Transcript File

A Few Tense-Aspect Combinations
in English
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English Uses 12 Tense-Aspect
Combinations
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•
•
•
•
•
Simple Present
Simple Past
Simple Future
Present Progressive
Past Progressive
Future Progressive
• Present Perfect
• Past Perfect
• Future Perfect
• Present Perf Prog
• Past Perf Prog
• Future Perf Prog
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Studying just SIX of these TWELVE will be
enough to help us understand how tense
and aspect are used in English.
• Simple Present
• Simple Past
• Present Progressive
• Past Progressive
• Present Perfect
• Past Perfect
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Verbs in English have three forms
• eat
• ate
• eaten
• eat
• ate
• eaten
V1
V2
V3
• walk
• walked
• walked
• walk
• walked
• walked
V1
V2
V3
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Verbs in English have three forms
• eat V1, ate V2, eaten V3
• walk V1, walked V2, walked V3
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For each tense/aspect
combination, we must consider
form, meaning, and use.
1. Form
2. Meaning
3. Use
(These three components of grammar study focus on
accuracy, meaningfulness, and appropriateness)
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Tense/aspect combinations
Let’s consider some of them one-by-one.
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Simple Present
First, what is the form?
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Simple Present
Form: V1
Examples: Birds fly; people walk.
(“Simple” is the aspect; “Present” is the tense.)
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Meaning/Use
Simple present is used most often
to express—
•
•
•
•
Habits
Timeless Truths
Natural Facts
Scheduled Events
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Habits, timeless truth, natural fact,
scheduled events
•
•
•
•
I usually eat at seven o’clock. (habit)
Time is money. (timeless truth)
Water boils at 100° Celsius. (natural fact)
The box office opens at 6:00. (scheduled
event)
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Simple present is also often
used with stative verbs
Stative verbs usually show states,
conditions, or relationships—
but not action.
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Some stative verbs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
admire
agree
care
doubt
consider
imagine
know
realize
prefer
fear
hate
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
want
wish
appear
be
feel
resemble
seem
weigh
belong
own
represent
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Some stative and dynamic verbs compared
• Stative
–
–
–
–
–
–
admire
agree
care
want
wish
appear
• Dynamic
–
–
–
–
–
–
eat
go
sleep
study
dance
laugh
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Sample sentences using a stative verb
•
•
•
•
•
•
Learning Spanish is difficult.
Susan owns a red sports car.
The baby doesn’t like cow’s milk.
This room smells funny.
Marie looks tired.
Gasoline costs a lot these days.
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Simple present sometimes shows
that the action is complete or
unchanging.
More correctly, this “completeness” idea is a
characteristic of simple aspect.
This “completeness” idea is an important point
and is sometimes difficult to grasp.
(More about “completeness” and aspects later.)
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Simple Past
What is the form?
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Simple Past
Form: V2
Examples: Susan walked; Larry ran.
(“Simple” is the aspect; “past” is the tense.)
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Meaning/use:
Simple Past is used most often to
express action—
that began…
…and ended…
…in the past.
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Examples of simple past action
•
•
•
•
•
Susan went to Spain last year.
I woke up at seven this morning.
The stock market collapsed in 1929.
WW II ended in 1945.
I finished reading Harry Potter.
(Each of these actions began and ended in the past.)
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Present Progressive
What is the form?
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Present Progressive
Form: is, am, are + V + ing
Examples: Susan is traveling; Larry is resting.
(“Present” is the tense; “progressive” is the aspect.)
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First, before we analyze further,
let’s look at a sentence that uses
present progressive…
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I am reading a book.
Consider this example in two ways:
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I am reading a book.
• 1. My nose is on the page right now.
• 2. The book is at home next to my bed.
Before I fall asleep, I spend some time
with this book almost every night. I am on
page 236.
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Meaning/use:
Present Progressive is used most
often to express—
Action that is NOT FINISHED at the
moment of speaking.
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Present Progressive
• “Not finished at the moment of speaking”
can include extended time.
– I’m reading a book. (…right now.)
– I’m reading a book. (…but not right now.)
– I’m majoring in Biology.
– We are thinking of getting married.
– They are planning to move to Utah.
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The idea of not finished can also
be considered in several
additional, interesting ways.
Consider the following example:
I live in Hong Kong, but I’m living in La’ie.
Does it make sense to have simple aspect and
progressive aspect appear in the same sentence?
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The meaning of “not finished” can
be extended to include—
Actions or conditions that are seen
as temporary, incomplete,
developing, changing, or easy to
fix.
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Verbs in progressive aspect sometimes
carry a feeling of change, or
“temporariness.”
• Larry is living with his sister.
• Susan is having problems with her
computer.
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Note:
Usually, verbs with STATIVE
meaning do NOT appear in
progressive form…
but they CAN if the meaning is
temporary or developing.
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Okay or Strange?
Susan resembles her mother.
Okay.
Susan is resembling her mother.
Strange. (In most contexts.)
Your answer seems to make sense.
Okay.
Your answer is seeming to make sense.
Strange. (In most contexts.)
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Verbs with stative meaning usually
do not like progressive aspect.
(In most cases, they also do not like
imperative mood.)
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But sometimes…
Even a verb with stative meaning
can appear in the progressive
aspect, if….
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…the stative verb carries a
temporary or developing meaning.
• My boss is being uncooperative.
• How are you liking dorm life?
– “Be” and “like” usually do not appear with
progressive aspect, but, here the meaning is
temporary or developing, so progressive
aspect is okay. In this case, progressive
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aspect makes sense.
Present Progressive can be used
to express the FUTURE…
IF…
the future action is part of a
PLANNED ACTIVITY.
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Consider:
• 1. I can’t come to your party on Saturday
night because I will leave on Saturday
morning.
• 2. I can’t come to your party on Saturday
night because I leave on Saturday
morning.
• 3. I can’t come to your party on Saturday
night because I’m leaving on Saturday
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morning.
Consider (2):
• I will leave on Saturday morning.
• I leave on Saturday morning.
• I’m leaving on Saturday morning.
• I will have a meeting on Saturday morning.
• I have a meeting on Saturday morning.
• I’m having a meeting on Saturday
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morning.
Consider (3)
• I have a meeting on Saturday morning.
• *I have a headache on Saturday morning.
• I’m having a meeting on Saturday
morning.
• *I’m having a headache on Saturday
morning.
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end of present progressive
Past Progressive
What is the form?
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Past Progressive
Form: was, were + V + ing
Example: We were eating dinner when the phone rang.
(“Past” is the tense; “progressive” is the aspect.)
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Meaning/use:
Past Progressive is usually used in
one of three ways:
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1. To show that an unfinished
action occurred at a particular
time in the past.
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Example 1:
At eight o’clock last night, I was
taking a shower.
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2. To show that an unfinished
action in the past was
interrupted by another action in
the past.
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Example 2:
While I was taking a shower, a
gorilla walked in.
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3. To show two unfinished actions
occurring at the same time in
the past.
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Example 3:
While I was taking a shower, my
sister was washing dishes.
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Note:
Past Progressive usually occurs only
in sentences with either TWO
CLAUSES, or a TIME EXPRESSION.
When I was eating, the phone rang.
(1st clause)
(2nd clause)
At eight o’clock, I was taking a shower.
(time expression)
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It CAN occur in a sentence with a
single clause if a time-related
sentence is nearby.
Last night, I called the police. Our
neighbors were making too much
noise.
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end of past progressive
Perfect Aspect
• Form: HAVE + V3
• Meaning/use:
– shows that The FACT or RESULT of the
action is more important than the TIME of the
action.
– usually shows action BEFORE another time.
– usually follows one of four basic types or
uses.
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Perfect Aspect—Four Basic
Meanings or Uses
• 1. A focus on action within a “box” of time
beginning in the past and including the
moment of speaking/coding.
• 2. A focus on EXPERIENCE.
• 3. A focus on RESULT.
• 4. A focus on the IMMEDIATE PAST.
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Present Perfect
• Form: have, has + V3
• Meaning/use: Uses four basic types:
– 1. Action occurring within a “box” of time beginning in
the past and including the moment of speaking.
– 2. A focus on experience
– 3. A focus on result
– 4. A focus on the immediate past
(“Present” is the tense; “perfect” is the aspect.”)
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Present Perfect Type 1—
A Box of Time
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
I have worn glasses all my life.
– Simple Past
*I wore glasses all my life
Note: The present perfect action occurred inside a “box” of time, but
the exact time it began or occurred is not known or not important.
We know that the action started before now, but we cannot be sure
that the action ENDED in the past.
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Present Perfect Type 2—
Experience
• Compare—
• Present Perfect
I have visited London.
– Simple Past
I visited London.
Note: With Present Perfect, WHAT HAPPENED is somewhat more
important than exactly WHEN it happened. With Simple Past,
WHEN the action happened seems to be relatively important.
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Present Perfect Type 2—
Experience
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
A: I have served a mission.
B: Oh really? How was it?
– Simple Past
A: I served a mission.
B: Oh really? When?
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Present Perfect Type 2—
Experience
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
A: I have served a
mission.
B: Oh really? How was
it?
– Simple Past
A: I served a mission.
B: Oh really? When?
• Although the
distinction is not
absolute, present
perfect seems to
focus more on WHAT
HAPPENED, and
simple past allows
more focus on
WHEN.
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Present Perfect Type 3—
Results
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
I have broken my watch.
– Simple Past
I broke my watch.
Note: In the case of RESULTS, Present Perfect and
Simple Past have almost the same meaning.
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Present Perfect Type 3—
Results
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
I have decided not to marry you.
– Simple Past
I decided not to marry you.
Note: Both sentences make sense, and the meaning is
essentially the same; however, Present Perfect
slightly emphasizes the RESULTS of the action and
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not the action itself.
Present Perfect Type 4—
Immediate Past
• Compare—
– Present Perfect
I have just finished my homework.
– Simple Past
I finished my homework.
Note: Both sentences make sense, and, in some
cases, both may have the same meaning. However,
Present Perfect emphasizes that the action finished
IMMEDIATELY BEFORE NOW—just a moment ago.
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Present Perfect—Reinforced by
Certain Adverbs
• A “box” of time, reinforced by—
– for, since, all my life, and a few others.
• Experience, reinforced by—
– ever, never, already, yet, before, and a few
others.
• Result, reinforced by—
– None in particular.
• Immediate past, reinforced by—
– just
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Present Perfect
• Present Perfect is NOT just another way to
express past action. It is NOT the same as
Simple Past.
• There are FOUR different types of meaning:
–
–
–
–
A “box” of time
Experience
Results
Immediate past
…however, we should remember…
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Present Perfect
• Present Perfect of RESULT (Type 3) is
almost always interchangeable with
SIMPLE PAST.
• Present Perfect of Type 1, 2, and 4 are
NOT interchangeable with SIMPLE PAST.
The meanings are usually quite different.
end of present perfect
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Past Perfect
• Form: had + V3
• Meaning/use:
To emphasize that one past action
occurred earlier than another.
(“Past” is the tense; “perfect” is the aspect.)
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Past Perfect
• Past Perfect generally requires TWO actions in
the past.
• If you use Past Perfect with only ONE past
action, you usually have a mistake.
• Past Perfect emphasizes which of two actions is
earlier. Sometimes, native speakers will use
Simple Past instead of Past Perfect if the
meaning is clear and cannot be confused.
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Past Perfect
• When Susan arrived at the party, all of the food
had already been eaten.
• I had studied at the university before I went on a
mission.
• I studied at the university before I went on a
mission.
Note: The third sentence has essentially the same
meaning as the second. Because there is no confusion
about which action occurred first, native speakers may
use Simple Past as a shortcut, instead of Past Perfect.
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Past Perfect
• I came downstairs at six o’clock to see if Santa
Claus had visited our house. The cookies and
milk that I had left for him had not been touched.
Note:
Usually, Past Perfect is used with TWO actions in
the SAME SENTENCE. However, the actions
can appear in different sentences if the time
relationship is clear.
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Fa04, W05, Su05 Fa05, Wi06, Sp06, Fa06, Wi07, Fa07, Wi08, Su08, Fa08, Fst09,
Fst 11
<end>
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