Download The Tense and Aspect System: Chapter 7, Part 1

The Tense and Aspect System
Chapter 7, Part 1
ENGLISH 5050:
English Syntax and Morphology
Robert F. van Trieste, Ph.D.
All quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from chapter 7 of The
Grammar Book, 2nd edition.
Finite and non-finite verb forms
Finite verb forms “are verb forms suitable for use
in predicates in that they carry inflections or
other formal characteristics limiting their number
(singular / plural), person, and tense(past /
present, etc). Finite verbs can function on their
own as the core of an independent sentence” [or
as tense-bearing auxiliaries].
http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/grammar/finite-verb.asp
“The non-finite forms of a verb have no tense,
person or singular plural. The infinitive and
present and past participles are the non-finite
parts of a verb; To do; doing; done”
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/non-finite-verb.html
Non-finite
 “a non-finite verb (or a verbal) is a verb form that is
not limited by a subject; and more generally, it is
not fully inflected by categories that are marked
inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect,
mood, number, gender, and person. As a result, a
non-finite verb cannot generally serve as the main
verb in an independent clause; rather, it heads a
non-finite clause.” http://dictionary.babylon.com/
 You can find another nice explanation of non-finite
at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-finite_verb
Tense Form vs. Time Reference
“We include the future on this list of tenses [page110]. .
., for although there is no verb inflection for future time,
any description of the English tense-aspect system needs
to account for what form-meaning combinations do exist
that relate to future time.”
Aspect: form vs. meaning
Aspect refers “primarily to the way the grammar marks the duration or
type of temporal activity denoted by the verb” (Crystal, 2003). However, as
with tense, it is safer to associate aspect with particular forms.
Simple
Progressive
Perfective
She studies syntax.
She is reading.
She has read all the Harry Potter novels.
– Imperfective (not English)
– Habitual
• She used to read a lot. She reads a lot.
– Iterative
• She keeps saying that. She is tapping her pen.
– Others
• For example, He is smoking again.
End