Questions tagged [aspect]
General issues about verb aspect, perfective, continuous, etc.
29
questions
0
votes
0
answers
38
views
How can I determine the aspect of a participle clause like this "A person parking a car in an illegal place will be arrested."
(1)A person parking a car in an illegal place will be arrested.
Which is true, (A) or (B)? How can I determine the aspect of participle clause like this.
(A) The rule (1) applies only to those who ...
- 1,165
0
votes
1
answer
45
views
"love" as a punctual verb [closed]
I'm familiar with the verb "love" as a durative and stative verb. It's common to say "I love you," for example. However, I am wondering whether it's possible for "love" ...
- 1,881
4
votes
1
answer
223
views
Verb aspect for "be" preceding participle in AAVE
In many dialects of African-American Vernacular English, I understand the following two constructions to carry different aspects:
Mama doing laundry.
Mama be doing laundry.
What is the change ...
- 275
0
votes
1
answer
19
views
The aspect of psychological resultatives
Take a look at the psychological resultatives:
(1) a. Facebook’s apps have annoyed me into not using them.
b. The lines of the prose are what fascinated me into making the painting.
c. Staff did not ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
34
views
What is the tense/modality of these two sentences? [duplicate]
He be like “I know a spot” and then drag you through miles and miles of forest to show you a tiny meadow.
From Reddit
Tora be getting impatient. * wink*
From top comments on Webtoon
I know this is ...
- 160
1
vote
2
answers
135
views
What is the grammar of "CJ Dennis had 2 edit suggestions approved"?
I'm trying to explain the grammar of
CJ Dennis had 2 edit suggestions approved
to other people, however, the more I try to explain it, the more confused I get about it myself.
The context is from ...
- 5,085
4
votes
1
answer
85
views
"When I last saw him he was dying, but now you'd hardly know he'd been ill"
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 122, reads
He was dying is an implicature because of the possibility of cancellation, as in When I last saw him he was dying, but now you
would ...
- 2,423
0
votes
0
answers
74
views
The use of the future tense for describing one's usual routines [duplicate]
In this video at 5 minute and 50 seconds, for reasons unknown to me, a speaker used the future tense for describing his usual routine.
So in the assistance portion of my workout, I will choose row ...
- 299
2
votes
2
answers
395
views
Use of the present perfect for repetitive actions
I've already searched a lot on the web, but still can't figure out one specific example.
For instance:
Mary has been to England twice.
Alice has been to the cinema twice this week. (= The week is ...
- 123
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
"stuck" vs "sticking" vs "stick" - Why is this third sentence weird? Issue of: Participles or Aspects?
Lots of people have his photo stuck on their wall.
Lots of people have his photo sticking on their wall.
Lots of people have his photo stick on their wall.
The third sentence doesn't necessarily ...
1
vote
1
answer
578
views
AAVE grammar: Difference between "continue to/keep on" vs "steady"
For those who are speakers of AAVE or those who are relatively learned in this area, could someone explain to me the context in which one would use "steady" as an aspectual marker, and its ...
- 19
3
votes
1
answer
283
views
Past perfect simple - strange usage
By definition, past perfect simple tense "expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past".
I have a hard time to understand why Terry Pratchett used it in the sentence:
"The ...
- 49
3
votes
2
answers
754
views
A since-clause in present tense marking off a period of time
Question:
In English, can you use a present tense since-clause to mark off a period that starts at some time in the past and continues to and includes the present?
Background:
Unfortunately, my ...
- 288
0
votes
0
answers
15
views
aspect(perfective or imperfective) [duplicate]
In CGEL page no.126 "I already knew how to do it."[Tr included within Tsit]..., if Tr is internal part within Tsit so this shows imperfective aspect.., is this right or wrong? And also 1) I knew how ...
- 29
0
votes
0
answers
39
views
aspectuality(perfective or imperfective) [duplicate]
In CGEL page no.126 "I already knew how to do it."[Tr included within Tsit]..., if Tr is internal part within Tsit so this shows imperfective aspectuality.., is this right or wrong?
- 29
0
votes
1
answer
204
views
Does "How do you know?" have the inchoative aspect?
In English, a verb that expresses a state can also express the entrance into a state. This is called inchoative aspect.
Would a sentence like "How do you know me?" have the inchoative aspect? I think ...
- 687
8
votes
2
answers
17k
views
Q: Why isn't he answering? A: 1) He must have already slept 2) ... must have been sleeping? [closed]
I didn't reply to a ping in the chatroom.
The English enthusiast suggested this about me at the time:
He must have already slept.
Hours (and dreams) later, I came back, I saw the above sentence, ...
- 3,357
0
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Aspect (simple, perfect and progressive): What are the differences?
Could you please explain to me the differences between the simple, progressive and perfect aspects.
"Simple aspect" means completed action (action starts and finishes) but I don't really understand ...
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
8k
views
"Before it was too late" vs. "before it would be too late"
What is the difference between the sentences below?
Mary decided to get pregnant before it was too late.
Mary decided to get pregnant before it would be too late.
- 19
4
votes
2
answers
29k
views
"Would you mind if I use" vs. "would you mind if I used" [duplicate]
Would you mind if I use/used your mobile?
One of my friends said used is wrong here. But I think it's grammatical. Who is right?
- 1,226
2
votes
2
answers
116
views
Progessive or simple aspect?
Is he still smoking? vs Does he still smoke?
Which aspect would be correct, progessive or simple? In my opinion, the first question sounds somehow better, however, I think the second question is ...
- 1,018
-1
votes
2
answers
849
views
Using 'will' vs. 'would' in this sentence
I'd like to know which one of the following is correct:
I would like to have a job which I will like and which will earn me a lot of money.
I would like to have a job which I would like and ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
492
views
is + past participle
What would be the correct name for the following formula: is + past participle. Would this be the present perfect?
An example sentence would be- The meat is stored in the freezer.
1
vote
1
answer
409
views
Is “he should be seventeen” correct?
Is the following sentence correct to describe a young man?
He should be seventeen.
My colleague was absolutely sure it was correct. I disagreed, so we had a bit of an argument. I would agree on ...
- 29
6
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is “attempt” a durative or a punctual verb?
I think it’s punctual because an attempt in my view is a specific action and not a process, but I’d appreciate your thoughts on it.
- 61
120
votes
11
answers
114k
views
How many tenses are there in English?
Do we have 16 tenses in English?
With
future
present
past
future in the past
in these forms
simple
continuous
perfect
perfect continuous
Can we manipulate these together to create English tenses? ...
- 1,321
27
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Whose tense is it, anyway?
I have questions which perhaps should be posted to Linguistics.SE; but since my primary concern is to discover what terminology in discussing English grammar and usage on ELU (and in similar contexts),...
- 68.7k
47
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Please, don't - I'm not
“Please, don't mock me.”
“Oh, no, I don't! I’m not! I'm completely serious about that.”
This is a correction I received from a proofreader of my story.
How does that work? What happens here so ...
- 11.4k
9
votes
3
answers
55k
views
Is the tense called “Present Progressive” or “Present Continuous”?
What is the correct term used to describe this tense in English — Present Progressive or Present Continuous? I see both terms used in grammar books.
- 341