Time, tense, and aspect

Time and tense are not overlapping concepts. Though tense is related to time, there is no
one-to-one correspondence between the two.

Tense is a term that refers to the way verbs change their form in order to indicate at which
time a situation occurs or an event takes place. It is a grammatical category: rather than with
“reality”, it has to do with how events are placed, seen, and referred to along the past-present-
future time line. Thus, a present tense does not always refer to present time, nor a past tense to
past time. Actually, the present and past tenses can refer to all three segments of the time line
(past, present, and future).

For example, the present tense may be used to speak about a future event (often, but not
necessarily, accompanied by a future time adverbial), while the so-called “historic present” –
frequently used to convey dramatic immediacy – refers to the past as if it were happening
now.

Aspect is a grammatical category that reflects the perspective from which an action/situation
is seen: as complete, in progress, having duration, beginning, ending, or being repeated.
English has basically two aspects, progressive (also called continuous) and perfect(ive).
Verbs that are not marked for aspect (the majority of them are not) are said to have simple
aspect. In British English, the perfective aspect is much more common than in American
English, since Americans often use the past simple where Britons use the present perfect.

Usually, grammars contrast the progressive with the perfective aspect (and the simple, for that
matter) on the basis that the former refers to an action/event as in progress, while the latter
tends to indicate the completeness of an action, to see actions and events as a whole and a
situation as permanent.

Progressive aspect

The progressive aspect, either in the present or past tense, generally refers to an
action/event (usually of limited duration) in progress at a particular time, to an
uncompleted activity, to a temporary state of affairs or a temporary habit.

It does not reflect the length of an action, but the speaker’s view of a certain event. Though
aspect and the duration of an action are somehow related – in fact, to describe an event lasting
only a short time the simple aspect is more frequently used – the simple aspect is not reserved
for short actions nor is the progressive used exclusively to talk about events lasting for a
(fairly) long time.
Perfective aspect

The perfective aspect is used to refer to a state or action which has taken place before
the time of speaking, as well as to a state or action (or series of actions) occurring in a
period of time we imagine as continuing until the present or until a certain moment in
the past (until now or until then), or that has just ended.

Remember: the events and situations referred to by the perfective aspect have some relevance
to the time of speaking (the present in the case of the present perfective, the past in the case of
the past perfective, the future in the case of the future perfective). T

The perfective aspect is also used to indicate the completeness of an action, to see events as a
whole:

I have tidied my room .

I’ve often spent my holidays in South America.

THE PRESENT TENSES

- There are four present tenses- present simple, present continuous, present
perfect, and present perfect continuous.
- All the present tenses are used to refer to a time which includes the present.
- Present tenses can also be used for predictions made in the present about future
events.
- The present simple and present continuous are used with reference to present
time. If you are talking about the general present, or about a regular or habitual
action, you use the present simple.
Exp. John lives in London.
They often call in the port of Rijeka.
- If you are talking about something in the present situation , you use the present
continuous.
- Exp. He's keeping a watch.
I'm cooking the dinner.

The present continuous is often used to refer to a temporary situation.

Exp. John is living in Zagreb at present.

- If you are talking about something which is scheduled or timetabled to happen in

the future, you can use the present simple tense.
- If you are talking about something which has been arranged for the future, you
can use the present continuous. When you use the present continuous like this,
there is nearly always a time adverbial like 'tomorrow', 'next week', or 'later' in
the clause.
Exp. We're going on holiday with my parents this year.

They are having a party next week.

As a general rule, verbs which refer to actions that require a deliberate effort can be
used in continuous tenses, verbs which refer to actions that do not require a
deliberate effort are not used in continuous tenses.

Exp. I think it's going to rain. (think = believe)

Please be quiet. I'm thinking. (think = try to solve a problem)

Many verbs are not normally used in the continuous tenses. These include verbs that
refer to thinking, liking and disliking, appearance, possession, and perception. We
call them 'state' or 'stative' verbs, too.

Exp.

Thinking: believe, forget, imagine, know, realize, recognize, suppose, understand,

think, want, wish
 Liking and disliking: admire, dislike, like, hate, love, prefer

Appearance: appear, look like, resemble, seem

Possession: belong to, contain, have, include, own, possess

Perception: hear, see, smell, taste ( Normally, in everyday english, you use verbs of
perception with the modal 'can', rather than using the present simple tense: 'I can
smell gas'),

Being: be consist of, exist

Warning: Some of the verbs listed above can be used in continuous tenses in other
meanings. For example, 'have' referring to possession is not used in continuous
tenses. But in expressions like 'to have a party', 'to have a shower', 'to have
problems', 'to have a breakfast' and similar, it is.)

Some other common verbs are not normally used in the present continuous or the
other continuous tenses: concern, fit, involve, mean, suprise, deserve, interest,
matter, satisfy

The present simple tense normally has no auxiliary verb, but questions and negative
sentences are formed with the auxiliary 'do' ('does' for he, she, it).

Present forms

Identify the tenses, then match them with the correct description

1. He runs a large travel agency.
2. The thief enters the room and opens
the safe.
3. Skill comes with practice.
4. She's been practicing that song for
hours.
5. He's working hard these days.
6. He's gained a lot of weight recently.
7. Tom's picking me up at 7 o'clock
tonight.
8. She's staying with a friend in London
at present.
9. The ferry arrives at 10.00 am.
10. They've been talking on the phone
since 9 o'clock this morning
A actions taking place at or around the moment of
speaking; temporary situations
B emphasis on duration of an action which began in the
past and continues up to the present
C reviews /sports commentaries/dramatic narratives
D actions started at a stated time in the past and
continuing up to the present
E fixed arrangements in the near future
F timetables/programmes (future meaning)
G permanent situations or states
H permanent truths or laws of nature
I personal experiences or changes which have happened