Tense & Aspect Tense Location of an action Past_____I_____Future Present Sequences order of events between the two time points locates a situation with respect to some reference point (Comrie, 1976) Aspect "viewpoint aspect“ Perfect/imperfect iterative progressive Habitual The internal temporal constituency of One situation“ (Comrie,1976)

Lexical Aspect The same present perfect tense but the different interpretation for the action a. John has written only one novel since 1998 b. John has owned only one car since 1998. Lexical aspect affects on the semantic features of the sentence.

Stative verbs & Dynamic verbs Stative verbs: states or conditions ex) I was sick. Activity verbs: durative activities/atelic: ex) I sang. Achievement: punctual momentary/ change of state: ex) I woke up. / She found the solution. Accomplishment: telic ex)I wrote a letter.

Lexical Aspect Stative Verb Dynamic Verb Stative Activity Achievement Accomplishment Start Point -- + End Point Change of State Duration -- + Progressive

Stative Verbs vs. Dynamic Verbs 1. Only dynamic verbs occur in the progressive: a. Jane is playing basketball. b. *Jane is knowing the answer. Non-progressive 2. Only dynamic verbs appear in pseudo-cleft constructions: a. What Jane did was play basketball. b. *What Jane did was know the answer. 3. Only dynamic verbs have habitual interpretation in simple present tense: a. Jane knows the answer. (nonhabitual implies state) b. Jane runs. (habitual implies nonstate)

Punctual vs. Durative 1. Progressive Tense with Punctual Verbs: Iterative Aspect hit, catch, kick, explode a. It is raining. (ongoing action) b. He is kicking the tires. (repeated action) 2. Change of state achievement verbs: find, arrive, reach, cross, win Progressive aspect may or may not be possible depending on whether the same activity is continued or not a. His train is arriving at noon. b. *She is recognizing her old friend. a. Progressive Aspect (ongoing action) b. The action recognizing does not mark duration

In or For-Phrase 1. The action in accomplishment verbs has a clear and logical end point. make, write, draw, build, paint, solve, attend 2. Accomplishments allow the two phrases for two minutes (hours, days, etc.) and in two minutes (hours, days, etc.): a. Jane made rice for an hour. b. Jane made rice in an hour. a. She cooked continuously for an hour. (Activity Verb) b. She may not have been cooking the entire time, but it took her one hour from start to finish. (accomplishment verb) 3. Activities allow only the phrase for two minutes(hours, days, etc.): a. Jane walked for two hours. b. *Jane walked in two hours 4. Achievements are generally quite strange with the phrases for two minutes (hours, days, etc.) a. *Jane died for two days. b. Jane died in two days.

Start, Finish, Stop a. Jane started reading. (activity) 1. Achievements are generally unacceptable as complements of start/finish/stop: a. Jane started reading. (activity) b. *Jane started catching the kitten. (punctual) a. *Jane finished dying. (punctual) b. Jane finished making rice. (accomplishment) a. *Jane stopped dying. (punctual) b. Jane stopped making rice. (accomplishment) . 2. Activity Verbs: Durative verbs Continuous activity: play, walk, read, sing, rain Changing activity: develop, grow, decline a. She stop growing the plants. b.* She finish growing the plants. 3. Stative Verbs can not occur with finish a. She stopped hoping for the future. b. *She finished hoping for the future.

Almost 1. Accomplishments are ambiguous when used with the adverb 'almost' a. Jane almost walked. b. Jane almost painted a picture. a. Jane did not walk. b. Jane had the intention of painting a picture but changed her mind and did nothing at all. c. Jane began painting a picture but did not quite finish it. 2. The distinction becomes clearer when the verb start is used or when a quantifier is used: a. Jane almost started to paint the picture. b. Jane painted almost all of the picture.

Stative Progressive 1. Giving statements more emotional strength and intensity: with the modifier really, always, constantly, and dreadfully… I'm loving your new hairdo! 2. Giving action to the stative verbs a. I think you look pretty today. b. I'm thinking of moving to San Francisco. Stative / meaning: Opinion Dynamic / meaning: Act of thinking I’m not doubting your word, but… to softening the opinion 3. Focusing on behavior as a change from the norm: with today, this week… Albert is being difficult today. ( is behaving in a contrary manner) 4. Focusing on evolving changes: with the expression of more and more, worse and worse, and less and less.. I am understanding more and more about the English tense-aspect system. 5. Providing an informal, polite tone We’re hoping you can do this for us. 6. Tendencies and trends The Internet is becoming less of a novelty

Expressing Future Time Simple Present vs. Present Progressive Future Arrangements 1. Simple Present: Future plan that we cannot change (e.g. timetables, official meetings) a. The meeting starts at 4 PM. b. I'm meeting Katie in the evening. 2. Present Progressive: Future plans that are personal or changeable: He is moving to Phoenix this summer. a. He arrives here on Thursday. b. *Jae Eun takes an EDUC course next fall.

Other Future Time Expression 1. Will and Be Going To a. He will go to the ball. (probable) b. He is going to go to the ball. (planned activity) 3. Be About To Actions that are going to occur in the very near future. He is about to get into the car. 4. Be To (commands) You are to stay here and finish the homework

Simple Present Simple present Sentence Examples Facts, generalizations and universal truths Habits, routines, and tendency with the time phrases Permanent situations Events or actions that are certain to happen (usually accompanied by time expressions) State verbs (e.g. be, have, suppose, know) Conditional expression: after when, before, till, after, as soon as Narrations (e.g. describing action in the past), instructions or commentaries Dogs are better than cats. Mark rarely visits his sick grandmother. He works as a fireman. My grandmother turns 100 this July. I like swimming. When my father comes back, will we go out? http://www.englishtenses.com/tenses/present_simple

Present Progressive Present actions: actions happening at the moment of speaking They are studying for a midterm right now. Temporary actions: for activities continuing only for a limited period of time a. Mary is working at McDonald's. b. Mary works at McDonald’s. Longer actions in progress: Mike is studying hard to become a doctor. Express Irritation on habitual actions: with adverbs, always, forever, or constantly) : a. She is continually complaining about everything! b. John is always asking stupid questions!