Tense and Aspect I
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IFC Session 2
What is Tense? What is Aspect?
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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”
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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”
IFC Session 2
Simple vs Progressive Form
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Simple 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
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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.
IFC Session 2
Signal Words
Simple Form
• Normally used with
adverbs that suggest
habit and frequency:
always, sometimes,
never, normally,
occasionally, often,
rarely, seldom, usually
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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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IFC Session 2
Stative vs Dynamic
Stative Verbs
• These describe a state
and are normally used
ONLY in the Simple
Form: I believe in life on
Mars. (not I am
believing)
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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!!
IFC Session 2
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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IFC Session 2
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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IFC Session 2
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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IFC Session 2
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”
Mulder
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IFC Session 2
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?”
Mulder
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IFC Session 2
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?
Mulder
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IFC Session 2