ASPECT

Aspect is both grammatical and lexical. It is expressed in predicate, especially in verb inflections and collocation.

E.g.

Its beginning to break, Its breaking, It broke, its broken.

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10.1 Generic and specific predication

An aspect is expressed primarily in the predicates of sentences. But there certain similarities. Just as we distinguish between generis and non generic.

E.g :

1a. two and two make four. 1b. Rabbits a rodents. 2a. Gregory is here. 2b. I have a headache.

Sentence 1a 1b are eternal truth, statement about thing that we dont expect to change. They report unbounded situations or states. Sentences 2a 2b are temporary states. In fact we can add certain aspectual modifiers, affirmative and negative.

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E.g : 2a Gregory is already here. 2b I still have a headache.

Sentences 2a 2b in the previous slide state that certain situation exist at the present time. Sentences 2a - 2b contain the same information but the aspectual modifiers call attention to boundaries.

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10.2 Stative predicates and dynamic predicates

A stative predicate, according to Comric (1976: 49), report a state that requires no expenditure of energy and that continues until energy is expended to change that state. A dynamic predicate reports a situation that will only continue if there is a continual input of energy, but it ceasis when energy is no longer expended. The following sentences are stative and have stative predicates:

We waited. The children were hungry.

A stative predicate is tpically durative in aspect for each sentences above we can ask how long?. How long did we wait?. How long were the children hungry?.
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The following are activity sentences and have dynamic predicates:

Something moved. They discussed the plan.

dynamic verbs include those that express some from physical movement: come, drift, float go, hop, jump, pound, rotate, run, swim, turn, vibrate, walk. Verbs of communication: argue, complain, discuss, explain, invite, question, report, say, shout, talk, translate, whisper, write. Verbs of perception that involve doing something: feel, listen, look at, look for, smell, sniff, taste, watch.
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10.3 Durative and punctual

Albet kicked a ball and the ball struck a post. Sentences above contain two verb that contain punctual aspect. Kicking and striking normally designate actions that are momentary. Some other verbs that suggest a momentary action are:

Flash, hit, jump, kick, leap.

these action have essentially no duration. Other punctual verbs, such as arrive, tell of a change from one status to another, as in examlpe; Diane arrived at the office p few minutes after nine. A number of punctual verbs of this type can be used in the present tense to express an event planned for a future time.

8a They leave/arrive tomorrow. 8b The plane lands at 8:40. 8c The shop opens next week.

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10.4 Telic and atelic

Vendler (1967) proposed a four-way classification of predicates as stative, activity, achievement, and accomplishment predicates a classification that derives essentially from Aristotle. Stative and activity predicates are atelic, and achievement predicates are telic. What do the terms atelic and atelic mean, examine these sentences.

14a George was waiting 14b Sandra was swimming 14c George was leaving 14d Sandra was writing a letter

Sandra was holding the baby. George was running. Sandra was dying. George was cutting the rope.

The sentences in 14a are stative and those in 14b are activities. The sentences in 14c contains achievement sentences and the sentences 14d are accomplishment.

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10.5 Ingressive, continuative, aggressive aspect

Some predicates express simple state: other express the beginning, the continuance or the ending of the states. Some predicates have causative sense: they bring about, or maintain, or put an end to states the exist. We know examine such predicates in group off common meaning.

Predicates of location. Predicates of possession. Predicates of cognition. Event predicates.

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10.5.1 Predicates of location

The locative predicate:

On, in, at, above, beside, near, next-to, and under are two-argument predicates/three arguments.

Example: The lamp is on the table, some orange are in that basket, Donald is at the door. When the subject noun phrase is an animate being like Donald in sentences below:

25a Donald gets to/arrives at/reaches the door. 25b 25c ----stays at/remains at leaves/departs from --- . --- .

(25a) there are punctual verbs to express the beginning or ingressive aspect. (25b) Durative verbs that express the continuative aspect.
5/28/12 Punctual verbs which express the end or egressive (25c)

10.5.2 Predicates of Possession continuative, and egressive aspect Express the ingressive,

of the possesing with the verbs. Example: 27a Eleanor gets/acquires 27b Eleanor keeps

a car

[ inception] [ duration] [termination]

the car

27c Eleanor losses/gives up the car

Some 3 argument predicates express a change of possession.

28a Someone gives/ presents/ awards/ sells a car to Eleanor. 28b Someone takes/ receives/ buys the ca from Eleanor. Note the similarity of verbs that have to do with location and those that relate to possession:
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10.5.4 Event predicates

Events are located in time as the sentences below:

31a The meeting is at 2:00 31b The game was on Sunday 31c Our party is on Friday 3d The ceremony takes place this afternoon

These sentences have the structure Event + Locative Predicate + Time. A time phrases can be added to almost any sentences. Sentences 31a 31d are stative: each one simply locates an event in time. But an event must have a beginning, a middle and an end, as the next sentences

32a The conference begins at 2.

5/28/12 Our party went on four hours. 32b