The category of aspect

The category of aspect is a system of two member opposemes in the English language such as works – is working, has worked – has been working, to work – to be working showing the character of the action, that is whether the action is taken in its progress, in its development (continuous aspect) or it is simply stated, its nature being unspecified (non-continuous aspect).

In Ukrainian it is also a system of two member opposemes represented by the verbs of perfective and imperfective aspects. Verbs having similar lexical meanings often create aspect pairs (видові пари: писати – надписати, читати – прочитати).

In the English grammar the problem of aspect is a controversial one. There is but little consensus of opinion about this category in Modern English.

One meets different approaches to the English aspect, which can be briefly summarized as follows:

1. Aspect is interpreted as a category of semantics rather than that of grammar.

2. Aspect is not recognized at all as a category of Modern English grammar.

3. Aspect is blended with tense and regarded as a part of the tense-aspect system.

4. Aspect and tense are recognized as two distinct grammatical categories.

According to the opinion of B. KhaimovichandB. Rogovskaya [24; 135–136]the category expressed by the opposition of the continuous and the non-continuous forms is not that of tense, for example, the forms wrote – was writing are opposed not as tense forms. Both of them express the same tense – the past.

Likewise it would be correct to disagree that aspect as a grammatical category cannot be separated from tense. As we know, in actual speech all the grammatical meanings of a word always go together in a bunch. Thus in tells we find a) present tense, b) active voice, c) indicative mood, d) singular number, etc.

It does not follow however, that we are unable to separate the category of mood from the category of tense or the category of voice from that of aspect. By opposing tells to told and will tell we single out the category of tense; by contrasting tells with is telling we bring to light the category of aspect. Thus aspect is as closely connected with tense, as it is with voice, mood, person, number, etc.

The categories of tense and aspect characterize an action from different points of view. The tense of a verb shows the time of action, while the aspect of a verb deals with the development of action.

With regard to the category of aspect verbs are divided into those that have aspect opposites and those that have not. The latter are united by the oblique or lexico-grammatical, or potential meaning of “non-continuous aspect”. As usual, the neutralization of “aspect” opposemes depends on the lexical meanings of the corresponding verbs.

Here is a brief enumeration of some groups of verbs usually having no aspect opposites in English:

a) Verbs presenting diverse relations as actions – belong, contain, consist, date, possess, resemble, result, etc.

b) Certain link-verbs (mostly those of “seeming”) such as appear, look, prove, seem, turn out, etc.

c) Verbs of “physical perception” (see, hear, feel, smell), denoting constant properties viewed as actions.

d) Verbs of “mental perceptions” (believe, dislike, distrust, hate, hope, know, like, trust, understand, etc.) which are likewise, verbs of weak dynamic force.

e) “Point-action” verbs, denoting instantaneous acts of very short duration, unless such acts are repeated (burst, jump, drop, pick up, etc.).

Sometimes, however, the potential meanings are actualized by the use of a “continuous aspect” opposite showing the progress of the action at a given moment or during a certain period and stressing its temporary, transient nature, as in She was not hating him any more at that crucial moment [24; 134–138].

In Ukrainian there can be met one-aspect verbs of the imperfective type (одновидові дієслова недоконаного виду: базікати, почитувати) as well as one-aspect verbs of the perfective type (одновидові дієслова доконаного виду: розговоритися, начитатися, поподумати).

Ukrainian verbs of the imperfective aspect have three tense forms: present, past and future, verbs of the perfective aspect – only the past tense form and the simple form of the future tense.

Ukrainian verbs of the perfective aspect (доконаний вид) point out towards certain limits in revealing of the denoted by them action or state, on certain limit in time of their revealing; we as if feel here the beginning and the end of certain action, the certain result either in the form of the past or the future tense (compare: взяти, написати, підрахувати).

Verbs of imperfective aspect (недоконаного виду) express the unfinished character of some action, its durability; they do not show the limits of certain action; also they do not point towards the limits of some action from its beginning to the end even in the form of past tense, but the process of action is stressed here, e.g.: брати, писати, рахувати.

As a rule, Ukrainian verbs of perfective and imperfective aspects go alongside in pairs, and between them there is no other difference, besides the aspect characteristics. Aspect meanings are expressed not by endings, but by the stem of the verb.

Morphological means of the Ukrainian aspect form building are various: 1) prefixation (питати – спитати, розпитати),
2) suffixation (списувати – списати, нагадувати, нагадати),
3) vowel alternation (вмирати – вмерти, везти – перевозити),
4) the stress shifting (вимір¢яти – ви¢міряти, розкидáти – розки¢дати), 5) the use of different stems (брати – взяти, говорити – сказати) and others.

The aspect meaning of the verb influences its form structure. Verbs of perfective aspect, that do not denote the process of action durability, do not have forms of the present tense (compare: написати, сказати). Verbs of imperfective aspect have the forms of all three tenses. Besides, verbs of different aspects create their forms of the future tense unequally. The aspect of verbs of imperfective aspect can have two forms: казатиму, буду казати; стоятиму, буду стояти, and the verbs of perfective aspect can have only the synthetic form of the future tense: сказати – скажу, стати – стану. So, the aspect in Ukrainian is a lexical-grammatical category.

Ukrainian linguist Yu.O. Zhluktenko sums up the main peculiarities of the category of aspect expression in the contrasted languages in the following way [5; 74–75]:

1. The characteristic common feature of aspect forms in English and Ukrainian is their close connection with tense forms. Each tense form is simultaneously some aspect form and vice versa.

2. The essential difference between aspect forms in both languages concerns the correlation of the common and perfective aspects (співвідношення загального та доконаного видів). In this respect, the following fact is the most outstanding one: the action which happens regularly or is a repeated one, is rendered in English usually by forms of the common aspect, whereas in Ukrainian such an action cannot be rendered with the help of the perfective aspect and is regularly rendered by forms of the imperfective aspect.

It is explained by the fact that in Ukrainian in the forms of the perfective aspect the attention is paid towards the fact of the action realization itself and simultaneously towards the full revealing of its content. In English for the forms of the common aspect the fact of the action realization itself comes to the first place, and the moment, whether it is fully realized or not, comes to the second place. That is why the perfective aspect should necessarily point out towards the full realization of the action. It naturally cannot render the action which is a repeated one, since it cannot be considered as the action which is fully completed. That is why such a sentence as The sun rises in the East. – Сонце сходить на сході., in which it is spoken about the action which happens regularly, action is rendered in English with the help of the common aspect form, whereas in Ukrainian – with the help of the imperfective aspect form. The perfective aspect cannot be used in such cases.

3. The English continuous aspect is “narrower” by the power of its expression than the Ukrainian imperfective aspect. It is caused by the fact that forms of the continuous aspect in English do not only stress the process of action but also bring attention towards its concrete character, its visual expression (наочність), demonstra­tiveness, and present this action in the way as if it is happening before the speaker’s eyes. In its turn in Ukrainian the imperfective aspect points only towards the process of the action development, not singling out separately the meaning of concreteness. Depending on the context the Ukrainian imperfective aspect can express either the concrete action, happening at the moment of speaking, or the action of a more general and abstract character. Compare, e.g.:

1. Take the kettle off the stove, the water is boiling. – Зніміть чайник з плити: вода кипить.

2. Water boils at 100⁰ degrees Centigrade. – Вода кипить при 100⁰ Цельсія.

3. Are the children already sleeping? – Діти вже сплять?

4. In summer we sleep here. – Влітку ми спимо тут.

The complexity of the category of aspect lies in the fact that besides the mentioned basic kinds, we have a number of smaller aspect groups in both languages. Of course, they belong to some of two basic types of aspect. For example, in English such subtypes are the following:

a) the subtype of repletion in usage (многократність), which is expressed morphologically with the help of auxiliary verbs will, would, used to;

b) the subtype of the one-time short action: have a smoke, give a smile;

c) the subtype of the action beginning: begin reading, grow dark;

d) the subtype of the unlimited duration: continue speaking, keep silence;

e) the subtype of the action finishing: stop smoking, come true.

In Ukrainian such a subtype in the imperfective aspect are the verbs denoting the repetitive use: приспівувати, примовляти, визбирувати. The perfective aspect has the following subtypes:

a) the subtype of the action beginning: зашуміти, заспівати;

b) duration of the completed action: поспав, посидів;

c) achieving the result of the completed action: вивчити, виконати;

d) the sudden character of some action: грюкнути, стукнути;

e) the unexpected character or the sharpness of the completed action: рубонути, штовхонути;

f) the repetitive character of the limited in time action: попереписувати, пороздавати, понаносити [5; 76–77].

Therefore, the grammatical category of aspect of the English verb is usually revealed by the so called aspect-tense forms (видо-часові форми). Usually there are two basic kinds differentiated: 1) the common aspect (загальний вид, by the terminology used above – non-continuous aspect (нетривалий вид)) expressed by Indefinite verb forms, and 2) continuous aspect (тривалий вид) expressed by Continuous verb forms. Forms of the common aspect render the mere fact of action whereas the forms of continuous aspect point out towards the process of some action, its development. Unlike the Ukrainian aspect, by expression of which a great role is played also by lexical means (word building affixes, usage of different stems), in English the mentioned above aspect forms are formed by morphological means.