Transcript The past tense form

Simple Tenses
Lecture 13
Tense
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Tense: a grammatical category of the finite verb
forms
Tense: it relates the time of the event/state
represented by the verb to the time of the utterance
(the speech moment, 'now').
Given the above definition of tense - two different
tenses in English: present and past tense. It is
marked by an inflection of the verb:
David walks to school (present tense)
David walked to school (past tense)
we do not refer to a "future tense"
It is possible to refer to events in future time, but
the verb morphology of English does not provide
special tense forms for that.
David will walk to school tomorrow
David is going to walk to school tomorrow.
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Since the expression of future time does not
involve any inflecton of the verb, we do not refer
to a "future tense". Strictly speaking, there are
only two tenses in English: present and past.
In English, the category of tense is based on the
functional opposition of two sets of forms:
past & non-past.
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What have traditionally been regarded as
tenses (in addition to present and past) should
instead be regarded as combinations of tense
and various semantic categories: perfective
aspect, reference to future time.
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past tense form - marked
the non-past form – unmarked
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Meanings of the Present Tense Form present time reference
3.1. Verbs of Non-state
A. The present tense form of verbs of non-state denotes situations occurring
over a period of time of various duration –
:
habitual use
a. recurrent situations – they usually include adverbials of frequency:
It often snows in January.
He visits his parents every Sunday.
b. habitual action/ event:
He drives to work.
Rivers run dry in summer.
c. typical feature of the subject:
He plays tennis very well.
Oil floats on water.
d. generalized statement:
It never rains but it pours.
Any fool knows that!
e. instructions and directions:
How do I get to the station?
You activate the system by voice recognition.
B. The present tense form of verbs of non-state denotes
situations coinciding with the moment of speaking –
instantaneous use:
a. sports commentaries:
He shoots the ball straight at the goalkeeper.
b. cases in which the situation reported and the act of speech
are simultaneous because they are identical (Leech 1971):
I swear on my life I was never at that place.
c. exclamations:
Here they come!
d. demonstrations:
I click ‘save’ and close the document.
e. stage directions:
…enters an elf…
3.2. Verbs of State – unrestrictive
4 subgroups
use
A. Private state: The present simple (PS) form of verbs of sense
perception denotes permanent feature of the subject:
I don’t see well.
The PS form of verbs of bodily sensation denotes situations
taking place at the moment of speaking:
Ouch! That really hurts!
The PS form of verbs of emotion and attitude denote permanent
feature of the subject:
I like apples.
The PS form of verbs of intellectual state may denote:
a. permanent feature:
I know this man.
I believe in love at first sight.
b. situation occurring at the present moment (=the moment of
speaking):
I understand.
I believe you.
B. Quality: such verbs denote permanent state with reference
to a present period of time:
She has got blue eyes.
C. Temporary state: these verbs denote situations at the moment of
speaking:
She is very disappointed with him.
D. Stance: such verbs denote temporary state covering a period of
time of various duration and including the moment of
speaking:
He is in the shower room.
He is at school.
He is in Australia.
In subordinate clauses of time and clauses of condition the PS
form denotes future time reference:
He will help me, when he comes.
If he comes, he will help me.
Meanings of the Past Tense Form
The past tense form locates the verbal situation
reported in a period of time before the moment of
speaking.
The past period or moment of time is usually specified
in the sentence by means of an adverbial of time:
She visited us in July.
He went to Spain two years ago.
The past moment or period of time may remain
unspecified:
He taught German for three years.
2.1. Verbs of Non-state
a. durative verbs usually denote a situation,
which took place over a period of time:
He lived in Spain in his youth.
He worked for the Government in 1993.
b. non-durative verbs may denote:
- a single/momentary action or event:
He closed the door and bolted it.
The snow thawed.
- a succession of similar situations repeated
over a past period of time + an adverbial of
frequency:
He sent a postcard home every weekend.
It often rained in June.
Without the adverbial of frequency the meaning
of the past simple form will be interpreted as a
single/momentary action or event:
He sent a postcard home.
It rained last night.
2.2. Verbs of State
a. The past simple form of verbs of quality
denotes a situation over a past period of time;
the period can be explicitly stated.
She had dark hair and blue eyes. (when we first met)
b. The past simple form of verbs of temporal
state refer to situations in a past period of
time (of various duration):
She was very happy at school.
2.2. Verbs of State
c. The past simple form of verbs of private state can
denote:
- momentary state (verbs of sense perception):
I saw him at the corner.
- permanent state (verbs of intellectual state):
I know him quite well.
- temporary state of various duration (verbs of bodily
sensation and of emotion/attitude):
His leg hurt all day long.
She liked the meal very much.
d. The past tense forms of verbs of stance denote
temporary situations of various duration:
She was abroad during the academic year.
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The past tense form implies that the
moment of speaking is excluded from the
period of the time during which the situation
takes place.
However, in conditional sentences and in
reported speech the past tense form is
usually used with non-past time reference.