Comment on the use of the verbal tense forms.

SEMINAR 7

THE VERB

Theoretical comment

The categorial system of finite verb. Grammatical categories that constitute the basis of the category of finitude. The controversies of the category of tense. The general notion of time and lingual temporality; lexical and grammatical means of time expression. Absolutive and non-absolutive time; relative and factual time. The problem of the two future forms of the verb. The system of two verbal tense categories in English: the category of “absolutive”, “retrospective”, or “primary” time (past / non-past) and the category of “relative”, or “prospective” time (future / non-future). Oppositional presentation of the two tense categories in interaction. Oppositional reductions of the tense categories.

The categorial meaning of aspect. Lexical and grammatical means of expressing aspective meaning; their interdependence. The category of aspect (continuous / non-continuous) and cases of its neutralization. Aspective representation in verbids. Various approaches to the aspective verbal forms.

The category of order (perfect / non-perfect).

Practice

Find equivalents for these terms. Explain their meaning. Use them in your description of the categories.

absolutive time (the past, the present, the future)	“relative, or prospective time” (future vs. non-future)
relative time (priority - “relative past”, simultaneity - “relative present”, posteriority - “relative future”)	modal colouring
factual time	aspective meaning
“absolutive, or retrospective time” (past vs. non-past)	he category of aspect (the continuous, progressive vs. the non-continuous
“historic present”	“time correlation”
“preterite of modesty”	the category of order / retrospective coordination (the perfect vs. the non-perfect)

Identify the form of expression of time relations.

E.g.: We left when he came. – grammatical, relative; We left at five. – lexical, factual; They will have left by now. – lexical, absolutive.

1) You won’t have time to drink a high-ball and see the place before Lou comes down. (R. Lardner) 2) Oh, look at this book”, she said, “Helen ’s been leaving it about again”. (K. Mansfield) 3) I will have e-mailed you the report by then. 4) He won’t be able to fight this Friday. 5) I was very nervous beforehand. 6) He was born in 1999. 7) They came on time.

Comment on the use of the verbal tense forms.

1) Well, I’ m standing in my shop one morning, and in walks Barry. Says he wants a dozen of roses. “Fine,” I say, and I turn to get them, and all at once, out of the corner of my eye, I see the strangest thing.” (Tyler) 2) Today again I spoke to Mr Jones. 3) When I arrive, I’ll call you. 4) Listen, could you do me a favour? 5) An expert on modern drama is arriving this week. 6) Her daughter was going to a summer camp tomorrow.

4. Determine whether the verbs SHALL (SHOULD) and WILL (WOULD) are used in the following contexts as modals or auxiliaries to render mere future semantics. In which cases are those meanings implicitly presented? Specify the modal meanings.

1) I will not have the responsibility on my shoulders. 2) You will have to go. 3) “Do it immediately.” – “ Shall I?” 4) You should stay where you are. 5) He is impossible - he won’t see his wife, he won’t see me, he won’t see anybody. 6) Will you pass the salt, please? 7) He will meet you at the station. 8) Boys will be boys. 9) Accidents will happen. 10) Some time will pass before that. 11) That will be postman. 12) She ’ll sit for hours watching television.

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