Download perfective aspect

Aspect
Lecture 15
What is the meaning of aspect?
 Aspect concerns the manner in which the
verbal action is experienced or regarded.
 The grammatical category of Aspect is
indicated in the morphology of the verbs
but it characterizes the whole sentence.
 Aspect refers to how an event or action is
to be viewed with respect to time, rather
than to its actual location in time.
We can illustrate this using the
following examples:
 [1] David fell in love on his eighteenth
birthday.
in the past, especially on his 18th birthday
 [2] David has fallen in love.
in the past, but quite recently; PERFECTIVE ASPECT
 [3] David is falling in love.
still in progress; PROGRESSIVE ASPECT
Therefore, this category is based on the
following functional oppositions of forms:
marked for aspect ↔ unmarked for aspect
perfect
progressive
↔ non-perfect
↔ non-progressive
Comrie (1976) makes difference b/n
„perfective‟ and „perfect‟
 The term „perfective‟ contrasts with „imperfective‟
and denotes a situation viewed in its entirety,
without regard to internal temporal constituency.
 The term „perfect‟ refers to past situation which
has present relevance, for instance, the present
result of a past event (e.g. His arm has been
broken).
 The aspectual meanings involve the semantic
features of
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



state/non-state,
durative/non-durative.
states vs. events & processes
states are static, they continue as before unless
changed
events and processes are dynamic, they require a
continual input of energy otherwise they come to an
end
events are viewed as a complete whole (perfectively)
processes are viewed in progress, from within
(imperfectly)
Lyons (1977) - phase
 Durative situations (states and processes),
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


unlike events, have a beginning and an end.
They have indefinitely many temporal
phases.
States vs. processes
States are homogeneous and unchanging
throughout their successive phases.
Processes are not.
Comrie (1976)
 Perfectivity views a situation as a single
whole, without distinction of the various
separate phases that make up that
situation.
 The imperfective pays essential attention
to the internal phases of the situation.
Perfective presents a situation as a single whole
 indicates that an earlier action or state has
relevance at a later reference point, or point of
orientation.
 perfective aspect + present tense (“Present
Perfect”), the reference point is identical with the
speech moment (e.g. John has bought a new car).
 perfective aspect + past tense (“Past Perfect”), the
reference point is earlier than the speech moment
(e.g. John had bought a new car when I met him
last week).
With dynamic verbs the following differences
are found
Past Simple
Present Perfect
Focuses on the past action: Focuses on the present
John bought a new car last
relevance (result) of the past
week (he may or may not have action: John has bought a
sold it since then).
new car (the car is still in his
possession).
Refers to a period that
Refers to a period of time
terminated before the
that includes the speech
speech moment: John Smith moment: John Smith has
wrote four novels (before he written four novels (he may
died/in the 60s etc.); Did you
write more); Have you seen
see the Picasso exhibition? the Picasso exhibition? (it is
(when you were in Paris, etc.)
still open)
It follows that
 only the Past can co-occur with definite past time
expressions (adverbials) such as last
week/month/year, in the 60s, before he died, etc.
 both the Past and the Past perfect can co-occur
with adverbials expressing duration:
cf. John lived in Paris for 20 years.
John has lived in Paris for 20 years.
The Progressive Aspect
An event can be presented in different ways:
 as unfolding in time (i.e. marked for progressive
aspect) or
 as completed (i.e. not marked for progressive
aspect).
 Markers for progressive aspect?
 It shouldn‟t be confused with the use of -ing
forms in non-finite clauses or as modifiers.
The distinction b/n a progressive and nonprogressive (or simple) verb form
Simple verb form
Progressive verb form
Characteristic and
Observable & changeable
permanent properties of
human behaviour and
persons and things
properties of things
George is polite.
George is being polite.
Lily plays the piano.
Lily is playing the piano.
The roof leaks.
The roof is leaking.
Completeness
Incompleteness
John opened the door.
John is opening the door.
Aspect always includes tense
 In [2] David has fallen in love and [3] David
is falling in love Aspect is combined with
the Present tense, but it could also appear
with the Past tense:
David had fallen in love -- Perfective Aspect, Past
Tense
David was falling in love -- Progressive Aspect,
Past Tense
The perfective auxiliary + verb + -ed,
the progressive auxiliary + verb + -ing
Perfective
Aspect
Present Tense has fallen
Progressive
Aspect
is falling
Past Tense
was falling
had fallen
 While aspect always includes tense, tense can occur
without aspect (David falls in love, David fell in love).
Aspectual verbs
 Aspect can describe the beginning, incompletion and
continuation of an action, its repetitiveness, its
termination, etc.
 Apart from the 2 aspects grammaticalized in English:
 progressive aspect (incomplete, ongoing action) and
 perfective aspect (completed action in the past with
present relevance)
 there are other aspects
Other aspects can be expressed by
catenative verbs:
- repeated action (He kept coming back),
- the beginning of an action (She started
writing / They began to eat / We should
really get going),
- or the end of an action (She stopped
writing).
The following factors modify the meaning of
the progressive aspect:
 types of verbs;
 tense and perfective aspect;
 accompanying adverbials;
 other features of the total context.
They will be discussed in detail in relation to
progressive forms.