Analysing English 1

The Verb Phrase IIAspect

Week 5

Kieran O’Halloran

Future Time

oEnglish does not have a future tense. oThere is no suffix which can be attached to

the verb to make it future.oSpeakers employ periphrastic constructions.

Future TimeoIt will rain tomorrow.oI am going to the shops.oHis train arrives at 8.oPaul is to arrive tomorrow.oI may / might buy a new car.oThe coach is about to leave.

Aspect actions / events expressed by a verb which are understood as complete (perfect) but related

to another point in time.

or in progress (continuuous)

Aspect

oSo...English has two aspects.

oAspect in English is marked by a combination of inflectional suffixes and auxiliary verbs.

AspectProgressive Aspect: ongoing/incomplete event

Jeremy is / was washing the dishes.

Present Perfect (Perfective) Aspect: (relevance to present)

Jeremy has / had washed the dishes.

Aspect: Progressive (Continuous)

Not all verbs (i.e. state verbs, some sensory verbs) take the progressive.(*) I am knowing John.(*) I am believing in God.(*) I am thinking that he is right.(*) I am having / owning a house.(*) I am smelling smoke.

Aspect: PerfectPresent Perfect

We have finished our lunch. Recent pastThey have gone home. Current relevanceHe has written two novels. Past experienceI have lived here all my life. Past into

present

Aspect: Perfect

Past perfect: ‘had’ + past participle

e.g. By the time I had finished my dinner, I was ready for a night out.

Aspect: PerfectFuture perfect

e.g. I will have finished my dinner by the time Strictly Come Dancing starts.

????

The weeds had been growing throughout the summer.

The lions have been roaring wildly all day.

We will have been watching Strictly Come Dancing for way too long by the time my dinner comes up.

Transitive vs intranstiive

I carried the baby TRANSITIVE

(I carried X)

The children laughed INTRANSITIVE

(The children laughed their mouths X)

Transitive verbs take a grammatical object

But....

Many verbs can be both transitive and

intransitive. So, it is often more accurate

to say that a verb is being used transitively

or intransitively.

e.g.

Don’t bother me, I’m eating.

I’ll be eating dinner much later tonight.

Phrasal or prepositional verbs

[She] [came] [across the street]

[She] [came across] [an old copy of Canterbury Tales]