Resolve Relative Time

---
name: resolve-relative-time
description: Understand temporal meaning in context without performing calendar arithmetic.
---

# Understand Relative Time

Read the complete context to determine which event a time expression describes and whether
it is past, future, ongoing, quoted, or uncertain. Preserve the source words and its precision.
Never calculate a replacement date. The shared date resolver asks for a structured calendar
instruction and code performs that instruction. Keywords alone cannot settle temporal meaning.

## With Session Anchor

Use the session as a reference only when the speaker refers to it. Distinguish a duration from
an event date and a current report from an event happening now. The same words can describe
different times in different contexts. Preserve the fact when its date remains unknown.

## Without Session Anchor

Keep relative expressions unresolved when their reference is absent. Preserve explicit date
components that the source states. Do not supply the current year or day from your own clock.