Syntax and Teaching GrammarLesson Six

Dr. Rosario María Burneo

Unit 14: Syntax in discourse: Aspect, tense and voiceGrammatical devices are central to the

organization of text. They are:

1. Aspect allows speakers and writers to present events as completed or as ongoing.

Aspect in English has two forms: perfect and progressive.

Gabriella is singing outsideThey have played soccer all morning

Progressive aspectThe progressive has this structure: BE + verb + -ing = aspect The progressive combines two features:- Tense is represented by the verb BE- Aspect is represented by the participle of the main verb. Charles is writing a novelIs = present tenseWriting = progressive

Perfect aspect It indicates that the action performed by a verb in a clause is completed. The perfect aspect is formed by a combination of suffixes and auxiliaries:Have + verb + -ed = perfect It can be in past and present I had finished lunch when he arrived Vargas Llosa has written many books

The present perfect indicates:- An event that began in the past and continues into the present: I have lived in Loja for many years- An event that is over, but which has effects in the present:

He has broken the window (now he is fixing it)- An event that has happened in the recent past. I ‘ve just finished my report

The past perfect denotes:- An event that happened before another event in the past.I had prepared lunch when my son arrivedSome grammarians also refer to the Simple aspect as in: Lucy plays the guitar Lucy played the guitar

TenseThis term refers to a set of inflectional affixes that communicate information about the time in which an event happensPresent: suffix –s work worksPast: suffixes –ed for regular verbs; and, other forms as change of vowel (drove), same form (put), and so on.Future: periphrastic form (additional words like “will” and “going to”

Active, passive and middle voiceVoice presents events from different perspectives:

- Active voice presents an event having the agent in subject

position: Mary baked a cake - Passive voice presents an event having the patient in subject position: A cake was baked by MaryMiddle passive is related to the properties of entities,or to a single event. This sweater washes easily These cars sold very well last year

Passive with GETThe vase was broken

It describes an event or a state. Someone broke it, or its condition is “broken”.

The vase got broken

It describes an event. Maybe it fell down and broke

God Bless youThank you