13. The category of aspect.

• a major semantic category denoting the character of the action.

• aspective meanings: repetition, duration, completion, beginning, result, etc.

• Aspective meanings can be expressed both lexically (begin / continue / finish, etc. + Infinitive or Gerund) and grammatically.

• Aspective meaning of result or completion characteristic of of terminative verbs in perfect forms is lexical, so perfect forms do not belong to the category of aspect.

The grammatical category of Aspect is represented by the opposition of non-continuous and continuous forms:

writes^-- – is writing⁺

Continuous (marked) forms are not tenses:

• two tense meanings in one form are impossible;

• in writes – is writing⁺ tense is the same – Present.

• analytical: auxiliary verb to be + -ing form.

• The discontinuous morpheme: be…ing(These morphemes don’t include the root of the notional verb)

• meaning: an action in progress, in its continuity;

• The category of Aspect covers both finite and non-finite forms of the verb (Infinitive)

to write — to be writing

to have written — to have been writing

Aspect denotes the character of the action, the manner of its development.

Aspect and the lexical character of the verb

• dynamic verbs (normally used in the Continuous):

1. activity and process verbs (ask, drink, eat, change, throw) often indicate incomplete actions in progress;

2. verbs of bodily sensation (ache, feel, hurt) can have common or continuous aspect with little difference in meaning;

3. transitional event verbs (arrive, leave, die, fall) in the Continuous form, only imply the approach to the transition;

4. momentary / point action verbs (hit, jump, knock, nod) express repetition.

• Stative verbs(normally disallow continuous forms):

1. verbs of mental perception and cognition (astonish, believe, doubt, know, love, prefer, wish) admit of the continuous forms only when they change their meaning:

I think you're right. – I'm thinking of you all the time;

(Stative) (dynamic)

2. relational verbs (be, belong, consist, have, seem, need). However:

I'm sorry I'm being clumsy.

He's always having to check his emotions.

You're wishing I hadn't done it.

(stylistic transposition of the marked form)

Aspect with terminative and durative verbs

Durative verbs

the difference between Common and Continuous forms is purely grammatical and can be neutralized: He is working on some kind of invention. -- He works on some kind of invention.

Terminative verbs

Common and Continuous forms are not interchangeable because of the important semantic difference:He broke three cups. — He was breaking cups. The bus stopped. — The bus was stopping.