36. Verb: the category of aspect.

The aspective meaning of the verb reflects the realization of the process irrespective of its timing 2 systems of verbal forms should be evaluated the Continuous & Perfect forms.

Blokh distinguished 2 oppositions:

1.constitued by the continuos forms of the verb & non-continuous or indefinite form of the verb. It’s the aspective category of development. The strong member is the continuous –build up by the discontinuous morpheme be+ing.

Continuous form denotes an action proceeding continuously at a definite period of time, within certain time limits.

Non-continuous form denotes an action not limited but either occurring repeatedly or everlasting ,without any notion of lasting duration at a given moment.

H.Sweet,O.Jespersen put them among the tense forms of the verb. Actually the continuous usually goes with a verb which express a simultaneous action. But the timing of the action is not expressed by the continuous. One more fact about the non-temperal meaning of the continuous it’s use in the verb form perfect continuous. It can only be understood as expressing aspectuality. The opposition of the category of development undergoes different reductions ex:The man stood (introductory word-neutralization”+”) smoking (participial construction “–“) a pipe

The 2 category of retrospect. It constitued by the opposition of the perfect form of the verb to the non-perfect. The strong member is perfect, which is built up by the discontinuous morpheme have-en. The categorial individuality of the perfect was shown by Smirnitsky (This category is different from both tense and aspect) The content of the category-priority expressed by the perfect form against the non-expression of priority by the non-perfect forms.

37. Verb: the categories of person and number.

Numbers in the verb: singular and persons: first, second and third.

The second person singular (thou speakest) is not used in Modern English, it has been replaced by the second person plural (you speak). Survivals of that form are found only in poetry and high prose: From the earth thou springest Like a cloud of fire.

2.The only personal inflexion of the verb in Modern English is the inflexion -s, -es [z, s, iz] of the third person singular in the present tense of the indicative mood; [z] after voiced consonants and vowels (he reads, he plays), [s] after voiceless consonants (he writes, he stops), [iz] after sibilants (he dresses, he brushes).

The archaic second person has the inflexion in spelling -est, -st [ist, st] (thou speakest).

3.The verb to be has three forms for person and number, in the present indefinite: / am, he (she, it) is, we (you, they) are; and two forms for the past indefinite: singular — was (I, he, she, it), plural — were (we, you, they).

4.In all other cases only the combination of the verb with the personal pronoun indicates the person and number of the verb. Therefore the personal pronoun is hardly ever dropped in English as it often is in Russian where the inflexion of the verb indicates number and person: Will you go with me? Yes, I shall.