How would one test for verbal telicity in verbs, and why would it be usefull?
Answer
A telic verb creates a referential bridge across a discontinuity. After your house burns down, and consequently you have no house, you can rebuilt it, where “it” refers back to the old house which ceased to exist. “Build” is telic. But after your house burnt up, by way of comparison, you couldn’t paint it mauve. However, painting a portrait is telic, because the portrait is created by your painting of it. So if an artist’s portrait of his favorite wife was stolen, he could just paint it again.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Morella Almånd , Answer Author : Greg Lee
