Morphosyntax3 – Lecture 7 –Progressiveaspect
- temporary situations, activities - the temporary situation includes the present moment in its time-span, stretching for a limited period into the past and into the future
1. duration (Xnon-durative 'event present')
I raise my arm!The house falls down! -suggest a sudden movement
X Iam raising my arm. The house is fallingdown.– suggest a more gradual movement
2. limited duration (X 'state present')
My watch works perfectly.(permanent state - 'my watch is generally areliable one')
X My watch is working perfectly.(temporary state)
3. happening need not be complete(X 'event presentor past') - transition from one state to another
The bus stopped.(indicating thevehicle's arrival at a state of rest)
X The bus was stopping.(the bus was slowing down towards a stop, we don’t state whether it stopped or not)
- Progressive Aspect generally has the effect of surrounding a particular event or moment by a 'temporal frame‘
This time last year I was travelling round the world.
twoneighbouring Simple Past forms →time-sequence
a Progressive and a Simple Past form →time-inclusion
Classes of verbs with the Progressive Aspect
EVENT VERBS – momentary (hiccough, hit, jump, kick, knock, nod, tap, wink, etc.)
– transitional(arrive, die, fall, land, leave, lose, stop, etc.)
1. momentaryverbs- it is difficult to think of them as having duration → the Progressive form, in giving them duration, forces us to think of a series of events, rather than of a single event
He nodded.(a single movement)
XHe was nodding.(a repeated movement)
2. transitionalverbs–the Progressive indicates theapproach to a transition, rather than the transition itself
The bus was stopping.
3. activity verbs (drink, eat, play, rain, read, run, talk, watch, work,write, etc.)- referto a continuing, though time-limited, activity (something is 'going on‘):
'What are you doing?' 'I'mwriting a letter.'
4. process verbs (change, develop, grow, increase, learn, mature, slow down, widen, etc.) - a process of change usually has duration, but not indefinite duration:
The weather is changing for the better.
Anti-progressive verbs
to be:He is ill(state present) X ?*He is being ill.
BUTmany anti-progressive verbs can occur with the Progressive Aspect in special contexts
- Anti-progressiveverbsinclude:
5. verbs of inert perception (feel, hear, see, smell, taste)
I could hear/heard a knocking at the door.
X *Iwashearing a knocking at the door.
→thecould form denotes a state, whereas the Simple Past form denotes an event:
I could hear a door slamming (all night).(a continuing and repeated noise)
(At that moment) I heard a door slam. (a single moment of impact)
6. verbs of inert cognition (believe, forget, guess, think, imagine, know, suppose, understand, etc.)
I believe in fair play.(*I am believingin fair play.)
Feel, see and hear, in addition to being 'verbs of perception‘ can beused as verbs of cognition:
Wefeel(= it is our feeling or opinion) thatyou have so much to offer(not *We are feeling. ..,etc.).
Iseeyour point.
IhearKateis engaged to Jack.
7. verbs of attitude(including volition and feeling) (hate, hope, intend, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish)
She loves working on a farm.
- some of these can more easily occur in the Progressive - enjoy, hope, like, love - if the emphasis is on temporariness or tentativeness
Tim, are you wantingany fruit?
8. state verbs of having and being (be, belong to, contain, consist of,cost, depend on, deserve, have, matter, own, resemble, etc.)
This carpet belongs to me. (*This carpet is belonging to me.)
9. verbs of bodily sensation(ache, feel, hurt, itch,tingle, etc.)
- when referring to a temporary state, theycan occur either with or without the Progressive with no difference in meaning:
I feel great. = I'm feeling great.
My knee hurts. =Myknee is hurting.
! feel(internal sensation)Xfeel (verb of perceptiondenoting external sensation):
I feel/am feeling great. X Ican feel a stone in my shoe.
= multiple membership
Otherexamples of multiple membership
1. verbs in class 5(feel, taste and smell)- 'inert perception', but also 'active perception' (Class 3)
I (can) smell the gas. X I'msmelling the perfume. It'ssplendid!
Class 5’s seeand hearare not used in the active sense, because the separate verbs look at and listen to are available for that function:
I (can) see a bus in the distance. X I'mlooking at a bus in the distance.
I (can't) hear what he's saying. X You're not listening to what he's saying.
2. verbs in class 6 (inertcognition) – in progressiveshow the activation or arousal of thought processes
Surely you'reimagining things!
3. verbs in class 6 and 7 (inertcognition and attitude)– wecan use the Progressiveforpolitenessreasons
I'm hoping you'll give us some advice.
4. verbs in class 8('state verbs of having and being') cancombine with the Progressive Aspect where an 'activity' meaning can be supplied
She is being kind.(She is acting kindly towards someone)
X She is kind.(It‘s her characteristicthatshe‘skind)
Certain other verbs in class 8can take the Progressive when accompanied by an expression like more and more:
He is resemblinghis father more and more as the years go by.
Progressive Aspect: other uses
1. habit in existence over a limited period: I'mtaking dancing lessons this winter.
2. repetition of events of limited duration:Whenever I pass that house the dog's barking.
3. ProgressivePresentmayrefer to anticipatedhappenings in thefuture (likeSimplePresent) (futurateprogressive):Martin is coming over for lunch on Sunday.
4. persistent orcontinuous activity(absence of the 'temporary' element of the normal Progressive meaning):The western land mass is always moving towards the water.
- always, continually, constantly and for ever(orforever)
I'm continually forgetting people's names.
He's always giving her expensive presents.- mighthave a tone ofirritation, criticism