar, 2009) that the latter has been losing its reading of futurity for a modal one marking doubt or conjecture. EG modal is an expression of assertion. This study conducted an experimental test in order to find out if the contrast I propose exists between these two modal forms in speakers of the NEL. The purpose of the test was to establish an interaction between two opposing conditions of two variables. Even though this study did not obtain the interaction results that would demonstrate the proposed contrast, the experiment suggests that the speaker of the NEL variety continues to use the morphological future as assertive expressions. The experiment allowed to make the observation that the use of EG is accepted by the NEL variety as a modal expression which is what it is proposed in this study. | 141 pages