The category of aspect. The meaning of the common and continuous aspect. Lexical and grammatical expression of aspect in English

Aspect(A)-a gr. cat-ry, characterizes the way in which the actionexpressed by the pred-te v is carried out. Russian aspects:perfective и inperfective. A=вид (я читал-я прочитал). In the Rus. l-ge A is a gr. cat-ry, opp-tion of v f-s, in which peculiar suffixes&prefixes ( делать-сделать). In Eng the situation is complicated. Ling-sts still have no uniform opinion concerning the status, the number of A-s&the inventory of f-s. Gram-ns of the avoided A&spoke about Ind, Cont, Perf, Perf. Cont tenses(T). Now eng V has the gr. Cat-ry of A &A can be expressed in 2 ways: 1)Lexically: We speak about the lex. character of the v. Eng.v-s can be terminative (imply a limit beyond which an action can’t continue (to nod, to jump)&non-terminat.-durative(not imply any limit of that kind (to live). Polysemantic v-s can be termin. in 1 m-g,& non-termin. in another (to see-видеть, увидеть). The.distinction b/n dur & term is purely lex-l m-g is clear fr the context. 2)Gramat-ly: A is expressed in opp-tion of Cont&Common A f-s. Foreign ling-ts say 2 A Progressive&Perfective A . Martin Joos :Generic& Temporary A. Cont is marked: marker is discontin-s morph ( to be+ ing). The diff-ce b/n Cont&non~ is not the temporal one. I take-I’m taking – time is the same - pr. Cont denotes an action: a)incomplete b)in progress at the mom under consideration. (E.g.We r taking up psychology this year). The common A describes an action in 1)a general way 2)a complete or in~ (I did my homework yesterday). Бархудар.:´’Common A f-s r to be termed negatively as non-Cont.’’ The exact m-g of Common A is determined by the context. M-gs: 1)a momentary action (She dropped the plate) 2)recurrent actions (I get up at 7 o’clock) 3)actions occupy a period of time (He lived in Moscow) 4)unlimited duration (The Volga flows into the Caspian sea) Ther’s no direct correspondence b/n the Rus&Eng. A.En Com A=Russian perfective & inperfec A. (The girl played играла the piano well. The girl played сыграла a waltz& everybody applauded.En cont A = Russian inperf A. But: The girl was playing играла the piano when I entered-Девушка играла, когда я вошел)

The category of phase. Various interpretations of the category of phase.

The category of PHASE = ORDER = TIME CORRELATION

This category is built up by the opposition of PERFECT and NON-PERFECT

forms.

The term "phase" was suggested by Tregqer and Smith (they borrowed it from

the physical theory of electric circuit). => The opposed verbs in the "current

phase" and verbs in the "perfect phase":

1.A verb in the current phase denotes an action which is simultaneous with its effect (= in phase with its effect): He came swiftly. => He was seen the moment he came.

2. A verb in the perfect phase denotes an action which is out of phase with its effect => the effect is delayed and our attention is focused on the result: He has opened the book. => The action of opening is of limited duration and was complete in the past, but the effect is felt at the present.

VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS

Traditional Grammar

Perfect forms were referred to secondary tenses, non-perfect - to primary tenses.

primary tenses (absolute)	secondary tenses (relative)
They refer an action to a certain period in the past/ present/ future (secondary tenses do NOT).	They express priority to some time in the past/ future/ in the moment of speaking.

Some treat perfect forms as aspect forms

• Ильиш => The Future Perfect and the Past Perfect represent relative tenses because they express priority. But the Present Perfect is a special aspect = resultative.

• Воронцова -> calls the Present Perfect "transmissive aspect": it denotes a completed action which is connected with the present, thus expresses continuity between the past and the present.

Смирницкий & Бархударов

They call it "the category of time correlation", that is built up by the opposition of perfect and non-perfect forms.

• Perfect forms do NOT coincide with tense forms: He came./He had come. -> Time is the same (PAST).

• The difference is not aspective either: the form "has been fucking"'denotes the Continuous Aspect. If we admit that the perfect form is also an aspective form => "has been fucking" shows 2 different aspects at a time. => нехоpошо получается.

=> The difference is that non-perfect forms denote actions which take/ took

place during a certain period, while perfect forms always denote actions which

are prior to some moment. Non-perfect forms denote non-priority.

Perfect forms of both aspects are opposed to non-perfect forms of both

aspects.

CRITICISM of this theory:

The gr. meanings of the Present Perfect (1) and the Past/ Future Perfect (2) are

Doesn't show priority only, it shows connection with the present.	Indicate priority.

=> Смирницкий simplifies the matter. HE ARGUES:

Though the Present Perfect shows connection with the present, the meaning of priority is always inherent (неотъемлемый, присущий) in the form of the Present Perfect. => It is similar to the past ant future forms. It is not the only case when a gr. form has some additional meanings".