38. Verb: the category of aspect.
In English the verb has two aspect forms: the continuous aspect (длительный вид) and the common aspect (общий вид).
The continuous aspect: / am writing, I was writing»
I have been writing; etc.
The common aspect: / write, I wrote, I have written,
The difference between the two forms is not a temporal, the time indication being the same in both; the forms differ in the manner in which the action is presented. She is carrying water from this well (present).
She always carries water from well (present).
The continuous aspect in English considers the action in its progress, thus corresponding to the Russian imperfective aspect (несовершенный вид).
I was writing a letter when she Я писала письмо, когда она
came. пришла.
They will be preparing their Они будут готовить уроки в 7
lessons at 7 o'clock. часов.
She is reading. Она читает
The continuous aspect expresses a concrete action in its development at a given moment (present, past or future), whereas the Russian imperfective aspect shows an action in its development without concretizing it. Therefore the imperfective aspect may, depending on the context, express concrete actions in progress at the given moment and also actions of a more abstract, more general character (actions permanently characterizing the subject, general statements and universal truths).
Compare the following:
Take the kettle off the stove, Снимите чайник с плиты, во-
the water is boiling. да кипит.
Here we have a concrete action developing before the eyes of the speaker. In English it is rendered by the continuous aspect, in Russian by the imperfective aspect.
Water boils at 100° С. Вода кипит при 100° Цельсия.
Неге we have a general statement. The action is not developing before the eyes of the speaker; therefore it cannot be rendered by the continuous aspect in English but requires the common aspect. In Russian the verb is here also in the imperfective aspect.
Here are some more examples:
Are the children already sleep- Дети уже спят?
As the continuous aspect represents an action as a process going on at a given moment, it may be used only with verbs expressing actions of a certain duration (such as to read, to write), but not point-actions such as to jump, to drop, to burst, to clap.
We say: He was reading when I came in, but not: He was jumping to his feet when I came in.
But as the continuous aspect gives the subject only a temporary, limited characteristic through an action or state going on at the moment of speaking, it is not used with verbs expressing actions or states of unlimited duration, such as to love, to hate, to possess, to have, to contain, etc., which characterize the subject in general and therefore require the common aspect:
The book contains short stories. She has (possesses) many good qualities.
The continuous aspect is used with such verbs as to love, to hate, etc., when we want to express that the feeling is only temporary or to emphasize its character:
I asked her how Gray was liking Paris. (Maugham.) ...she was loving him with greater and greater force. (Maxwell.)
Neither is the continuous aspect used with such verbs as to hear, to see, to understand, to remember, etc., with reference to a concrete action taking place at a given moment. With these verb we mark the action as merely occurring (see the use of the common aspect), but not as developing before our eyes because we ar~ more interested in what we hear, see, etc. (in the object of the action) than in the action itself:
It is so dark that I don't see the lines.
In this connection, notice the two meanings of the verb to think, and accordingly the two aspect forms:
"I was thinking of these things to-night, dear, when I sat expecting you..."
Also in such cases as to see to... to see about (= to take care of ... to attend), to see off:
He is seeing to it now. He is seeing about this affair now-I'm just seeing my friend off.
The verb to have is used in the continuous aspect when it means to enjoy, to experience, to partake of, to cause to:
I hope you are having a good time here.
On
the following morning while I
was having breakfast
I was called on the telephone. (Maugham.)
When the continuous aspect is used with actions permanently characterizing the subject, it acquires emotional force. The speaker represents the action as if it were going on before his eyes and gives it an emotional colouring (praise, blame, indignation, etc.)
The adverbs always, continually, forever, perpetually, etc., which are often used in such cases, are emotionally coloured:
He is always thinking about other people.]
Verbs which are generally not used in the continuous aspect may be used in this aspect form in the above-mentioned function:
To be: He was continually being angry about nothing.
In narration when actions follow in succession, one beginning after the other, the common aspect is used. But when the writer or speaker begins to describe a certain scene, when the actions are already in progress before his eyes, the continuous aspect is used:
Night comes on, and everything is quite dark until the moon slowly rises and casts its pale, silvery light over the fields. (Potter.)
Dew was already on the paths. In the old oak-wood a mist was rising... The evening was deeping over the earth. (Lawrence.)
As the common aspect represents an action as simply occurring (but not in its concrete development) it may refer to concrete actions and to actions of a more abstract, more general character as well. These two functions depend on the context: