[Lingtyp] Sequence of tenses and triclausal structures

[fcosw5]

Pardon mine apparent obtuseness, but how is `to be here' an imperative form?  I might agree that it has imperative *force*, semantically, but to me it looks like an infinitive, as far as form is concerned.
 
Best,
Steven Schaufele

-----Original message-----
From:E. Bashir<ebashir at yahoo.com>
To:Alexander Letuchiy<alexander_letuchiy at hotmail.com>,LINGTYP at listserv.linguistlist.org<lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 12:57:08 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Sequence of tenses and triclausal structures
For this scenario, I would say, "John told me to be here (imperative) when he carries out (present) the/his (note:  definite, not indefinite) new project." 


Elena Bashir (native English speaker)

From: Alexander Letuchiy <alexander_letuchiy at hotmail.com>
To: "LINGTYP at listserv.linguistlist.org" <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org> 
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2015 4:08 AM
Subject: [Lingtyp] Sequence of tenses and triclausal structures


Dear colleagues,

There are many languages manifesting 'sequence of tenses' system (e.g., English, Latin and so on). This means that the tense-marking of the matrix verb influences the tense-marking of the embedded verb:

"John TELLS me that he WILL carry out a new project".
"John TOLD me that he WOULD carry out a new project". (the tense marking in the embedded clause changes to future in the past, because the verb in the matrix clause is marked for one of the past tenses).

What I am interested in, are triclausal structures, where the sequence of tense acts from Clause 1 to Clause 3, missing Clause 2, where the verb is marked for a non-alternating form, e.g., infinitive:

MY QUESTION: Is it true that in languages with sequence of tenses, in structures like:

"John TOLD me (Clause 1) to be here (Clause 2) when he WOULD (Clause 3) carry out a new project"

sequence of tenses always acts from Clause 1 to Clause 3, just as in biclausal structures like "John told me that he 

would carry out a new project"? Or are structures like "John told me to be here when he WILL carry out / CARRIES OUT a new project" also possible?

Any comments and / or examples from people speaking any languages with SoT (including English) are 

welcome.

Best regards and thanks in advance,

Alexander Letuchiy, Moscow

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