tense and aspect

Question 1

tense vs aspect

Answer 1

• tense: indicates relationship with verb form and time reference, expressed by inflectional suffix
  => English has two tenses: present and past
• aspect: indicates the speaker’s perspective on time
  => English has two aspects: perfect and progressive

Question 2

aspect and the semantic categories of verbs

Answer 2

• dynamic verbs: primarily express activity, process and transition
  => can usually be used in the progressive aspect and in the imperative (drink, change, arrive, …)
• stative/state verbs: describe a state or situation, in which no obvious action takes place; verbs of cognition and perception
  => cannot normally be used with the progressive aspect (hate, think, taste, …)

Question 3

the use of simple present

Answer 3

• general truths and facts
  (Tyrol is an excellent place to go for a holiday.)
• regular and habitual events
  (I work in an office.)
• mental process verbs
  (I see what you mean.)
• immediate communication/reaction
  (Here comes the train! Off we go.)
• speech act verbs
  (I accept your offer.)
• referring to the past: dramatic effect/ stressing immediate or continued relevance
  (John tells me you’re getting a new car. / Yesterday, I am in my room, a bird flies in!)
• referring to the future: fixed events and arrangements that have been planned or decided on by some outside authority
  (I leave on the eleventh. / Tomorrow is Sunday.)
• in subordinate clauses when the main clause or suboridnator already expesses future meaning (When spring comes, the birds will return. I hope he wins.)

Question 4

the use of present progressive

Answer 4

• expressing process/ duration/ incompleteness
  (I am raising my arm. / They’re building a new by-pass.)
• expressing limited duration/ repetition over a limited period of time
  (The professor is typing his own letters while his secretary is ill. The door is banging in the wind.)
• tentative/ polite request
  (I am hoping you’ll give us some advice.)
• hyperbolic/ emotional attitude with adverbs of indefinite frequency
  (I’m always losing my car keys.)
• referring to the future: a decision has been made (by onself, not an authority), arrangements are probably in place or have been made
  (She’s getting married this spring.)

Question 5

the use of simple past

Answer 5

• definite (past) time reference => exclusive past (often + adverbial of time) =>
  We lived in Sicily for ten years.
• Simple past instead of Past Perfect after as soon as, before, once, until
  I ate my lunch after my wife came back from work.
• narration of fictional events
• attitudinal past => politeness
  Did you want to see me now?
• iterative action/ habit in the past
  He went/used to go for a swim every day.
• future in the past
  Pitt, who later became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister,…
• modal past (in hypothetical subordinate clauses and wishes)
  He behaves as if he owned the place. Imagine he won the election!

Question 6

the use of past progressive

Answer 6

• events in progress around a particular time in the past (temporary; incomplete)
  I was reading a book that evening.
• background events (often with temporal subordinators such as, when, while, as, or less frequently whilst)
  I asked him what he was doing. When we arrived she was making some fresh coffee.
• ongoing and repeated events/ habits in the past (temporary; subject to change)
  In those days we were getting up at seven.
  I was studying grammar all day yesterday. (past progressive and definite time > extended nature of event)
• hyperbolic/emotional attitude with adverbs of indefinite frequency
  My father was forever getting into trouble with the law.
• future in the past (past intention)
  I was seeing him tomorrow. (but now I can’t)

Question 7

the use of present perfect

Answer 7

• continuative use (dynamic or state verbs)
  -> describing ongoing actions/ states: Have you known the Smiths for long?
  -> referring to a period of time which reaches up to the present: Have you (ever) been to America?
• resultative use
  So far, we’ve walked 15 miles.
• habitual use (with expressions of frequency)
  The machine has been serviced every month since we bought it.
• in temporal adverbial clauses referring to the future
  I’ll give you the magazine as soon as I’ve finished it.

Question 8

the use of the present perfect progressive

Answer 8

• referring to an action that is continuous and incomplete (stress on duration)
  I’ve been sitting here all afternoon.
  => present: reference to the present
  => perfect: continuous action
  => progressive: stresses duration
• implying an unintended result
  Who has been reading my paper? It’s in a complete mess.

Question 9

the use of Past Perfect

Answer 9

• retrospection
  That was in 1938. I left in June with the children for a new home in Oxford, where my mother had bought a house. My father had died in 1936.
• reported speech
  Linda kept me informed and she said that her husband had moved back in.
• conditonal clauses
• references to changed states: I had planned to work till I was sixty but I can’t any more.

Question 10

the use of past perfect progressive

Answer 10

“The principles for choosing between the past perfect simple and progressive are the same as those which operate between the present perfect and present perfect progressive” (CGE, §357)

Question 11

the use of the will-future

Answer 11

• prediction and supposition: guesses and things that are likely
  (I suppose) the baby will have black hair. It will rain tomorrow.
• intention and volition => modal use!!
  I will not do it. You can’t make me. // I shall be at the station to meet you.
• spontaneous decision (performative use)
  There’s a garage. We’ll just stop and get some petrol.

Question 12

the use of going-to-future

Answer 12

• present intent, informed decision about the future, personal subjects required
  I’m not going to let you spoil this evening. I’m going to leave tomorrow. = I intend to leave tomorrow.
• logical conclusion (future of present cause); no intention, but a clue with possible impliction for he future; impersonal subjects likely
  Look at those clouds! It’s going to rain.

Question 13

difference between
I’m going to take Mary out tonight
and
I’m taking Mary out tonight

Answer 13

• going-to-future (I’m going to take Mary out) => personal intention of the speaker, but does Mary know about this, too??! (we hope she does…)
• present progressive (I’m taking Mary out) => arrangements have been made (with Mary, yay!), it’s a plan that both know about

Question 14

the use of future progessive (will + progressive infinitive)

Answer 14

• to express the progressive aspect: refers to s.th. that will be in progress at some specified or understood time in the future
  Who will be keeping an eye on your house when you’re away?
• neutral predictions: s.th. will happen anyway independent of speaker’s will, plan or intention, as a matter of course – ‘sowieso’
  The shops will be closing in half an hour. I’ll be seeing the boss tomorrow morning.

Question 15

the use of future perfect

Answer 15

‘time before’;
by in temporal clauses/by the time
By six o’clock they will have been meeting for almost ten hours.
=> stress on duration and inclusivity