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semantics and pragmatics unit 6, Summaries of Formal Semantics

King Abdul Aziz University (KAU)Formal Semantics

semantics and pragmatics summary 5

Typology: Summaries

2021/2022

Uploaded on 01/14/2022

wedyan-alsadi
wedyan-alsadi 🇸🇦

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CHAPTER 6 – – Tense and Aspect
By: Wedyan Alssadi
1. Tense:
• Tense refers to the location of an action in time.
• It indicates whether the action is in the present or the past.
• Tense can be identified by the inflections of the verb.
o For example,
He cleans his room.
He cleaned his room
• There are only 2 true tenses in English: Past and Present.
• As their names suggest, past tense is used to talk about actions and events in the past whereas present
tense is used talk about the actions and events in the present.
• Future is not a pure tense because the verb is not marked by a suffix.
• Reference to other times -- the future, for instance -- can be made in a number of ways.
• English uses the modal verb will , present progressive tense to talk about the future, also the present
simple (The train departs at five o'clock tomorrow)
2. Aspect:
• Aspect refers to how an event or action is to be viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual
location in time.
• Aspect describes how an action, event or state, denoted by a verb, extends over time (DURATION).
• By looking at the aspect of a verb, we can decide whether the action is completed or ongoing.
• There are four aspects in English grammar.
• They are simple, progressive, perfect and perfect progressive.
• We can illustrate this using the following examples:
pf3
pf4
pf5

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CHAPTER 6 – – Tense and Aspect

By: Wedyan Alssadi

1. Tense:

  • Tense refers to the location of an action in time.
  • It indicates whether the action is in the present or the past.
  • Tense can be identified by the inflections of the verb. o For example, He cleans his room. He cleaned his room
  • There are only 2 true tenses in English: Past and Present.
  • As their names suggest, past tense is used to talk about actions and events in the past whereas present tense is used talk about the actions and events in the present.
  • Future is not a pure tense because the verb is not marked by a suffix.
  • Reference to other times -- the future, for instance -- can be made in a number of ways.
  • English uses the modal verb will , present progressive tense to talk about the future, also the present simple ( The train departs at five o'clock tomorrow) 2. Aspect:
  • Aspect refers to how an event or action is to be viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual location in time.
  • Aspect describes how an action, event or state, denoted by a verb, extends over time (DURATION).
  • By looking at the aspect of a verb, we can decide whether the action is completed or ongoing.
  • There are four aspects in English grammar.
  • They are simple, progressive, perfect and perfect progressive.
  • We can illustrate this using the following examples:

Each tense – past, present and future – can have one of four different forms. These forms are often referred to as aspects. NOTE : The form or aspect known as "continuous" can also be referred to as "progressive". In English, there is absolutely no difference between "continuous" and "progressive" aspects – they are the same thing.

1. Simple

Aspect

  • The simple aspect is used to describe facts and habits.
  • Sometimes used to:
  • Talk about a scheduled event in the future: You are in Paris in time for the Republic celebrations next year
  • Historic present to describe past events vividly: I was in the classroom asleep on a chair and the professor comes in and starts complaining Note : Adverbs that suggest habit and frequency: always, sometimes, never, normally, occasionally, often, rarely, seldom, usually.

2. The

Progressive

Aspect

(Continuing

Aspect)

  • The progressive aspect expresses ongoing actions.
  • It doesn't focus on the beginning and ignores the end of an event.
  • Progressive aspect has connotation of activity, dynamism and volition.
  • So, we can’t use it with the state verbs.

Tense and Aspect chart:

Final note: What is the difference between tense and aspect? Tense and aspect are both properties of verbs, but they affect verbs and the meaning of a sentence in different ways. Tense is one of the most familiar properties. You might have come across things like the present tense or the past tense – and many other tenses as well! But what do all of these have in common? They all indicate the verb’s position in time – whether the verb is being used to describe something happening in the past, or in the present. Like tenses, aspects are also a property of verbs, and they also relate to the verb’s relationship with time. But unlike tenses, which describe the verb’s fixed position in time as either past or present, aspects describe how something can be viewed in relation to time, rather than when exactly they happened.

Sounds confusing? Let’s take a closer look!

You can describe the verb “to fall” in the past tense by saying “I fell over.” But you can take this further, by looking at further categories in relation to the past. For example you could say:

“I fell over the bridge.”

“I had fallen over the bridge.”

“I was falling over the bridge.”

The first example is in the simple past tense – and this is the simplest way of describing an event happening in the past! But the second two examples point out two other categories, or aspects.

Saying “I had fallen” uses the perfective aspect – which describes something that was

important in the past, or worth noting. This is used in practical terms with the perfect version of a tense.

Saying “I was falling” uses the continuous or progressive aspect – which shows that the activity

described was continuing for sometime, before it stopped or was interrupted by something else. You’d use these by using the progressive form of a tense. Your turn It can sometimes seem difficult to tell the difference apart between tenses and aspects – so the best way to understand this is by looking at lots of examples! Pay extra attention to verbs in anything you read or listen to. Are they describing something happening in the past or present? And is it something that’s going on continually or not? By learning to pay attention when you listen and read, you’ll find it much easier to apply the same rules when you’re speaking or writing!