Английский глагол в калейдоскопе времён

Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Средняя общеобразовательная школа № 2

имени Героя Советского Союза Н. И. Бореева»

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ГЛАГОЛ

В КАЛЕЙДОСКОПЕ ВРЕМЁН

                                             Ольга Жирнова, обучающаяся 9 А класса

                                        МБОУ СОШ № 2 им. Н. И. Бореева

О.Б. Размахнина, учитель английского языка

Моршанск

2017

THE CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

Verb tenses can be difficult to learn in a foreign language. Different cultures think different ways about time. Chinese, for example, has no grammatical verb tenses. Other languages, like Indonesian, express time only through adverbs — there are no changes to the verb form. [17] The problem is that although all languages have verb tenses, not all languages have the same verb tenses or use them in a similar way.

English verb tenses give many details about time and action. In English, it is possible to express several different tenses through a combination of words as well as by changing the form of a verb. Using correct verb tense to convey a thought is necessary in writing and speaking. Understanding tenses provides the English language learners with a clearer presentation of the sequence of events and passage of time described. Unnecessary shifts in verb tenses can cause confusion, and misunderstanding may occur.

The main objective of our research is the review of English verb tenses through visible, emotional forms. To reach the aim we plan to do the following:

• to examine the basic structure of the English verb tenses;
• to bring up more variety and interest into  language learning process;
• to change students’ attitudes to English grammar.

We believe grammar patterns can be stimulating and useful, and also fun to look for, that is why we used the latest Harry Potter book to illustrate the point analyzing verb tenses while reading for pleasure. All the examples are natural, modern and, we hope, thought provoking and encouraging further effective grammar studying and reading English books in the original.

The hypothesis is “Reading for pleasure is a good way for language learners to improve their grammar skills in general, and master English verb tenses in particular.”

The object of the research is the system of the English verb tenses. The forms of the verb as a predicate in Active Voice are the research subject.

It cannot be denied that the verb is a really fundamental problem of English and it should be given enough attention to understand its structure at a very deep level. Unfortunately, the limited frames of our work make it impossible to discuss all verb peculiarities and include such verb forms as the passive, conditionals, modals, reported speech, gerund and infinitive which are beyond the research.

The actuality of the project is in the growing number of students who need English for various purposes and would like to improve their grammar. The project can be interesting not only for those who want to be grammatically correct expressing their ideas in English but also for all Garry Potter fans.

1. VERB DEFINITION AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Who climbs a grammar tree,

distinctly knows

Where noun, and VERB, and

participle grows.

John Dryden

Verb (from the Latin verbum meaning word) is a syntactic word (a part of speech) conveying activity (action/state). [20] 

Verbs can be classified in several ways. As it is seen from the definition, there are two categories of verbs: action (or notional) verbs and state of being verbs (also known as linking verbs). There are also auxiliary verbs which have no lexical meaning of their own and are used as form-words, thus having only a purely structural function in the sentence. They are used accompanied by notional verbs or sometimes linking verbs. Some verbs can function like helping verbs of main verbs but they will only do one job at a time in a sentence.

There are two types of   main verbs. The verbs that require an object are called transitive verbs. Verbs that do not require an object are called intransitive verb.  Most verbs can be both transitive and intransitive.  [21]

In accordance with their stem-structure verbs, like other parts of speech, fall under the following groups: simple, derived, compound and phrasal.

According to the ways of forming the Past Indefinite and Past Participle verbs are divided into regular and irregular.

According to their lexical character verbs in English may be classified into two groups: terminative verbs and durative verbs. A terminative verb expresses an action which has a final aim in view, a certain limit beyond which the action cannot be continued. To the class of terminative verbs belong such verbs as to close, to open, to come, to bring, etc. A durative verb expresses an action which has no final aim in view, no limit beyond which the action cannot be continued. Such verbs as to like, to love, to hate, to hope, to wish, to want belong to the class of durative verbs. [4 p. 16]

It should be pointed out that our project does not cover all verb classifications as it is not the objective of the research.  We examine finite forms of the verb acting as the predicate. It is one of the two principal parts of the sentence, which can be expressed by no other part of speech but the verb. In the sentence verbs express what the subject is doing and what the state of any subject is. The verb in the finite form expresses the following categories: person, number, aspect, correlation, tense, voice and mood.

2. THE ENGLISH VERB IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF TENSES

1. Verb: Category of Tense

The  grammatical  categories  of  the  English  verb  are  so closely  merged  together  that  it  is  impossible  to  treat  them  separately. Traditionally, grammarians use different terms to describe different kinds of verb construction. However, one particularly important distinction needs to be made. That is the one between time and tense.

1. The Distinction between Time and Tense

A tense is a form of a verb which shows the time at which an action happens. It comes from the Latin word "tempus", which means "time". [22]

The term “tense” is used to mean no more than different forms of the verb. Tense is a purely grammatical idea. [14 p. 47]

Tense  is  a  verbal  category  which  reflects  the  objective  category of  time  and  expresses  the  relations  between  the  time  of  the  action and  the  time  of  the  utterance. [2 p. 48]

Tense is the form of the verb which indicates the time of the action. The category of tense in English is made up by a set of forms  opposed  to  each  other  in  referring  the  event  or  state  described to the present, past or future. [6 p. 16]

Time is not the same thing as tense. The importance of the distinction cannot be overestimated.  Time is an element of our experience of reality. Still there are many examples where the grammatical tense and the time referred to are not the same.

2.1.2 Real Time

Most people probably feel that they share the same idea of time. According to our normal perception, time is divided into Past, Present and Future. A lot of linguists refer to the exact moment of speaking as “the point Now”. Then, in an obvious sense, Past Time is time before Now; Future Time is time after Now. Present Time is all that is left — that is simply the point Now. [14 p. 47]

3. Different Approaches to Tense System

The category of tense in English (as well as in Russian) expresses the relationship between the time of the action and the time of speaking.

Past, present, and future are the objective time divisions. However, English grammar admits of two different tense systems.

According  to  one  interpretation,  there  are  three  tenses  in  English: present, past and future, represented by the synthetic forms (e. g. write, \writes, wrote)  or  analytical  forms  (e. g. will write). [2 p. 48]

The time of speaking is designated as present time and is the starting point for the whole scale of time measuring. The time that follows the time of speaking is designated as future time; the time that precedes the time of speaking is designated as past time. Accordingly there are three tenses in English – the present tense, the future tense and the past tense which refer actions to present, future or past time.

Besides these three tenses some scholars distinguish one more tense in English, the so-called future in the past. The peculiarity of this tense is in the fact that the future is looked upon not from the point of view of the moment of speaking (the present) but from the point of view of some moment in the past. [2 p. 49]

According to the other view, there are two grammatically relevant tenses in English: the present tense and the past tense. These grammarians claim there are no future tenses but different ways of expressing the future [20] as there is no one verb form specifically, or even strongly, associated with Future Time. The choice of the correct form of the verb for different situations to refer to Future Time in English is often a major problem for students.  

2. Verb: Category of Aspect  

Aspect  is  the  form  of  the  verb  which  serves  to  express  the manner in which the action is regarded. There are two  opposing sets  of  aspect  forms  in  English —  the  Continuous  forms  and  the Non-Continuous  (Indefinite)  forms.  The  Non-Continuous  forms  have  a  very  broad  meaning,  they  have  no  specialized aspect characteristics of their own  and merely represent an action as  occurring.  Conversely,  the  Continuous  forms  have  a  clear –cut aspect  characteristic,  which  is  to  represent an  action  in its  temporary  development.  The Continuous forms have a number of other concomitant meanings or overtones that go with the basic meaning of process and duration.  They are incompletion, simultaneity, vividness of description, emotional coloring and emphasis.

Besides,  there  are  the  Perfect  forms  which  are  opposed  to  the Non-Perfect  forms.  The latter have no definite grammatical characteristics.  The  grammatical  meaning  of  the  Perfect  forms  is  to express retrospectiveness, which consists of two elements  —  priority and relevance. [20]

The aspective meaning can be in-built in the semantic structure of the verb.  In  the  English  verb  system  lexical  aspective meanings  are  expressed  in  the  subclasses  of  terminative  verbs  (start, come)  and  durative  or  non-terminative  verbs  ( go, move). These aspective verbal subclasses are grammatically relevant in so far as they are not indifferent to the choice of the aspective grammatical forms of the verb.  On the other hand, the aspective meaning can be represented by various grammatical categories with their corresponding forms (e. g. English continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous forms). Aspective grammatical change is not typical of the Russian language. [2 p. 50]

3. Comparative Analysis of Active Verb Tenses Systems

Thus, each tense is represented by verb forms involving such categories as aspect and perfect. There are a number of different approaches to the system of tenses. There are also different words for one and the same tenses: the word Simple is much more common than Indefinite. [4], [5], [7], [21]

Many grammarians use the word Continuous, rather than Progressive.  [25], [26], [27], [28], [29]

What is more, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question “How many tenses are there in the English language?”  One can say 12, defining 4 groups of tenses: Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous, and 3 times: Present, Past and Future. We can also name 16 tenses if Future-in-the-Past is added. This approach is supported by the majority of Russian scholars and school teachers [1], [5], [7], as well as by foreign grammarians [24], [23], [26]

The English Verb Tenses ‘Ultimate Mind Map’ is just one more weapon in your arsenal. [38]

Maria Kolpakchi, a Russian linguist and teacher of English, suggests an interesting technique of English verb tenses table construction. Take a sheet of paper and fold it four times. Then unfold the paper, and you have got 16 cells to put 16 English verb tense forms in. [5 p. 168]      

So, we  can name the  following  finite  forms:  the  Present  Simple/Indefinite,  the  Present  Continuous/Progressive,  the  Present  Perfect,  the  Present Perfect  Continuous/Progressive,  the  Past  Simple/Indefinite,  the  Past  Continuous/Progressive,  the Past Perfect, the Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive, the Future Simple/Indefinite, the  Future  Continuous/Progressive,  the  Future  Perfect,  the  Future  Perfect Continuous/Progressive, the  Future  Simple/Indefinite -in -the -Past,  the  Future  Continuous/Progressive -in -the -Past,  and  the  Future Perfect-in -the –Past, the  Future  Perfect Continuous/Progressive-in-the-Past.

As for the structure of future tenses, will is the universal auxiliary verb, however, few grammars admit that in statements about the future in the first person either will or shall can be used with the same meaning, still shall is less usual in modern English. [20]

There is a much more categorical opinion about shall/will. “Some grammarians, and teachers, have instilled certain things about particular language items into students over the years. Many people who have gone to school in Britain will remember being told “use  shall with  the  first  person  and  will with  the  second  and  third”.  The most elementary investigation of how native speakers of English actually use will and shall reveals that this “rule” has little, if anything, to do with the truth. Both will and shall are used (with slightly different meanings) in all persons. The principle of general use particularly when they write it, they are strongly influenced by what they were taught in school — even if what they were taught was misguided!” [14 p. 30]

There is an opinion that, technically, there are no future tenses in English. The word will is a modal auxiliary verb and future tenses are sometimes called "modal tenses". In some tense tables the examples of future tenses are included for convenience and comparison. [32]

Oxford Guide to English Grammar defines 8 tenses: 4 Present tenses, 4 Past tenses, and no Future tenses at all. [20 p. 89]

Such popular editions for a wide range of readers as “English Grammar for the Utterly Confused” and “English Grammar for Dummies” say that English has six verb tenses. [19], [35]

Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progressive. The basic form shows action, occurrence, or state of being that is taking place right here and now. The basic form also is the base for the future form (i.e., I will sleep; they will sleep). The following table shows the six forms for the verb to walk:

[19 p. 37]

The six tenses express time within three main categories: past, present, and future. The following chart shows how the tenses are related.

[19 p. 37]

5 HARRY POTTER IN A MAZE OF TIME/LEARNING TENSES WHILE READING

Not to get lost in the system of English tenses one should practise as much as possible.

Reading for pleasure can be an effective way of English verb tense studying. A lot of examples can be found to illustrate the rules. All the examples below are from the eighth Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. [16]

The two present forms (simple present, present progressive) are used to show events that take place now.

See more examples in Appendix 1.

It is important not to confuse the name of a verb tense with the way we use it to talk about time as, for example, we use Simple Present or Present Progressive to speak about the future.

See more examples in Appendix 2.

The six past forms (simple past, present perfect, past perfect, past progressive, present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive) are used to show events that took place before the present.

The following table provides examples of how to use these tenses.

See more examples in Appendix 3.

The four future forms (simple future, future perfect, future progressive, and future perfect progressive) show events that take place in the future. The table explains the future tenses.

See more examples in Appendix 4.

It should be pointed out that the eighth Harry Potter book is a play and most of the time two teenagers are speaking as they are the main characters. We believe that is the reason for a lot of examples of Present Perfect and Present Progressive, but no examples for Future Perfect or Future Perfect Progressive.

CONCLUSION

Language learning involves more than understanding. It is obvious that students also need practice in using forms accurately and spontaneously. For this reason traditional practices should be done.

Too often this attitude is reinforced by teachers who make remarks such as  Oh,  English  is  a  very  illogical language,  English  is full of irregularities. The  student  is  left  with  the  impression  that  he/she   is  trying  to  understand  a jigsaw  puzzle  where  some  of  the  pieces  change  shape,  some  pieces  are  missing, some pieces are broken, and, when you have got the whole picture, it is difficult to see what it is! [14 p.14]

Many English learners worry too much about tense. If you stopped 100 native English speakers in the street and asked them about tense, 1 of them might give you an intelligent answer – if you were lucky. The other 99 would know little about terms like “past perfect” or “present continuous”. And they would know nothing about aspect, voice or mood. But they can speak fluent English and communicate effectively. Of course, for ESL it helps to know about tenses, but don’t become obsessed with them. Be like those native speakers! Speak naturally! [23]

Still we strongly believe that instead of being the least popular, rather frightening part of the language learning process, grammar in general and English verb tense system in particular can become intellectually stimulating, educationally valuable, and enjoyable.

The hypothesis of the research has been proved. In fact books can be a valuable source of information to reinforce grammar skills, yet having read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child we failed to find examples to some tenses. We do hope our research will be a challenge for other students encouraging them to overcome grammar difficulties, build up their knowledge of tenses and find their own examples in Harry Potter series or other books.

LIST OF LITERATURE

1. Биболетова М.З., Бабушис Е.Е., Кларк О.И., Морозова А.Н., Соловьева  И.Ю. Enjoy English. Английский с удовольствием: учебник для 9-го класса общеобразовательных учреждений – 4 изд., перераб. – Москва: Издательство АСТ: Астрель, 2016. – 240 с.
2. Викулова Е.А. Теоретическая  грамматика  современного  английского  языка: [учеб. пособие] / Е. А. Викулова ; М-во образования и науки Рос. Федерации, Урал. федер. Ун-т. — Текст англ. —Екатеринбург : Изд-во Урал. ун-та, 2014. — 88 с.
3. Иванова И. П.,  Бурлакова В. В., Почепцов Г. Г. Теоретическая грамматика  современного  английского языка:  Учебник./  —  М.:  Высш.  школа,  1981. —285  с.
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10. Эйтчинсон Джеймс Английский English (Грамматика, орфография, пунктуация, стилистика) – М. : «Аквариум», 1996. – 464 с.
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15. Mann Malcolm, Taylore-Knowles Steve. Grammar and Vocabulary: Pre-intermediate to intermediate, Student’s Book, - Macmillain Education, 2007, 216 p.
16. Tiffany John, Thorne Jack. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling. Special rehearsal edition. – Original West End Production, 2016, 343 p.
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Appendix 1

TENSES INDICATING THE PRESENT

Appendix 2

PRESENT TENSES INDICATING THE FUTURE

Appendix 3

TENSES INDICATING THE PAST

Appendix 4

USE OF FUTURE TENSES