Tense and Aspect I

What is the meaning of aspect?

• Aspect concerns the manner in which the verbal
action is experienced or regarded.

• The grammatical category of Aspect is indicated in

the morphology of the verbs but it characterizes the
whole sentence.

• Aspect refers to how an event or action is to be

viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual
location in time.
We can illustrate this using the following
examples:
 David fell in love on his eighteenth
birthday.
in the past, especially on his 18th birthday
David has fallen in love.
in the past, but quite recently; PERFECTIVE ASPECT
David is falling in love.
still in progress; PROGRESSIVE ASPECT
 What is Tense?
• Tense means to locate a situation in time
either in present or past. In English Language
we have only two tenses, i.e. Present and Past.

• I enjoy long drive. ( Present )

• I enjoyed long drive with my family. ( Past )
 Tense
• There are really only two true tenses in English :
• Past and Present
• Indicates when the time of evaluation occurs
• “future” is technically not a tense because there
is no specific form of the verb.
 Aspect
• The following are considered aspects in
English:
• Progressive, perfect, perfect progressive
• Indicates how the speaker views the situation
• Provides information about duration
completion and frequency
• The “temporally how”
 Simple vs Progressive Form
• Simple Form
• Habit: I usually wash my
hair on Sundays.
• Completed actions: I bought
a new car yesterday.
• General statements: Water
boils at 100°C
• Descriptions of a series of
events (fictional present):
He comes in and sees her in
front of the stove. He takes
a knife.
• Progressive Form
• For an action that is in
progress:
• Is he still complaining about
his girlfriend?
• For a temporary situation:
• It is raining!
• For an incomplete action:
• I was just finishing off the
cake when my mother came
in.
 Static vs. Dynamic
Static Verbs Dynamic Verbs
• These describe a state • These describe an
and are normally used action or event that can
ONLY in the Simple be used in both Simple
Form: and Progressive Forms:
• I believe in life on Mars. • My cat bites my hand
(not I am believing) everyday.
• My cat is biting my
hand!!
 Static Verbs
Static verbs fall into the following categories:
• 1)States of being and having: be, apply, belong, have
concern, cost, depend, resemble, contain, lack, own,
possess, weigh
• 2)Intellectual states: assume, believe, doubt, expect,
forget, hope, imagine, know, notice, realize, remember,
suppose, think (be of the opinion), understand, wonder
• 3)Emotional states: agree, consider, hate, intend, like, love,
need, pity, prefer, regard, trust, want, wish
• 4)States of perception: feel, hear, see, smell taste, appear,
seem
• 5) States of physical sensation: ache, hurt, itch, tickle
 Static Verbs used in the Progressive 1
• As with any language “rule” there are exceptions.
When a static verb is used to describe an action
of limited duration it can be used in the
progressive
Compare:
“This class has 17 students”
“My dog is having a senior moment”
( to forget things because of old age)
Can you think of other examples?
 Static Verbs used in the Progressive II
• “to be” can also be used in the Progressive if it
has the meaning of a temporary state (as in
the sense of “to act” or “to behave”):
“Stop being such an idiot!”
“You’re being stubborn”
Why would you use one of the above
statements instead of using the verb in the
Simple form?
 Static Verbs used in the Progressive III
• Verbs of perception can also be used in the
Progressive – again if they have the sense of an
activity
Compare:
“My little brother has been smelling funny lately”
“My little brother smells everything.”
Static Verbs used in the Progressive IV
• Verbs of physical sensation are often an
exception, in that they can be used in the
Simple and Progressive Forms for a temporary
state
Which of these questions do you prefer? Does
it depend on the situation?
“Does your back ache?”
“Is your back aching?”