Re: Verbs

At 8:17 pm -0800 21/3/00, Gerald Koenig wrote:
>>
[...]
>>
>>Some languages like the Slav langs & modern Greek have a clearly defined
>>dual aspect system (imperfective & perfective in the Slav langs) with a
>>complete set of tenses in each aspect.  The western European languages have
>>tended to mix tense & aspect.  English verbs are considered by some to show
>>four aspects:
>>         Simple     Progressive   Perfect     Perfect progressive
>>Present  I go        I'm going    I've gone    I've been going
>>Past    I went      I was going   I had gone   I had been going
>
>The English terminology can be very confusing. For example the present
>perfect is a de facto past tense.
I agree - that's why I said "are considered by some".  The western European
langs seem to be far more concerned with time than with aspect.

The English system is susceptible to different and better analyses such as,
e.g., your Vector Tense system which I've snipped but have looked at with
interest.  I feel it merits more careful reading on my part when time
allows.

If Shreyas wants to get a better idea of aspect per_se, then I suggest
trying to get hold of a good grammar of Russian or one of the other Slav
langs.

Ray.

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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                   [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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