The Modern English perfect forms have been the subject of a lengthy

The Modern English perfect forms have been the subject of a lengthy

discussion which has not so far brought about a definite result.

The position of the perfect forms in the system of the English verb is a

problem which has been treated in many different ways and has raised much

controversy. There are three major approaches to defining the essence of perfective

forms in English:

The category of perfect is a peculiar tense category, i. e. a category which

should be classed in the same list as the categories "present" and "past". This view

was held, for example, by O. Jespersen.

The category of perfect is a peculiar aspect category, i. e. one which should

be given a place in the list comprising "common aspect" and "continuous aspect".

This view was held by a number of scholars, including Prof. G. Vorontsova. Those

who hold this view have expressed different opinions about the particular aspect

constituting the essence of the perfect forms. It has been variously defined as

"retrospective","resultative","successive",etc.

The category of perfect is neither one of tense, nor one of aspect but a

specific category different from both. It should be designated by a special term and

its relations to the categories of aspect and tense should be investigated. This view

was expressed by Prof. A. Smirnitsky. He took the perfect to be a means of

expressing the category of "time relation" (временная отнесенность).

The category denotes correlation of the action expressed by the finite verb to

some moment in the past, present or future.

This category is based on the opposition “perfect vs. non-perfect”. The

opposition is privative in the plane of expression, however, it is not so easily

neutralized in the plane of content. Since the opposition is not easily neutralized in

the present tense, it is equipollent, but it can easily be neutralized in the past.

Therefore, it should be considered privative-equipollent.

Perfect forms denote priority to the moment in the past, present or future.

Non-perfect forms denote simultaneity with a moment in the past, present of future.

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