36) Verb, category of tense (definition)

Verb-part of speech with grammatical meaning of process, action, performs the central role of the predicative function of the sentence.Classification–accord to semantic value – Notional(full nominative meaning, independent in expression of process),Functional and Semi-funct(partial nominative value, depend on other words in denotation of process, are predicators): they are subdivided into Auxiliary(build analytical form of notional verb – have done, was lost, etc; Link(connect predicative with subject – pure link verb-to be, specifying link verbs – specify connection betw subject and its property);Modal(predicators, denote subject attitudes to action-obligation,ability,etc);Verbid introducers-introduce non-finite forms of vers into structure of sentence). Notional verbs subdivided into:acc to subject-process relation-Actional(action performed by subject as active doer), Statal(denote various states of subject); acc to combinability features-Transitive(action directed towards certain object),Intransitive and Complimentive.

Ilyish: The category of tense - a verbal category which reflects the objective category of time and expresses on this background the relations between the time of the action and the time of the utterance. Traditional grammar: tense is a system of 3 member opposemes showing the time of the action in relation to the moment of speech. These 3 tenses may appear in the common or continuous aspect or in the form of the category of correlation (perfect).

Traditionally 16 tenses are distinguished in Modern English, most of which are made analytically: 4 Indefinite, 4 Continuous, 4 Perfect, 4 Perfect Continuous.

But some scholars find only 3 “genuine tenses” in Modern English (Smirnitsky) - Indefinite Tenses. As to other tense-groups, they have the same time reference: the difference between the Indefinite and the Continuous Tense is not temporal but aspective (E.g. I got up at 7. I was getting up at 7). The Perfect forms express priority with regard to the moment of speaking and they are treated as relative tenses. The future-in-the past is also believed to be a relative tense.

37) Verb-triple opposition (Ilyish)

Ilyish-3 tenses-both in Engl and Rus; Present-action takes place at moment of speaking//somehow includes this moment. Future-action follows moment of speech. Past-shows-action precedes it. The Oppositional theory:this category-triple opposition-3 opposite members: Present-unmarked member, Past and Future-marked.

38) Future tense, tense as a binary opposition

Doubt about existence of Future tense in Engl;

Jesperson-Shall and Will-as modal verbs have their own lex meaning-in many phrases when we form tradit future tense their lex meanings are retained.

Barkhudarov-Shall Will-modal verbs, Shall Will+V-modal phrases, they cant be taken as specific form of future opposite. Shall Will+V – not the only means of expressing futurity, f ex-the train is living in 5 munutes. One more argument against – Future-in-the-past – Should//Would – forms of Shall//Will in Past – it is as union of future and past=impossible!

So, category of tense-only 2 opposite members – Present and Past. For Present would be better use the term «non-past», as it doesn’t always show concidence of action with moment of speech. Past-marked member, Non-past-unmarked.