Transcript Lesson #7 - Washington State University

Lesson #7
More fun with aspect, modals, the
future, adverbials, and statives -and a bit on dialects of English
Reminder
• You should be reading through the book
(Chapter 2) to get a good idea of some of
the many ways native speakers of English
use aspect. There is an excellent discussion
starting on p. 9.
• There are some other important points about
aspect that you need to consider.
Adverbials
Adverbials are clause-level structures that modify verb
phrases (and sometimes other structures). An
adverbial can be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
An adverb phrase
A noun phrase
A prepositional phrase
A clause
Adverb Phrases
• An adverb phrase (one type of adverbial) is centered
around an adverb.
Adverbs
• Typical adverbs are single words that
end in -ly and answer questions loosely
formed with “how” and “when.”
Usually: When does this happen? This
usually happens
Thoroughly: How did he do it? He did it
thoroughly.
Some adverbs with -ly
•
accidentally; angrily; annually; anxiously; awkwardly; badly; blindly;
boastfully; boldly; bravely; briefly; brightly; busily; calmly; carefully;
carelessly; cautiously; cheerfully; clearly; correctly; courageously; crossly;
cruelly; daily; defiantly; deliberately; doubtfully; easily; elegantly;
enormously; enthusiastically; equally; eventually; exactly; faithfully; fatally;
fiercely; fondly; foolishly; fortunately; frantically; gently; gladly; gracefully;
greedily; happily; hastily; honestly; hourly; hungrily; innocently; inquisitively;
irritably; joyously; justly; kindly; lazily; loosely; loudly; madly; merrily; monthly;
mortally; mysteriously; nearly; neatly; nervously; noisily; obediently;
obnoxiously; painfully; perfectly; politely; poorly; powerfully; promptly;
punctually; quickly; quietly; rapidly; rarely; really; recently; recklessly
regularly; reluctantly; repeatedly; rightfully; roughly; rudely; sadly; safely;
selfishly; seriously; shakily; sharply; shrilly; shyly; silently; sleepily; slowly;
smoothly; softly; solemnly; speedily; stealthily; sternly; successfully; suddenly;
suspiciously; swiftly; tenderly; tensely; thoughtfully; tightly; truthfully;
unexpectedly; victoriously; violently; vivaciously; warmly; weakly; wearily; wildly;
yearly
Other adverbs
• Other adverbs don’t end in -ly but do
answer the “how” and “when” questions.
Examples: soon, now, often, then, still,
yet, always, never , well
Adverbs with Tenses and
Aspects
• Note that sometimes an adverb works
well with one tense/aspect but not with
another. Consider recently which
works well with perfect and perfect
progressive aspects and past tense
progressive aspect, but not with present
tense progressive.
Recently
•
•
•
•
I have seen that movie recently.
He has been exercising recently.
He was talking to his mother recently.
BUT NOT: I am learning grammar
recently.
Frequently, usually, often
• These adverbs are often (though not
always) used with present and past
tense, simple aspects and rarely if ever
with the progressive.
Examples: My husband often stays up
past midnight.
BUT NOT: My husband is often staying
up past midnight.
Prepositional Phrase
Adverbials
• Some prepositional phrase adverbials
are frequently used with perfect/perfect
progressive aspect.
Example:
For XXX
Since XXX
By XXX
Examples
• I have spoken Spanish since 1968.
• I have spoken Spanish for 41 years.
• By next year, I will have spoken Spanish
for 42 years.
Noun Phrase Adverbials
• Noun phrase adverbials are adverbs
formed from a noun phrase. These
often answer the “when” question.
Examples: Last week, tonight, today.
Time and Tense with Modals
and Aspects
• Review point: there are only two tenses
in English: past and present.
The Future
• So how do we talk about the future?
Modals and the Future
• Modals are commonly used to help us
talk about the future. But modals are
tricky (ask any ESL learner). They
aren’t “clean.” A person can use some
present tense and past tense modals to
talk about the future. So in clauses with
modals in the verb phrases, adverbs
take on special importance.
Will and Shall
• “Will” and “shall” (less common) are two
words we use to express the future time
(note, I did NOT say “tense”).
Will can be used with verbs in many different
aspects, but all expressing the future.
• I will have a rum and coke at 7 p.m. tonight.
(present tense, simple aspect).
• I will be having a rum and coke at 7 p.m. tonight.
(present tense, progressive aspect)
• I will have had two rums and cokes by 7 p.m.
(present tense, perfect aspect)
• I will have been having my third rum and coke by
7:15 p.m. (present tense, perfect progressive
aspect).
Note also that past tense modals can express the future:
• I could have a rum and coke tonight. (past tense, simple
aspect: expresses the future)
And the present:
• I could be having a rum and coke (but I’m here teaching
English instead). (past tense, progressive aspect:
expresses the present that isn’t real)
And the past!
• I could have had a rum and coke (but instead I had a White
Russian). (past tense, perfect aspect: expresses a past that
did not happen).
• I could have been having a rum and coke (but instead there
I was drinking milk). (past tense, perfect progressive
aspect: expresses a past that did not happen).
The Future . . . Continued
One more way to express the future is to
use the present tense, progressive
aspect with an adverb that clearly
expresses time.
Examples:
I am leaving for Madrid tomorrow.
The Statives
There is another class of verbs called
statives. Statives are rarely used in the
progressive (or perfect progressive)
aspect.
Statives are often verbs that express
cognition, desire, and sense.
A few examples:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be: Now I am a little tired. (not: I am being a little tired).
Believe: I believe God exists. (not: I am believing God exists).
Belong: It belongs to me. (not: It is belonging to me).
Exist: God exists. (not: God is existing).
Forget: I forget her name. (not: I am forgetting her name).
Hate: I hate this show. (not: I am hating this show).
Have (meaning to possess): She has a beautiful family. (not: She is
having a beautiful family).
• Smell: Now I smel it. (not: Now I am smelling it.)
Switch Hitters
• Some verbs can have a stative and a
non-stative use, depending on the
meaning.
Example: I have a dog. (possess -stative)
I am having a good time. (experience -not stative)
Statives in ESL
• Statives are hard to learn -- and so
learners’ dictionaries often mark the
entries with [not usually in the
progressive] if the verb is a stative.
Check out: http://www.ldoce.com
Dialects and Aspect
• Some dialects of English use aspects
differently than North American
Standard does.
• In Indian English (a major dialect
spoken by at least 100 million people),
verbs that we in North America make
statives are regularly used in the
progressive.
Sample
• (From a recent call to my bank)
Phone rep: Are you understanding my
explanation?
Me: Not really.
Phone rep: I am not having a better
explanation. I will get my manager. He
may be knowing another way.
Final Exercise
Consider these errors and decide what
the problem is and what you would tell
the student:
1. It is ten years since our wedding day.
2. I am believing him despite his flawed
character. (Student is from the Punjab
region of India).
3. I went to Europe now.