Chapter 6 - Grammar Bite B

1. Variation in the Verb Phrase
Aspect
Brenda Pereira
Cássia Farias
Leonardo Cardoso
Marcelli Helt
Tamy de Macedo

2. Perfect and Progressive aspect
Aspect adds time meanings to those
expressed by tense. Aspect answers the
question ‘Is the event/ state described by the
verb completed, or is it continuing?’ There are
two aspects in English: perfect and progressive
(continuous).

3. Meanings of perfect and progressive
• The perfect aspect often describes events or states taking place
during a preceding period of time. The progressive aspect describes
an event or state of affairs in progress or continuing. Both aspects
can be combined with either present or past tense.
“I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five” Hand in my pocket – Alanis
Morissette
“Well, I was sittin', waitin', wishin'”
Sitting, waiting, wishing – Jack Johnson
“Me and Dre had sat with him” Like toy soldiers –
Eminem

4. • Present perfect verbs often refer to past actions that
continue up to the present time.
“Well, you bought all those smoke alarms, and we haven't
had a single fire.” Homer Simpson
• Past perfect verbs refer to actions on the past that are
completed at or before a given time in the past.
“Mick went into the closet of Bill’s room and
brought out some other pictures she had done in
the class – some pencil drawings, some water-
colours, and one canvas with oil” The heart is a
lonely hunter – Carson McCullers

5. The perfect progressive
• Verb phrases can be marked for both aspects (perfect and
progressive)
Present perfect tense:
“I’ve been running around” Joss Stone - Arms of my baby
Past Perfect Progressive
“For months she had been waiting for that particular corner location”
(FICT)
• The perfect progressive aspect is rare, occurring
usually in the past tense in fiction. It combines the
meaning of the perfect and the progressive, referring
to a past situation or activity that was in progress for a
period of time.

6. Perfect and progressive aspect across registers and
dialects
A) Register differences
• The large majority of verb phrases are not marked for aspect. In
fact, almost 90 percent of all verbs are simple aspect.
• Perfect aspect is used in all registers, but is is somewhat more
common in fiction and news.
“Call for Growth Rises to Counter German Push for
Austerity
By NICHOLAS KULISH
A euro zone strategy to cut deficits has come under
increasing strain from slowing economies, gyrating
financial markets and electoral setbacks.” The New York
Times, 04/23/2012

7. • Progressive aspect is more common in conversation
than in the written registers
“Summer: This is a nightmare. I'm
sweating to death, driving ten miles an
hour on, like, a rickshaw, listening to this...
music.
Seth: Hey, do not insult Death Cab.
Summer: It's like one guitar and a whole
lot of complaining.” The O.C.

8. B) Dialect differences
• American English conversation uses progressive aspect much more
than British English conversation does.
“Nothing’s happening over here” (AmE conv)
• In contrast, British English uses perfect aspect much more than
American English does.
• American English often uses past tense in contexts where British
English uses the present perfect.
“We already gave him a down payment” (AmE Conv)
“They’ve given me that already” (BrE Conv)

9. • The British English preference for perfect aspect
shows up most strongly in news.
“The ceremony took place on the main State
Department lobby next to the honor roll of American
diplomas who gave their lives in the line of duty.”
(AmE News)
“She praised the gallantry, determination
and sense of duty os the servicemen and
women who had given their lives for their
country.” (BrE News)

10. Perfect aspect in use
Present perfect
• The present perfect is more common in conversation, news
and academic prose.
• There are some verbs that are common in the present perfect
•Has/have been
“ ‘Cause I’ve been in love before” If I fell – The
Beatles
“He has never been attracted to women or men”
The Telegraph
•

11. • Has/have got
1. In British English it is very common in conversation with a similar meaning
to the simple present “have”
“You’ve got to work out” Interviewer
“You’ve got to leave it behind” Walk On – U2
2. It is also common in BrE to find this use without the perfect aspect marker.
This construction is considered non-standard to formal written English.
“Oh I got loads left” BrE conversation from the Grammar
“Mr. JT, now what you got for me” What you got – Justin Timberlake
3.In American English, there is a difference between
has/have got and has/have gotten: The first one refers to
current possession, while the second one means that
something has been acquired or that a change of state has
occurred.
“I’ve got homework to do”
“Celebrities Who Have Gotten In Trouble For Doing Really
Stupid Shiz!” Internet

12. • Has/have had
In British English it expresses the current relevance of some state
that came into being in the past.
“I’ve had the time of my life” The time of my life - Bill Medley/
Jennifer Warnes
• Other verbs that are common in present perfect aspect are gone,
done, made, seen, come, said, taken, become, given, shown,
thought, called – verbs whose consequences may persist over an
extended period of time.
“What I’ve done” I’ve done – Linkin Park
“I’ve just seen a face” I’ve just seen a face – The
Beatles

13. Past perfect
• Past perfect is especially common in fiction.
“He remembered that Lord Henry had said to him once” The
Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
“Had I but sooner learnt the crowd to shun,
I had been better than I now can be;” Epistle to Augusta –
Lord Byron
• But we can find it in conversation as well
“I mean…I hadn’t seen…I had no idea of how
Voldemort would look like” Daniel Radcliffe

14. Present perfect X Simple past
• Simple past describes an event that took place at a
particular time in the past, while present perfect
evokes a situation that happened in the past but that
we don’t know or don’t mention exactly when.
“I've seen your daughter
Man, she's cute
I was scared but I wanted to
Boy she looks a lot like you”
Advertising space – Robbie Williams

15. Past Perfect X Simple Past
• Past perfect verb phrases look back to an extended
time period that was completed in the past.
“It was indeed the crocodile. It had passed
the redskins, who were now on the trail of
the other pirates. It oozed on after Hook.”
Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie

16. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
U2 I've spoken with the tongue of angels
I've held the hand of the devil
I've climbed the highest mountains It was warm in the night
I've run through the fields I was cold as a stone
Only to be with you
But I still haven't found
I've run I have crawled What I'm looking for
I've scaled
These city walls I believe in the Kingdom Come
Only to be with you Then all the colors will
Bleed into one
But I still haven't found But yes I'm still running
What I'm looking for
You broke the bonds and you loosed
I've kissed honey lips the chains
Felt the healing in her You carried the cross
fingertips And my shame
It burned like fire You know I believe it
This burning desire
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

17. Progressive Aspect
• The least frequently used aspect
• Describes events in progress at a particular moment
in time, usually for brief periods
• Can be used either in the present or in the
past tense
I am doing the dishes
I was talking to Bob

18. • Present tense: describes events that are currently in progress
“The day begins in the middle of the night. I am not paying
attention to anything but the bass in my hand, the noise in my
ears. Dev is screaming, Thom is flailing, and I am the
clockwork(…)” Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
• Past Tense: describes events that were in progress at an
earlier moment
“As we were talking outside
It was cold, we were shivering” I was hoping –
Alanis
“Today, I was trying on some clothes in the store's
changing room, when someone reached under
the door and grabbed my purse, shoes, and pants.
FML” FML Website

19. • Can also be used to talk about future events, when the speaker
feels, or is, certain that something will happen
But she’s coming back tomorrow
By this time next year, I will be living in Canada
• It’s not only used with dynamic verbs, it can also be used with
verbs that describe a situation or a state.
continuation of the state
“I've been walking around trying to figure out
why I am feeling all the feelings that I'm feeling now”
I Love you 5 - Never Shout Never

21. Verbs with the Progressive Aspect
• More common in conversations and in fiction.
in conversations, most verb phrases are in the
present, and in fiction, most of them are in the past.
“Luke: I am not wearing my socks
Lorelay: So what are those, someone else’s?
Luke: Yes, I’m wearing someone else’s socks”
Gilmore Gils
“Portia and Bubber were sitting at the kitchen table
eating their dinner” The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

22. • The exception to this would be the past tense forms
was/were saying and was/were thinking
• Some verbs almost always occur in the progressive
aspect, like starve , bleed and kid
• Some other verbs almost never occur in the
progressive aspect. These verbs usually have
a more “instantaneous” meaning, like shrug
and smash

23. Characteristics thatdetermine whether a verb is
commonly or rarely used in the progressive form
1. Wheter the subject is an agent or an experiencer
2. The duration of the action described by the verb

24. • The verbs that are commom with the progressive usually have
a human agent that actively controls the situation as its
subject
“I'm singing in the rain
Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feeling”
“But I guess you don’t see the planets when you’re staring at
the sun. You just get blinded.” Nick and Norah’s
Infinite Playlist
• In contrast, some verbs rarely occur in the
progressive because their subject is not an agent,
but an experiencer, they don’t control the action,
like see and hear

25. • The same logic can be applied to mental verbs. Think and wonder,
for example, involve a subject who controls the mental activity.
“Little girl, I'm wondering
How can I make you love me
A little more than you loved him?”
I’m Wondering - Stevie Wonder
• However, verbs like appreciate, know, like and want,
describe a state, not an activity, being less used in the
progressive form
“I never wanna hear you say
I want it that way”
I want it that way, Backstreet Boys
• Verbs that rarely have human subjects are also less
common in the progressive aspect

26. • The action or state described by progressive verbs extends
over a substantial period of time.
• Verbs that describe “instantaneous” actions, or states of short
durations are rarelly used in the progressive, like shallow and
throw
• When you use a verb in the progressive it is implied that the
action extends over time, but it’s not permanent
• Other verbs that rarely occur in the progressive are
those that report the end-point of a process, like
rule, attain, find and invent.

27. THE END