Tense & Aspect progressive

The progressive aspect is less frequent than the non progressive simple present.

It refers to temporary situations.

It is used to refer to temeporary situations, activities and goings on.

Shows a durative element of meaning.

Shows the meaning of limited and unlimited meaning.

The author uses the term “not necesseraly complete” because the progressive event may be unfinished.

Usually used with verbs showing transition

a temporary happening indicated by a progressive verb creates a temporal frame around “now”. That is the action may stretch into both, the past and the future.

• verbs which are instantaneous which makes it difficult tot hink of thm as progressive(i.e. kiccough, hit, kick, noc, etc.)

• progressive aspect gives the duration.

• Activity verbs i.e. drink, eat, play, read, run

• process verbs i.e. change, develop, grow, increase, learn

• do not typically take the progressive aspect

  • verbs of inert perception

  • verbs of inert cognition

  • verbs of attitude

  • state verbs of having and being

Love is an attitude verb, therefore it is anti-progressive

verbs of bodily sensation i.e. ache, feel, hurt, itch, tingle

one verb can belong to more than one class.

• habitual use of the progressive, which corresponds to the habitual use of the simple present (I’m taking dancing lessons this winter.)

• habitual meaning with repetition of events of limited time (Whenever I pass the house the dog’s barking.)

• The prgessive present, whch can refer to anticipated happenings int he future. (martin’s staying over in London on Thursday night.)

• Persistent/Continuous activity, usually supported by adverbs or adverbial phrases with always, continually, constantly, and for ever. (I’, always forgetting people’s names.)

• perfect

• progressive

• perfect progressive

Bounded verbs have a built-in idea of completeness. 

They walked home. 

Walked is bounded in this instance because the action obviously ended when they got home. 

*Be careful lots of verbs can be both bounded/unbounded depending on their context. 

two events happening at the same time but are not necessarily connected

Event verbs are dynamic verbs (processes/actions) and they can co-occur with the progressive aspect. 

A form of be + progressive participle  (verb+ing)

Present  progressive: am/is/are verb-ing

Past progressive: was/were verb-ing

Momentary event verbs are instantaneous actions like blink, nod, or jump.

We don't usual think of them as progressive. The progressive aspect gives them duration. 

Past tense relates to past time by means of either a past tense main verb or a past tense auxiliary verb at the beginning of the verb phrase. 

Present tense relates to present time by means of either a present tense main verb or a present tense auxiliary verb at the beginning of the verb phrase.

Present tense occassionally has future semantic meaning. 

Progressive aspect refers to temporary situations. 

It refers to temporary situations, activities or goings on.  It shows duration.  It shows the difference between limited and unlimited meaning. 

State verbs are verbs which refer to states which hold true over long periods of time.

State verbs are anti-progressive. 

I have known Anne-Marie since I was a little girl.  (I still know her now)

OR

I don't believe in god. (either you believe something or you do not)

A temporal frame is a temporary happening indicated by the progressive verb around another action. The meaning of the progressive verb may stretch into both the past and the future.

Here's an example:

I was reading my book when the doorbell rang. 

Was reading provides a temporal frame around rang. 

• past

• present

Unbounded verbs are activity verbs without an inherent end.

Example: I ran. 

I could run indefinitely.

*unbounded verbs cannot co-occur with in-phrase time adverbials.  

Example: I ran in ten minutes. (not possible)

Verbs of bodily sensation are verbs relating to the senses like:

• ache, feel, hurt, itch, throb, 

These meaning of these verbs is essentially the same in both the simple and progressive aspect. 

verbs which often take the progressive aspect are:

• Activity verbs (read, write, sleep)

• Process verbs (change, develop, grow)

• Present perfect progressive

  • action started in the past

  • continues into the present

  • relevance to now

• past progressive

  • action that went on over a period of thime in the past

• Past perfect progressive

  • action that took time over a period of time in the past

  • has an influence on a situation in the past

• present progressive

  • in the present

  • temorary happening