TOPIC 19
REAL TIME AND VERBAL TENSE.
ASPECT & MOOD
OVERVIEW
TIME & TENSE
ASPECT
MOOD
Time & tense are NOT the same.
TIME- Extra-linguistic concept; a continuously moving point.
TENSE- Grammatical notion, a linguistic way of expressing real time.
ASPECT- According to QUIRK, a grammatical category, it reflects way verb action
is regarded or experienced. Completed or in progress,
MOOD – According to JEPERSEN, a grammatical form which expresses certain
attitude of mind of speaker towards the contents of the sentence.
- In some cases, choice of mood is determined by SYNTACTIC reasons + the
CLAUSE itself & its relation to the main nexus on which it is dependent.
Time & Tense
Based on the classical & Romance-language tradition, English was said to have 8
tenses.
Modern grammarians distinguish PRESENT & PAST.
English differs from languages such as Spanish or French which can refer to time
by inflected forms.
English FUTURE FORMS- Complex verb phrases Modal auxiliaries, SHALL, WILL
& BE + ing participle, BE + to INFINITIVE forms & other structures.
Simple Present tense
FORM, PRONOUNCIATION & USES
Simple present- two forms
Both same form but “s” is added 3rd person singular form
-After sibilant and consonant endings, -es is added.
-Word which ends in consonant +y the ending <-ies> placed after the
consonant.
These two forms appear in all English verbs, except VERB TO BE.
- Simple present TO BE - 3 Forms AM / IS / ARE.
PRONOUNCIATION- Endings are pronounced
/ s/ After voiceless sounds.
/ z/ After voiced sounds.
/ Iz / After sibilants.
TIMELESS & UNRESTRICTIVE SIMPLE PRESENT > Period of time WITHOUT
definite beginning or ending, including the present moment. 2 possible meanings.
- Utterance of GENERAL APPLICATION- I love historical novels
-Suitable for ETERNAL TRUTHS- Applied to Maths & Science-
Two times two is four, Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius
Simultaneous Simple Present.- LESS COMMON implying that the happening in
question takes place virtually simultaneously with the moment of speaking or
writing. Restricted use (speech situations),
formal declarations, I sentence you to...I bequeath.
radio and television commentaries of sports: Bell passes the ball to Lee and
exclamations: here comes Mr. Murphy!
A dramatic and theatrical use, it insists on the enactment of the event as
it is reported.
Historic Simple Present.- PAST EVENTS or STATES. Descriptive vividness.
- Telling STORIES, in FICTION or as a DRAMATIC heightning device.
- Discussing a work of ART & its creator-Dickens sets the action some decades earlier -
In a newspaper headline describing recent events -In
historical texts
COMMUNICATION verbs hear, learn, tell, write
SIMPLE PRESENT Future effect. In English we resort to other devices to refer to future
Also used to refer to less common states. An adverbial denoting future
time is usually required Next Christmas falls on Monday We have to consider adverbial
subordinate clauses of time and open condition . In both cases, the super-ordinate clause
typically has a complex verb phrase with shall. TIME- When spring comes,
swallows will return. OPEN CONDITION - (first type: the condition may well
be fulfilled): If you drive fast, we will get there in an hour.
SIMPLE PAST : Form, pronunciation and uses. -We add -ed to
infinitive - ied added after consonant with consonant + y ending ..
- Final consonant is doubled before -ed, following a stressed single syllable.
IRREGULAR verbs- Must be learnt by heart.. -Irregular past verb
TO BE was / were. Different form depending on the subject.
PRONOUNCIATION past regular -ed form 3 pronounciations
/id/ after the sounds /t/ and /d/
/d/ after voiced sounds
/t/ after voiceless sounds
Exceptional cases in which the simple past does not refer to past time:
Exceptional cases -Simple Past NOT referring to
past time
HYPOTHETICAL Simple Past- Verb refers to a non-fact. Found IN adverbial clauses of rejected
condition: If you really loved me, you wouldn’t say such things . Less frequently, other types of
subordinate clauses He behaves as if he owned the place; It’s time we made a move; I’d rather you
came earlier.
.
Attitudinal Simple Past. Attitude of the speaker rather than to time; to make a
question, request or suggestion less direct, implying a polite attitude on the
part of the speaker. It occurs in independent or main clauses. I hoped
you would give me a hand with this job, I thought I might ...
FUTURE TIME
Different ways of expressing future time. Futurity, modality and aspect are closely interrelated,
rendered by means of modal auxiliaries, the simple present or present progressive
forms.
Will + infinitive: The most common.He will be here in half an hour, The
Simple Present: Planned actions, timetables,The plane leaves at 10:30
Be+ going to + infinitive: A future fulfilment of a present intention, the idea of
prediction and inevitability. That woman is going to have a baby very soon.
The Present Progressive: used to refer to a future arising from a present arrangement or plan:
I’m taking the children to the zoo on Saturday.
Will + progressive infinitive: It combines reference to a future time with the temporal state associated
with the progressive: When you arrive, I’ll be waiting for you.
5 constructions ,the most important the will +infinitive construction,
Other forms:the semi- auxiliaries be to + infinitive or be about to + infinitive,
-Modals, such as MAY or MUST among others , have a connotation of futurity.
ASPECT (QUIRK ) concerns the manner in which the action is regarded or
experienced, completed or in progress. As a grammatical term, IS concerned with
relative temporal distribution.
Perfective aspect draws attention to duration up to the present, or to the present
result of a past event. Progressive aspect temporariness.
Perfective and progressive aspects find expression in the
structures have +-ed participle and be + -ing participle respectively. With the
category of aspect we have come to the complex verb phrase. The plane leaves at
10:30
The perfective and progressive aspects combine freely with other categories
such as tense and voice.& with each other:
-Present Perfect Simple it has rained.
-Past Perfect Simple it had rained.
-Present Progressive it is raining.
-Past Progressive it was raining.
-Present Perfect Progressive: it has been raining.
-Past Perfect Progressive: It had been raining.
PRESENT PERFECT ASPECT a result of what happened in the past. I’ve been married for ten years
now (two time- indications: present and past).
The most important uses of the PRESENT PERFECT Continuative
Present Perfect- Associated with state verbs, a state extends over a period lasting up to
the present moment, possibly extending into the future: That house has
been empty for ages. Have you known each other long?
An adverbial expressing duration is normally required, the absence of such an adverbial
usually makes a different interpretation, an event in the indefinite past:
The key has been lost for two months. The key has been lost.
Iterative Present Perfect: HABIT or REPETITION in a period lasting up to the present moment,
which may extend into the future. Usually + an adverbial of duration or frequency.
I have always walked to work. John has attended all my classes during the term. Unspecifying
Present Perfect: Associated with event verbs, a period lasting up to the present moment is
involved or reference to an indefinite past,. Indefinite past is often reinforced adverbially by
ever, never, before, etc. We have met before, haven’t we?
Resultative Present Perfect: Reference to the present result of a past event. Most clearly brought
out with transition verbs, that denote a change from one condition to another
The plane has taken off now. Our guests have arrived.
The Past Perfect Simple
a “past in the past”, reference to events or states as belonging to a past stretching before some
definite point of orientation in the past.
-It may be considered as the equivalent of the present perfect or the simple past shifted back into a more
distant past. Example: REPORTED SPEECH : I enjoyed the singing
very much. He said he had enjoyed the singing very much.
However, a past perfect does not allow any back-shift,
English cannot express “past in the past”: Had they told her in
advance? She asked if they had told her in advance.
To express a sequence of events in the past, the temporal relation + the PAST PERFECT for
the earlier event & simple past for what followed We cleaned up after the guests had left/ left.
-Also in adverbial sub-clauses of hypothetical condition, CONDITION which CANNOT be
FULFILLED, the reference is to events or states which belong to the past: If I had known that
you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
PROGRESSIVE ASPECT (LEECH)
Limited duration or a temporary state-John plays well vs. John is playing well.
A comment on John’s skill or performance in general vs. John’s performance at a particular
time.
INCOMPLETE SITUATION (or in progress) I raise my arm. (sudden movement); I am raising
my arm. (gradual movement)
The progressive aspect is clearer in the past tense: I was reading
a book that evening.
I read a book that evening. (I finished the book).
PROGRESSIVE ASPECT
to refer to future time in connection with definite plans and arrangements. An adverbial of time is
usually required, unless the time reference is obvious from the context:
We are flying to New York tomorrow.
Dynamic and Stative Verbs - Broad distinction depending on a lexical verb being
able to occur with the progressive aspect.
Most lexical verbs can be used dynamically.
Stative verbs denote
perception(smell, hear, taste, etc.),
attitude (feel, like, think, hope, want), relational verbs (own, belong).
STATIVE verbs admit the progressive aspect in certain contexts Mary is just
being difficult again. You are smelling the wine like a connoisseur
MOOD a grammatical term used to denote the forms a verb takes to show the work it is doing
& the manner in which the action or state is thought of by the speaker. English has 3
moods
INDICATIVE in all ordinary statements and questions.In sentences which formerly the subjunctive was
used, now, the normal mood of English verbs. I hope he arrives on time.
IMPERATIVE The basic Imperative- Used to induce the hearer to do sth.In orders, invitations,
suggestions- without a subject, although a subject can be used for emphasis,-
-The subject is placed after the verb, in some expressions. Mind you!
IMPERATIVE negated with the auxiliary do. Also for the verb to be: Don’t be late!
Do -also added, for emphasis, in the affirmative Do be quiet!
IMPERATIVE MOOD
PUBLIC NOTICES- No + ing form. More often in an imperative form: Cross now.
SPOKEN IMPERATIVES- Rude or friendly, depending on the situation or tone.
Orders: get out!, requests:pass the salt!, invitations: come in!, advice & suggestions:
keep going! It is advised to use “please” to not sound rude.
Instructions in a recipe or to use machinery are also in imperative.
“COLOURED IMPERATIVES” modified or softened by using “ please” or “would you mind…”
IMPERATIVES + “LET” let+ accusative pronoun+ verb referring to ourselves or other people
let’s go means “I suggest that we go”the idea of suggestion can be strengthened adding: ”shall we..”
THE SUBJUNCTIVE
Minor verbal category in modern English; limited uses.
FORMULAIC subjunctive in certain set-phrases, mainly expressing a wish or a prayer. Its form is
identical to the base of the verb: God save the Queen. Heaven help us all.
MANDATIVE subjunctive The base of the verb used as subjunctive is also found in certain that-
clauses after expressions like demand, insist, be necessary, suggest, etc. Only in very formal style: I
suggest a petition be drawn up.
“WERE” Subjunctive: The third type of subjunctive finds expression in one form only: were, used
with first and third person singular subjects. It contrasts with the indicative form was (common
in informal English). Hypothetical meaning, found in adverbial clauses of condition and
concession, or in sub-clauses after expressions such as: I wish (that), suppose (that), I had rather,
etc. If I were you, I would accept their offer. I wish she were back.
