The category of aspect

The category of tense

Prof. Blokh M.Y. considers that in M.E. there are two temporal categories of the English verb: the first is the category of primary time, the second category is the category of prospective time. Both of these categories answer the question "What is the timing of the process?"

The category of primary time is expressed by the opposition of the past and the present tenses. It fixes the process either in the past or not in the past. In this category the form of the past tense is the marked member of the opposition. It is marked in form because it is characterized by the overt morpheme -ed in regular verbs or by the covered morpheme in irregular verbs /asked, saw/. It is marked in meaning because it denotes that the process took place before the moment of speech. The present tense is the unmarked member of the opposition. It has no specific grammatical morphemes and its meaning is wide. It is bess definite that the meaning of the past tense. The present tense may denote: 1/ the moment of speech - He is having his English lesson at this moment, 2/ it map denote vast periods of time with the word combinations this month, this year, this century.

The category of prospective time is expressed by the opposition of the future tense and non-future /present/. The future tense is the marked member, it is marked in form by the discontinuous morpheme shall/will + -ing without "to". It is marked in meaning because it refers the action to the future. The non-future tense is the unmarked member of the opposition. 3/ it can denote universal truth - Water freezes at zero.

The category of aspect characterizes an action from the point of view of its development.

The category of aspect shows whether the action is taken in its progress, in its development or it is simply stated and its nature is not specified.

The category of aspect is expressed by the opposition
of Non-Continuous /or соmmon/ and Continuous forms.

• Non-Continuous - to write, works, has worked

• Continuous - to be writing, is working, has been working.

The continuous form is the marked member of the opposition. It is characterized by the discontinuous morpheme be + -ing. The continuous form is marked in meaning, it represents the action in its progress, in its continuity. The Non-Continuous form is the unmarked member of the opposition, it represents the action without indications of continuity.

Using the continuous form the speaker wants to show that the action has begun but is not completed. Due to the fact that the continuous form show the action in its progress some grammarians call it the form pf the progressive aspect.

The Non-Continuous form is called the non-progressive aspect. With regard to the category of aspect verbs fall into two large groups which may be called action verbs and non-action or stative_verbs. Action verbs have the category of aspect, that is they may have both the continuous form and the non-continuous form. Action verbs include verbs which denote:

1/ activity which has duration /to write, read, work, play, run, think, etc - Be quite. I an writing an important letter

2/ a change of state or position /link verbs - to become, get, grow, turn/- It is growing dark. /and such verbs as - to arrive, to drown, to die/- He is dying

3/ a momentary action -/to open, to close, hit, dump/ - Look. She is opening the door.

Non-action verbs, can not be used in the Continuous form. The Non-action

verbs include:

1/ the verbs to be and to have and verbs which contain, the idea of being and having - to belong, to contain, to cost, to hold, to resemble, to weigh - How much does this book cost? The boy resembles his father. Does the boy weigh 10 kilos?

2/ verbs denoting physical perception - to hear, to see, to feel - Do I see you?

3/ verbs referring to mental and emotional states - to believe, to -consider, to know - I know that he is right.

So normally, non-action verbs are not used in the continuous form. But it is possible for all of them to be used in the continuous form, if the speaker wants to emphasize the idea of an incompleted action, of an action in its progress. - Something is wrong with my eyes. I am seeing double. I was bringing flowers for you.

The opposition between the continuous and non-continuous forms may be neutralized. That is, e.g. the non-continuous form may be used with the meaning of the continuous form, in other words it may show an action in its development. - The night is wonderful. The stars shine brightly /shine instead of shining/.

Usually we find neutralization of the continuous and non-continuous forms in the following cases:

1/ with the verbs of physical and mental perception which are not used in the continuous form - It is dark. I don’t see anything.

2/ with the verbs in the passive form which have no corresponding continuous form in the Passive - At this time tomorrow they will be examining him. But - He will be examined at (this) this time tomorrow.

3/ with the action verbs followed by -ing form - He stood smiling
instead of - He was standing sailing.

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