Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Grounding

Definition: 

Grounding refers to establishing the time, location or actuality of a situation according to some reference point.

Discussion: 

Certain morphosyntactic operations, such as inflection, ground the situation that the clause describes.

If the operation is…

Then the reference point is normally …

Temporal

Now (the time of utterance).

Spatial

Here (the place of utterance).

Modal or evidential

Actuality (the situation described by the clause did or will actually take place).

Source: 

Glossary Hierarchy