1. Verbal tense and aspect

2. What is tense?
In grammar, an inflected form of a verb indicating the time of a narrated event in relation to the time at which the narrator is speaking. –Encyclopedia Britannica

3. Differences between tenses and time
Time is a concept universally existent and tense may be a grammatical device or vocabulary device specific to a language.
e.g I enjoy English. (present)
I enjoyed English. (past)
I will enjoy English. (future??)
I’m going to enjoy English (future??)
A particular tense form can express different temporal notions in different concepts.

4. How many Tenses in English?
Simple Present
The earth is round.
Light travels faster than sound.
Simple Past
WWWII ended in 1945.
We entered college in 2004.
Tenses are mutually exclusive.

5. ASPECT
In Grammar, aspect is an analytical device used to reflect the way in which the verb action is regarded or experienced with respect to time.(Quirk et.al)
A category of the verb designating primarily the relation of the action to the passage of time, especially in reference to completion, duration, or repetition. (AHD)

6. Differences between tense and aspect
Tense is inflectional and aspect analytical. Tense refers to a systematic set of inflectional features that are loosely related to time, while aspect is usually expressed through the use of certain vocabulary devices.
Tense usually points to temporal locations and aspect generally marks the state of an action—whether it is completed or not.

7. How many aspects? Progressive aspect He is/was reading a book.
Perfective aspect
They have/had finished that work.
Aspects can be combined to form complex aspects:
We have been studying English for 6 years.

8. Different combinations of Tenses and Aspects
Simple present:
She plays the piano very well.
Simple past:
She play the piano very well.
Present progressive
She is playing the piano now.
Past progressive
she was playing the piano this time yesterday.

9. Different combinations of Tense and aspects
Present perfective
she has played the piano fro half an hour.
Past perfective
By lunchtime, she had played the piano for an hour.
Present perfective progressive
She has been playing the piano for a long time.
Past perfective progressive
By 10 o’clock she had been playing the piano for two hours.

10. Use of simple present
Timeless present (timeless statement or eternal truth)
Present existence or state:
Habitual present (regular recurrence/ dynamic verbs) (often/ sometimes/ occasionally etc)
Character/ ability present
she loves music.
He doesn’t speak French
Momentary and instantaneous present
(1) declarations
(2)commentaries
(3)demonstration

11. Use of simple present
Simple present referring to the future(esp in independent clause)
Simple present referring to the past (communication verbs such as hear, tell, says, ect) and historic present

12. Use of simple past Past event past habit Past state
Simple past for present:
Attitudinal past
I wondered if you could help me post the letter
hypothetical past
If I were you, I would choose to leave at once.
Simple past for future
if it rained tomorrow, we’d have to stay at home.

13. Use of present progressive
To denote an action in progress at the moment of speaking
An action in progress at a period of time including the present
a temporary event/habit
my roommate likes to stay in bed in the morning, but he’s getting up early these days because of the coming exam.
Characteristic habit
He is always criticizing others.
Note: progressive verbs& non-progressive verbs

14. Use of present progressive
A future happening according to a definite plan or arrangement
To denote other meanings(immediate past/ politer requests)

15. Use of past progressive
Denote an action in progress at a definite point or period of past time
To denote a past habitual action
Incomplete actions
To denote futurity in the past
To make polite requests and express hypothetical meanings

16. Differences between SP and PP
To denote an action in completion, we use the simple past; an action in progress, we use the past progressive
To state a mere past fact, simple past;on duration of time, past progressive
Two actions: shorter duration by SP, but longer duration by PP
In colloquial, PP is to show casualness, unimportant and aimless, whereas
I was talking to Margaret the other day.
I talked to Margaret.
E) when we arrived, she was making some fresh coffee
when we arrived, she made some fresh coffee.

17. Uses of present perfective
(2) present perfective progressive

18. Uses of past perfective
(2) past perfective progressive
(3) past perfective in sentence with
when-/before-/after-/until-
clauses
(4) imaginary use of past perfective

19. More on the use of perfective aspect
(1) perfective aspect and since- clause
(2) perfective aspect vs. have got / have
got to
(3) perfective aspect in
“It is the first time + that- clause

20. Means of Expressing Future Time
When we say that English has no future tense, we certainly do not mean that English has not the means of expressing future time.

21. Constructions denoting future time
In English, future time is expressed by means of modal auxiliaries, by semi-auxiliaries, or by the simple present and present progressive forms.

22. Constructions denoting future time
(1) will/shall + infinitive
will with subjects of all three persons,
shall with a first person are used to indicate futurity. The future meanings are often colored by modal meanings from predication to intention and volition.

23. Constructions denoting future time
(2) will / shall + progressive /
perfective infinitive
(3) be going to + infinitive
(4) present progressive

24. Constructions denoting future time
be to + infinitive
(6) simple present

25. Means of expressing past future
Would + infinitive
Was / were going to + infinitive
Was / were to + infinitive
Past progressive and simple past
Was / were about to + infinitive

26. Assignment Exercises in the Textbook
Is future another tense in English?