16) The category of correlation(Perfect Forms). The Perfect as a : tense, aspect category, as a way of expressing the category of « time relation»

The existence of the perfect forms in the system of the English verb presents a very complicated problem.

All the views on the essence of the Perfect form in English may be divided into three groups:

1. The first point of view is that the perfect forms present a peculiar tense category which should be classed alongside with such tenses as present, past, and future. This point of view is held by 0. Jespersen. H. Sweet.

2. The second point of view is held by G.N. Vorontsova and I.P. Ivanova who consider the category of perfect as a peculiar aspect category together with continuous and common aspects.

3. The third point of view was expressed by Professor A. Smirnitsky who was the first to speak of the perfect forms as the forms serving to indicate a peculiar category different from the category of tense and aspect. He called this category the category of time relation.

The existence of such a variety of opinions may be explained by the fact that scientists are trying to define the basic character of the perfect forms without paying attention to the system of forms already established in English. Thus if we admit that the perfect forms present the category of tense then they would be a union of two different tenses:

a) Present Perfect - the present and the perfect;

b) Past Perfect - the past and the perfect;

c) Future Perfect - the future and the perfect.

This is clearly impossible because two different terises in one and the same form will destroy each other. Hence it follows that the category of perfect cannot be a tense category.

The same may be said in reference to the category of aspect. The common and the continuous aspects are firmly established in English grammar. Thus it is impossible to admit that in the form Present Perfect Continuous (has been writing) we have a continuous aspect and the perfect aspect at one and the same time. Hence the conclusion is that the perfect form is not aspect.

The essence of the grammatical category expressed by the perfect form differs both from tense and aspect. Therefore, Professor A. Smirnitsky has proved that the perfect forms present an independent specific grammatical category which is a system of two member opposimes. This category was called in English the category of correlation or relativity.

This category is represented by the system of forms of the type: writes - has written, wrote - had written,

will write - will have written.

The forms of the type has written serve to express that the action is prior to some moment in time and were called the Perfect Correlation.

The forms of the type writes - wrote do not imply the idea of priority and were called the Non-Perfect Correlation. So accepting the existence of the category of correlation we may say that the system of the verb's category is based on the forms of the categories of tense, aspect, and correlation. Therefore in the form had been plaving we deal with the past tense, the continuous aspect and the perfect correlation. And in the form played we deal with the past tense as well but with the common aspect and the non-perfect correlation.