Abstract
This paper examines how the Serbian “da” subordinate clause, the French preposition pour and the English particle to, mainly used in clauses expressing purpose, can become linguistic forms expressing temporal and oppositional values. In other words, it represents an original analysis of what we call non/pseudo-teleonomic clauses in Serbian, French and English. It examines the similarities and differences between the three languages and shows that the “da” subordinate clause in Serbian has a much more extensive scope than pour in French, which in turn has wider applications than to in English. The study is illustrated by concrete and genuine examples primarily drawn from the press in the three languages. It aims at reaching generalization via the principle of continuum which makes it possible to tackle teleonomic vs pseudo-teleonomic issues not in terms of binary opposition but in terms of gradience.