VERB FORMS AND TIME REFERENCES
1. WHEN THE PLAIN PRESENT & 3RD PERSON SINGULAR –S FORMS ARE USED • Present: timeless states (stative verbs) – verbs of being, general truths, Margaret is tall • present -repeated or habitual events, routines – He works at night • - instantaneous events in present – performatives, commentaries, demonstratives – I resign • HEADLINES - Merkel announces tax cuts. • HISTORIC Present - Historic present – He was only an average golfer and then he suddenly wins two tournaments in a row • REPORTING /COMMUNICATION VERBS - In reporting information –use of present implies that the info is valid though the report was made in the past. “The weatherman forecasts heavy showers in Paderborn” • FUTURE EVENTS (CERTAINITY) - with time-position adverbials - The plane leaves for Istanbul at 9pm tonight 2. WHEN PRETERITE FORMS ARE USED • Remoteness and distancing from the moment of speaking, 2 semantic features : the specific event occurred (and completed) at some specific time in the past; and, a gap of time separates its completion from the present. • PAST EVENT - single event, dynamic verbs • HABITUAL PAST - We spent our holidays in Greece when I was a child • Past STATE - I once liked reading crime fiction • SPECIAL USES - Can have present and future reference in – Reported /INDIRECT speech or thought – because of backshifting past tense is used, but meanings may be in non-past – she said she would be glad to meet us • ATTITUDINAL PAST - In polite requests and enquiries- Did you want to sopeak to me? • HYPOTHETICAL PAST - In hypothetical subordinate clauses -If you knew him, you wouldn't say that
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A (CONTRAST Past vs pres. Perfect – incomplete event, connected to present) Adjuncts of past combine well with past but not with pres perfect Past definite – does not require time specification – I once knew a dancer from the Bolshoi ballet
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B. COMPARISON : BACKGROUND Information - specific acts, events, old focus, settings - PAST TENSE; FOREGROUND Information - general statements, facts, new focus, changes - present tense Plain Present STATE General truths, facts /states of being Margaret is tall HABIT Repeated events- regular basis (no end in sight) We go to Greece every year. points in time INSTANTANEOUS PRESENTdirections, etc. Go down that road Meanings with HISTORIC -/Dramatic / narrative other time present points He was only an average golfer and then he suddenly wins two tournaments in a row. REPORTING Performative verbs – present relevance /COMMUNI- I apologise. CATION VERBS – Merkel announces tax cuts. FUTURE FUTURE EVENTS (Certainity) REFERENCE The plane leaves for Istanbul at 9pm tonight
Preterite dynamic verbs - in past Margaret went home Repeated events- in definite past We went to Greece every year ( as children) PAST EVENT single event I once liked reading crime fiction ATTITUDINAL PAST – present or future meaning Did you want to speak to me?
back-shifting- present or future meaning She said she would be glad to meet us. HYPOTHETICAL PAST – present or future meaning If you knew him, you wouldn't say that
3. HOW FUTURE MEANING IS EXPRESSED IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Form Will / shall + infinitive Be going to Be going to
Meaning Neutral Future fulfilment of the present Future result of present cause
Example He will be here in half an hour Martha is going to lend me her camera She's going to have a baby
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Is V+ing
Simple present
Will/shall + Be+ V-ing Will/shall + Be+ V-ing Be to Be about to Were going to WAS/WERE V+ing Was/Were to INF Was/Were to INF Was/were about to +INF
Future arising from present arrangement, plan or programme In main clauses : very high certainity; in subclauses-possible future scenarios Future period of time within which another situation occurs Future as a matter of course Future arrangement, plan, requirement, intention Near future Unfulfilled intention Arrangement predetermined in the past was destined to arrangement "on the point of"
I'm taking the children to the zoo tomorrow The train leaves at nine tonight
When you reach the bridge, I'll be waiting there to show you the way. We'll be arriving in Dortmund at 7 pm Their daughter is to be married soon. The train is about to leave You were going to give me your address I was meeting him in Paderborn the next day. He was eventually to end up in the bankruptcy court The meeting was to be held the next day He was about to hit me.
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