1 IFC Session 2MulderMulder

Tense and Aspect I

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What is Tense? What is Aspect?Tense

• There are really only two true tenses in English : Past and Present

• Indicates when the time of evaluation occurs

• “future” is technically not a tense because there is no the verb is not marked

• The “temporally when”

Aspect• The following are

considered aspects in English: simple, progressive, perfect, perfect progressive

• Indicates how the speaker views the situation

• Provides information about duration completion and frequency

• The “temporally how”

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Simple vs Progressive FormSimple Form

• Habit: I usually wash my hair on Sundays.

• Completed actions: I bought a new car yesterday.

• General statements: Water boils at 100°C

• Descriptions of a series of events (fictional present): He comes in and sees her in front of the stove. He takes a knife

Progressive Form• For an action that is in

progress: Is he still complaining about his girlfriend?

• For a temporary situation: Schlake is losing!

• For an incomplete action: I was just finishing off the cake when my mum came in.

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Signal Words

Simple Form• Normally used with

adverbs that suggest habit and frequency: always, sometimes, never, normally, occasionally, often, rarely, seldom, usually

Progressive Form• Normally used with

adverbs of temporary duration: always (with irritation), at present, at the moment, currently, this week, just (when referring to the present time)

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Stative vs DynamicStative Verbs

• These describe a state and are normally used ONLY in the Simple Form: I believe in life on Mars. (not I am believing)

Dynamic Verbs• These describe an

action or event that can be used in both Simple and Progressive Forms:

My cat bites my hand everyday.

My cat is biting my hand!!

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Stative Verbs

Stative verbs fall into the following categories: • 1)States of being and having: be, apply, belong, have

concern, cost, depend, resemble, contain, lack, own, possess, weigh

• 2)Intellectual states: assume, believe, doubt, expect, forget, hope, imagine, know, notice, realize, remember, suppose, think (be of the opinion), understand, wonder

• 3)Emotional states: agree, consider, hate, intend, like, love, need, pity, prefer, regard, trust, want, wish

• 4)States of perception: feel, hear, see, smell taste, appear, seem• 5) States of physical sensation: ache, hurt, itch, tickle

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Stative Verbs used in the Progressive I

• As with any language “rule” there are exceptions. When a stative verb is used to describe an action of limited duration it can be used in the progressive

Compare:“This class has 17 students”“My dog is having a senior moment”Can you think of other examples?

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Stative Verbs used in the Progressive II

• “to be” can also be used in the Progressive if it has the meaning of a temporary state (as in the sense of “to act” or “to behave”):

“Stop being such an idiot!”“You’re being stubborn”Why would you use one of the above

statements instead of using the verb in the Simple form?

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Stative Verbs used in the Progressive III

• Verbs of perception can also be used in the Progressive – again if they have the sense of an activity

Compare:“My little brother has been smelling funny

lately” “My little brother smells”

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Stative Verbs used in the Progressive IV• Verbs of physical sensation are often an

exception, in that they can be used in the Simple and Progressive Forms for a temporary state

Which of these questions do you prefer? Does it depend on the situation?

“Does your back ache?” “Is your back aching?”

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Practice!• I _____(think) Bush is an idiot.• A: You look happy. What’s up?• B: I ______(think) about Ms. Mulder’s fascinating

lecture.• I __________ (consider) Bob to be a good friend of

mine.• Dortmund is so boring. I __________ (consider)

moving to Berlin.• That French cheese _______ (smell) like a farmyard.• Why are you ______(smell) it then, to see if it has

gone off?