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35. Verb: the category of tense.

Tense is the form of the verb which indicates the time of the action. The main divisions of time — present, past and future, are represented in English by the three primary tenses: present,past, and future.These three tenses are expressed in two aspect forms: the common and the continuous: The common aspect:

"We have a good deal of reading to do," explained Mrs. Da­vidson. (Maugham.) They talked for a long time... (Maxwell.) "I shall act and I shall act promptly." (Maugham.)

The continuous aspect:

What are you talking about? (Maugham.) The light was just failing when they went back into the music room. Sybil will be coming to see you at the end of this term. But besides these three primary tenses the English tense system comprises three secondary tenses: the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect.

The perfect tenses are also expressed in two aspect forms: the common and the continuous: The common aspect: "I think her voice has greatly improved." He had been there more than once, and knew the place and the people... "I shall soon have finished with the books..."

The continuous aspect:

"I've been thinking it over, Mr. Holmes..." The band had been having a rest. Now they started again. (Mans­field.) By the first of August we shall have been living at the seaside for a whole month.

The perfect tenses do not merely indicate that the action refers to the present, past or future (as do the primary tenses) but show that the action is brought into relation with some other action or situation in the present, past or future, that it took place before that action or situation. Therefore the perfect tenses are rela­tive tenses (относительные времена).

Present perfect: / have written my exercise — the action of writing is viewed back from the present situation.

Past perfect: / had written my exercise by 5 o'clock — the action of writing is viewed back from the past situation.

Future perfect: / shall have written my exercise by 6 o'clock — the action of writing is viewed back from the future sit­uation.

But besides a purely temporal element (relative time indication) which characterizes al 1 the three perfect tenses, the present perfect contains also some other meaning — it shows that the action which took place before the present situation is connected in its con­sequences with this situation. The character of this connection de­pends on the lexical meaning of the verb.

When the past perfect (indirect speech) corresponds to the past (direct speech), it is purely temporal, that is, it only refers the ac­tion to a moment in the before-past. When the past perfect (indirect speech) corresponds to the present perfect (direct speech), it not only refers the action to the before-past but also shows that the action in the before-past affects the state of things existing at the given past moment. The perfect tenses may also express an action begun before the given present, past or future moment and still going on at that mo­ment. This meaning of the perfect is characteristic of the perfect of the continuous aspect. As the continuous aspect shows the action in its progress and not in its completion, the perfect tenses of this as­pect are used to denote that the past (before-past or before-future) is connected with the present (past or future) not through the con­sequences of an accomplished action but through the uninterrupted progress of an action begun before the given moment and still con­tinuing at that moment. When the past perfect (indirect speech) corresponds to the past (direct speech), it is purely temporal, that is, it only refers the ac­tion to a moment in the before-past. When the past perfect (indirect speech) corresponds to the present perfect (direct speech), it not only refers the action to the before-past but also shows that the action in the before-past affects the state of things existing at the given past moment.

The perfect tenses may also express an action begun before the given present, past or future moment and still going on at that mo­ment. This meaning of the perfect is characteristic of the perfect of the continuous aspect. As the continuous aspect shows the action in its progress and not in its completion, the perfect tenses of this as­pect are used to denote that the past (before-past or before-future) is connected with the present (past or future) not through the con­sequences of an accomplished action but through the uninterrupted progress of an action begun before the given moment and still con­tinuing at that moment.