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Aspect

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Aspect has to to with the nature of the actionThe Aspect System

Simple: refers to events that are conceptualized as complete wholes. The events are not presented as allowing for further development

Progressive: the event or state is viewed as some portion of a whole and there is room for further development or change.

Perfect: core meaning is “prior”, used in relation to some other point in time.

Present time – four aspects

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They live in Montreal. Base form of verb (Present Simple)

They are living in Montreal. be + base form of verb + ing (Present

Progresive)They have lived in Montreal.

have + base form of verb + ed (Present Perfect)

They have been living in Montreal since 1990.

??? (Present Perfect Progressive )

 

Past time – four aspects

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They lived in Montreal. (Simple Past)They were living in Montreal.(Past Progressive)They had lived in Montreal before they moved to Toronto. (Past Perfec)They had been living in Montreal before they moved to Toronto.(PPP)

Future time – four aspects

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They will live in Montreal. (Simple Future)They will be living in Montreal.(Future Progressive)They will have lived in Montreal for 10 years next week.(Fut Perfect)They will have been living in Montreal for 10 years when they retire.(FPP)

Teaching tip: Teach two contrastively. Not all 12 at once!

Simple Present

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What meaning does use of the simple present convey?

Habitual/recurring action I come to school by metro.I listen to the radio every morning.I usually arrive on time. From time to time, I am late.Timeless truths (or untruths), present factsThe earth rotates around the sun.Lions live in the grasslands of Kenya.My mother loves orchids. Future with scheduled events The class starts tomorrow at 11:30.I have a dentist appointment after this class.

Simple Past 7

What meaning does use of the simple past convey?

Simple, completed eventThe Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992He took chemistry last semester.I'm finished!Habitual/recurring action/event in past

It rained every day in July.Every Sunday he called home.He usually met her in the library.

Simple Past - continued

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What meaning does use of the simple past convey?

Duration in the past but now completeHe taught at Concordia for 26 years.

Social distancing / politeness in questionDid you want to order a salad with that?

Present Progressive/Continuous

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Whent do we use the present progressive?An event or change is “in progress”

The teacher is talking to the class.The city is becoming more multicultural.

Progressive suggests that the action is temporary

She’s living with her parents. (present progressive)She lives with her parents. (simple present)

Present progressive – cont.

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Whent do we use the present progressive?Extended present (but still not permanent)

He’s studying medicine at McGill.

Past Progressive

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What meaning does use of the past progressive convey?

An action in progress at a specific point in the past.

He was watching TV at 8:00 last night.An action in progress when another event

took place.He was watching TV when the phone rang.Social distancingI was hoping you could lend me $10.

Future

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The same rules for simple and progressive aspects of the present tense apply to the future.Simple: the future is conceptualized as a whole

Progressive: an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future

We will be writing a grammar test at that time.I will be sleeping when the plane gets in.