Perfect Tenses
INTRODUCTION
The theme of our graduation project
sounds as following: «Perfect Tenses». Before beginning of investigation in our
theme, we would like to say some words dealt with the theme of our graduation
project.most languages the perfect is constructed by the use of an auxiliary
verb (either to be or to have) in the present and the past participle. Other
names are sometimes given to the perfect tense. In English the perfect tense is
often misleadingly referred to as the present perfect, an allusion to the
auxiliary verb component in the present tense. The term "composed
past" is also used in languages where this past tense is composed of an
auxiliary and a participle [11,p.56].some languages, the perfect tense is effectively
the same as the preterit tense, or the aorist tense, but these two terms are
not actually synonymous with the perfect tense [11, p. 57].subject of our
project is the Perfect Tenses themselves.object is the usage of the Perfect
Tenses in different original texts, such as novels, essays and so on.aim of our
graduation project is to research the usage of the Perfect Tenses in the Modern
English and it’s formation.on such ground, we would like to point out tasks and
aims of our work:
. To describe the formation and
application of the Perfect Tenses.
. To describe the usage of the
Perfect Tenses.
. To classify the Perfect Tenses.
. To investigate the functioning of
the Perfect Tenses in the works of English and American writers.our opinion the
practical significance of our work is hard to be overvalued. This work reflects
modern trends in grammar and we hope it would serve as a good manual for those
who want to master modern English language and it’s grammar. Also this work can
be used by teachers of English language for teaching the Perfect Tenses. It can
be useful for everyone who wants to enlarge their knowledge in English.work is
based on researches of soviet linguists 60th - 80th and
also on later works of 90th years. Main sourses of our graduation
project are books by Irtenyeva N.F., Barsova O.M., Blokh M.Y., Shapkin A.P.
Beside we used some information from the Internet, mostly diagrams.the
conclusion to our work we tried to draw some results from the scientific
investigations made within the present graduation project.
1. THE PERFECT FORM
.1 The usage of the Perfect Forms
have accepted the definition of the
basic meaning of the perfect forms as that of "precedence". However,
this definition can only be the starting point for a study of the various uses
of the perfect forms. Indeed, for more than one case this definition of its
meaning will seem wholly inadequate, because its actual meaning in a given
context will be influenced by various factors. Though a very great amount of
investigation has been carried on in this field and many phenomena have by now
been elucidated, it is only fair to say that a complete solution of all the
problems involved in the uses and shades of meaning of the perfect forms in
Modern English is not yet in sight [25,p.78].us first ask the question: what
kinds of linguistic factors can be expected to have an influence on the use and
shades of meaning of the perfect forms? We will try to answer this question in
a general way, before proceeding to investigate the possible concrete
cases.factors, then, would seem to be the following: 1) the lexical meaning of
the verb; 2) the tense category of the form, i.e. whether it is the present
perfect, past perfect, or future perfect (we cannot be certain in advance that
the tense relation is irrelevant here); 3) the syntactical context, i. e.
whether the perfect form is used in a simple sentence, or the main clause, or
again in a subordinate clause of a complex sentence. To these should be added
an extralinguistic factor: 4) the situation in which the perfect form is used
[21,p. 89].us now consider each of these factors separately and then come to
the question of their possible interaction.
. The meaning of the verb used can
affect the meaning of the perfect form in so far as the verb may denote either
an action which is apt to produce an essential change in the state of the
object (e. g. He has broken the cup) or a process which can last indefinitely
without bringing about any change (e. g. He has lived in this city since 1945),
etc. With the verb break, for instance, the shade of meaning would then be the
result of the action (the cup is no longer a cup but a collection of
fragments), whereas with the verb live no result in this exact sense can be
found; we might infer a resultative meaning only in a somewhat roundabout way,
by saying that he has now so many years of life in this city behind him. Thus
the meaning of result, which we indeed do find in the sentence He has broken
the cup, appears to be the effect of the combined meanings of the verb as such
(in whatever form) and the perfect form as such. It is quite natural that this
meaning should have more than once been taken to be the meaning of the perfect
category as such, which was a misconception [21,p.92].give another example, if the
verb denotes an action which brings about some new state of things, its perfect
form is liable to acquire a shade of meaning which will not be found with a
verb denoting an action unable to bring about a new state. We may, for
instance, compare the sentences:have found the book. (this implies that the
book, which had been lost, is now once more in our possession).have searched
the whole room for the book. (which does not imply any new state with reference
to the book) [25,p.86].course many more examples of this kind might be given.
The basic requirement is clear enough: we must find the meaning of the form
itself, or its invariable, and not the meaning of the form as modified or
coloured by the lexical meaning of the verb. If this requirement is clearly kept
in mind, many errors which have been committed in defining the meaning of the
form will be avoided [25,p.88].
. The possible dependence of the
meaning of perfect forms on the tense category (present, past or future) is one
of the most difficult problems which the theory of the perfect has had to face.
It is quite natural to suppose that there ought to be an invariable meaning of
the phrase "have + second participle", no matter what the tense of
the verb have happens to be, and this indeed is the assumption we start from.
However, it would be dangerous to consider this hypothesis as something
ascertained, without undertaking an objective investigation of all the facts
which may throw some light on the problem. We may, for instance, suspect that
the present perfect, which denotes "precedence to the present", i.e.
to the moment of speech, may prove different from the past perfect, denoting
precedence to a moment in the past, or the future perfect, denoting precedence
to a moment in the future: both the past and the future are, of course,
themselves related in some way to the present, which appears as the centre to
which all other moments of time are referred in some way or other. One of the
chief points in this sphere is the following. If an action precedes another
action, and the meaning of the verb is such a one that the action can have a
distinct result, the present perfect form, together with the lexical meaning of
the verb (and, we should add, possibly with some element of the context) may
produce the meaning of a result to be soon at the very moment the sentence is
uttered, so that the speaker can point at that result with his finger, as it
were. Now with the past perfect and with the future perfect things are bound to
be somewhat different. The past perfect (together with the factors mentioned
above) would mean that the result was there at a certain moment in the past, so
that the speaker could not possibly point at it with his finger. Still less
could he do that if the action he spoke about was in the future, and the future
perfect (again, together with all those factors) denoted a result that would be
there in the future only (that is, it would only be an expected result). All
this has to be carefully gone into, if we are to achieve really objective conclusions
and if we are to avoid unfounded generalizations and haphazard assertions which
may be disproved by examining an example or two which did not happen to be at
our disposal at the moment of writing [25,p. 97].
. The syntactical context in which a
perfect form is used is occasionally a factor of the highest importance in
determining the ultimate meaning of the sentence. To illustrate this point, let
us consider a few examples: There was a half-hearted attempt at a maintenance
of the properties, and then Wilbraham Hall rang with the laughter of a joke
which the next day had become the common precious property of the Five Towns
[21,p.105]. Overton waited quietly till he had finished. [21,p.105].But before
he had answered, she made a grimace which Mark understood [21,p.105]. The
action denoted by the past perfect in these sentences is not thought of as
preceding the action denoted by the past tense.possibility of the context
influencing the actual meaning of the sentence will be seen in the following
examples:question:long have you been here? (of course implies that the person
addressed still is in the place meant by the adverb here.)answer like:have been
here for half an hour.( would then practically mean, 'I have been here for half
an hour and I still am here and may stay here for some time to come'.)
[25,p.103]. On the other hand, when, in G. B. Shaw's play, "Mrs. Warren's
Profession" (Act I), Vivie comes into the room and Mrs. Warren asks her,
'Where have you been, Vivie? ' it is quite evident that Vivie no longer is in
the place about which Mrs. Warren is inquiring; now she is in the room with her
mother and it would be pointless for Mrs. Warren to ask any question about
that. These two uses of the present perfect (and similar uses of the past
perfect, too) have sometimes been classed under the headings "present (or
past) perfect inclusive" and "present (or past) perfect
exclusive". This terminology cannot be recommended, because it suggests
the idea that there are two different meanings of the present (or past)
perfect, which is surely wrong. The difference does not lie in the meanings of
the perfect form, but depends on the situation in which the sentence is used.
The same consideration applies to the present (or past) perfect continuous,
which is also occasionally classified into present (or past) perfect continuous
inclusive and present (or past) perfect continuous exclusive. The difference in
the meaning of sentences is a very real one, as will be seen from the following
examples. "Sam, you know everybody " she said, "who is that
terrible man I've been talking to? His name is Campofiore." [21,p.112]. I
have been saving money these many months [21,p.112]. Do you mean to say that
Jack has been playing with me all the time? That he has been urging me not to marry
you because he intends to marry you himself? [21,p.113]. However, this is not a
difference in the meaning of the verbal form itself, which is the same in all
cases, but a difference depending on the situation or context. If we were to
ascribe the two meanings to the form as such, we should be losing its
grammatical invariable, which we are trying to determine [21,p.114].course it
cannot be said that the analysis here given exhausts all possible uses and
applications of the perfect forms in Modern English. We should always bear in
mind that extensions of use are possible which may sometimes go beyond the
strict limits of the system. Thus, we occasionally find the present perfect
used in complex sentences both in the main and in the subordinate clause- a use
which does not quite fit in with the definition of the meaning of the form.
E.g. I've sometimes wondered if I haven't seemed a little too frank and free
with you, if you might not have thought I had "'gone gay",
considering our friendship was so far from intimate. [21,p.113]. We shall best
understand this use if we substitute the past tense for the present perfect.
The sentence then would run like this: I have sometimes wondered if I hadn't
seemed a little too frank and free with you... An important shade of meaning of
the original sentence has been lost in this variant, viz. that of an experience
summed up and ready at the time of speaking. With the past tense, the sentence
merely deals with events of a past time unconnected with the present, whereas with
the present perfect there is the additional meaning of all those past events
being alive in the speaker's mind [21,p.118].examples might of course be found
in which there is some peculiarity or other in the use of a perfect form. In
the course of time, if such varied uses accumulate, they may indeed bring about
a modification of the meaning of the form itself. This, however, lies beyond
the scope of our present study[21,p.118].Perfect form denotes an action
completed before the present moment ( and connected with it ) or before the
present moment in the past or future.is formed by means of the auxiliary verb
to have in the required tense and Participle II of the notional verb [12,
p.48]. (pict.1.)
.1
perfect tense continuous text
1.2 The Present Perfect
formation of the Present Perfect.
. The present perfect is
formed by means of the Present Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to have and
Participle II of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form particle
not is placed after the auxiliary verb.have worked. Have I worked? I have not
worked [12, p.117].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’ve worked. He’s worked. You’ve worked [12, p.117].contracted
negative forms are:haven’t worked. He hasn’t worked. You haven’t worked [12, p.
117].
. The negative-interrogative
forms are:she not worked? Hasn’t she worked?you not worked? Haven’t you worked?
[12, p. 117].use of the Present Perfect.
. The present perfect denotes
a completed action connected with the present. ( pict.2)
. 2.
the car! They have killed a child
[XIII, p. 58].am a little frightened for I have lost my way [III, p.
13].present perfect is frequently used with the adverbs just, yet, already and
of late. The adverb yet is used only in interrogative and negative sentences..
Worthing, I suppose, has not returned from town yet! [XI, p. 18].have just
written to him [V, p. 31].has done a great deal of work of late [12, p.
117].Present Perfect can be rendered in Russian by the past perfective or
imperfective.many pages have you translated for today? - Сколько страниц вы
перевели к сегодняшнему дню? [12, p.118].you ever translated technical
articles? - Вы переводили когда-нибудь технические статьи? [12, p. 118].
. The Present Perfect is used
in adverbial clauses of time after the conjunctions when, till, until, before,
after, as soon as to denote an action completed before a definite moment in the
future.’t buy any more meat tomorrow until you have spoken to the mistress
about it [ I, p.78].am not going till you have answered me [X, p.37].
. The Present Perfect denotes
an action which began in the past, has been going on up to the present and is
still going on. In this case either the starting point of the action is
indicated or the whole period of duration. The preposition for is used to
denote the whole period of duration. Since is used to indicate the starting
point of the action. If the conjunction since introduces a clause, the verb in
this clause is in the Past Indefinite. Mr. Cowperwood, I have known you now for
something like fourteen years [XV, p.260].have been engaged these four years
[IX, p.81].have you been since last Thursday? [XI, p.25].you been alone,
Florence, since I was here last? [IV, p.192].use of the Present Perfect is
called the Present Perfect Inclusive. The Present Perfect Inclusive is used:) with
verbs not admitting of the Continuous form.
“ There is nothing to be done. She’s
dead - has been dead for hours”, said the doctor [VIII, p.64].) in
negative sentences [12, p.42-43].have not slept since that night [I, p.97].) with
non-terminative verbs such as to live, to work, to study, to teach, to travel
etc.[12, p.42-43].have worked upon the problem for a long time without reaching
any conclusion [II.p.163].Present Perfect in this case is translated into
Russian by the present or sometimes by the past imperfective.have know him for
many years. - Я знаю его много лет.have always been fond of music. - Я всегда
любил музику [12,p.120].Past Indefinite and the Present Perfect.action
expressed by the Past Indefinite belongs exclusively to the sphere of the past,
while the Present Perfect shows that a past occurrence is connected with the
present time.is not well and has changed very much of late. She changed very
much a great many years ago [ IV,p.212].present Perfect is never used with such
adverbial modifiers of the past time as yesterday, the other day, last week
etc. With such adverbial modifiers as today, this week etc., both the Present
Perfect and the Past Indefinite are used. The tenses are used according to the
principle mentioned above [11,p.15/p.35].have told you three times this week
that she is coming home for a year [XIII,p.145].want your sister, the woman who
gave me money today [ IV,p.251].the adverb just The Present Perfect is
used.have just hired a new pianist from St. Joe - a Negro [XIII,p.76].the
expression just now the Past Indefinite is used.saw you come in just now
[XV,p.267].
.3 The Past Perfect
formation of the Past Perfect.
. The Past Perfect is formed
by means of the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to have and Participle II
of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form the
negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.I worked? I had not
worked [12,p.121].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’d written. We’d written [12,p.121].contracted negative forms
are:hadn’t written. We hadn’t written.
. The negative-interrogative
forms are:he not written? Hadn’t he written?you not written? Hadn’t you
written? [12,p.122].use of the Past Perfect.
. The Past Perfect denotes an
action completed before a certain moment in the past. The moment may be
indicated by another past action expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite or
by an adverbial phrase. (pict.3.)
.3.
had walked only a few steps when a
second group of tanks drew up on the side road [XII,p.130].she had cried out,
she felt easier [XII, p.171].the rain had stopped before we started
[I,p.80].this time Cowperwood had written Aileen under no circumstances to try
to see him [XIV,p.62].clock had not struck when he reached Gray’s Inn
[V,p.231].definite moment can be understood from the situation.Squire had laid
down his knife and fork, and was staring at his son in amazement
[VIII,p.134].definite moment need not necessarily be expressed in the same
sentence as the action expressed by the Past Perfect.noticed how sad she was
the whole evening. She had got an unpleasant letter [XVI,p.87].Past Perfect is
used with the conjunctions hardly… when, scarcely… when, no sooner… than.had no
sooner arrived at this point that a most violent and starting knocking was
heard [VI,p.52].had scarcely settled herself on a little heap of straw in the
corner when she fell asleep [III,p.175].the sake of emphasis the word order may
be inverted.sooner had she laid herself down than she heard the prolonged trill
of the front-door bell [I,p.93].Past Perfect is frequently used with the
adverbs just, already, yet., who had not yet assumed the white cap, was
sweeping the stairs [I,p.108].
. Sometimes the Past Perfect
does not denote priority but only the completion of the action.waited until she
had found the latch-key and opened the door [I,p.131].Squire was purple with
anger before his son had done speaking [VIII,p.61].Past Perfect is rendered in
Russian by the past perfective.this time Cowperwood had written Aileen under no
circumstances to try to see him [XIV,p.62]. - К этому времени Каупервуд написал
Эйлин, чтобы она ни в коем случае не пыталась с ним встретиться.
. The Past Perfect is used to
denote an action which began before a definite moment in the past, continued up
to that moment and was still going on at that moment. This use is called the
Past Perfect Inclusive. The starting point or the whole period of duration of
the action is indicated. To indicate the starting point the preposition since
is used, to indicate the whole period of duration for is used.Past Perfect
Inclusive is used:) with verbs not admitting of the Continuous
form.convinced him that the deacon was dead - had been dead for some time
[VIII,p.232].) in negative sentences [12, p.44-45].two had not spoken
to each other for three days and were in a state of rage [I, p.114].) with
non-terminative verbs such as to work, to live, to study, to teach, to travel,
to last etc.[12,р.44-45].ride had lasted about ten minutes, when the truck
suddenly swerved to a halt [XII,p.63].Past Perfect Inclusive is general
rendered in Russian by the past perfective. He had not written a line since he
arrived. - Он не написал ни строчки с тех пор, как приехал [12, p.124].Past
Indefinite and the Past Perfect.
. The Past Perfect is not
used to denote a succession of actions. In this case the Past Indefinite is
used.Past Indefinite is used with the conjunctions after, before, when if the
relation between the action approaches succession, when the idea of completion
is of no importance.went on with his work after he had a short rest.had a short
rest before he went on with his work.I wrote the letter, I posted it
[12,p.124].
. Verbs of motion and sense
perception such as to come, to arrive, to return, to see, to hear, in adverbial
clauses of time are generally used in the Past Indefinite and not in the Past
Perfect. The actions are practically simultaneous.he (Val) came down… he found
his mother scrupulous in a low evening dress… [X,p.103].he heard the first line
of the poem, he recognized it at once [11,p.42].the completion of the action is
emphasized the Past Perfect is used.knew the poem by heart when he had heard it
several time [11,p.42].
.4 The Future Perfect
formation of the Future Perfect.
. The Future Perfect is
formed by means of the Future Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to have and
Participle II of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
of the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form
the negative particle not is placed after the first verb.shall/ will have
worked. Shall/ will I have worked? I shall/ will not have worked [12,p.125].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’ll have worked. He’ll have worked [12,p.125].contracted negative
forms are:shan’t have worked. He won’t have worked [12,p.125].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are:he not have works? Won’t he have worked?we not have worked? Shan’t we
have worked? [12,p.125].use of the Future Perfect.
. The Future Perfect denotes
an action completed before a definite moment in the future.shall be back by
six, and I hope you will have had a good sleep by that time [VII,p.68].
(pict.4.)
.4.
. The Future Perfect can
denote an action which will begin before a definite moment in the future, will
continue up to that moment and will be going on at that moment. This use of the
Future Perfect is called the Future Perfect Inclusive.Future Perfect Inclusive
is used with verbs not admitting of the Continuous form, in negative sentences,
with non- terminative verbs such as to work, to live, to study, to teach.shall/
will have been a teacher for 20 years by next May. I shall/ will have worked as
a teacher for 20 years by next May. [12,p.126].
.5 The Future Perfect in the Past
formation of the Future Perfect in
the Past.
. The Future Perfect in the
past is formed by means of the Future Indefinite in the Past of the auxiliary
verb to have and Participle II of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form the
negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.should/ would
have worked. Should/ would I have worked? I should/ would not have worked
[12,p.126].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’d have worked. He’d have worked [12,p.126].contracted negative forms
are:shouldn’t have worked. He wouldn’t have worked [12,p.126].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are:I not have worked? Shouldn’t I have worked?he not have worked?
Wouldn’t he have worked? [12,p.126].use of the Future Perfect in the
Past.Future Perfect in the Past is used to denote an action completed before a
definite moment which was future from the point of view of the past.wondered
whether they would have reached the place by noon. [11,p.210-212].
2. THE PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM
Perfect Continuous form denotes an
action progress, whose duration before a definite moment in the present, past
or future is expressed. It is formed by means of the auxiliary verb to be in
one of the perfect tenses and Participle I of the notional verb. (pict.5.)
.5.
.1 The Present Perfect Continuous
formation of the Present Perfect
Continuous.
. The Present Perfect
Continuous is formed by means of the Present Perfect of the auxiliary verb to
be and Participle I of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form the
negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.have been
working. Have I been working? I have not been working [12,p.128].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’ve been working. He’s been working. You’ve been working [12,
p.128].contracted negative forms are: I haven’t been working. He hasn’t been
working. We haven’t been working [12,p.128].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are:he not been working? Hasn’t he been working?you not been working?
Haven’t you been working? [12,p.128].use of the Present Perfect
Continuous.distinguish two uses of the Present Perfect Continuous: the Present
Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Present Continuous Exclusive.
. The Present Perfect
Continuous Inclusive is used to denote an action which began in the past, has
been going on up to the present and is still going on. (pict.6.)
.6.
Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive
is generally used with since ( denoting the starting point of the action ), for
( denoting the whole period of duration ), these two days, etc. ( The
conjunction since introduce a clause, the verb in this clause is in the Past
Indefinite.)have been looking out for your white dress for the last ten minutes
[I,p.192].since I saw you last I have been thinking, thinking [XV,p.71].has
been stated above the Present Perfect Inclusive is used to denote an action
which began in the past, has been going on up to the present and is still going
on with verbs not admitting of the Continuous form, in negative sentences and
with certain non- terminative verbs. With verbs not admitting of the Continuous
form the Present Perfect Inclusive is the only tense possible. With verbs in
the negative form the Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive can be used, but it
is far less common than the Present Perfect Inclusive. With certain non-
terminative verbs both the Present Perfect Inclusive and the Present Perfect
Continuous Inclusive are used.have worked at the problem for several month. (
The fact is emphasized ) [11,p.92].have been working and working at the problem
for month and I don’t think we are likely to solve it [11,p.92]. ( The process
is emphasized.)Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive is rendered in Russian by
the present:have been teaching at this school for 20 years.-Я преподаю в этой
школе 20 лет [11,p.92].
. The Present Perfect
Continuous Exclusive denotes an action which was recently in progress but is
not longer going on at the present moment.are not well today. You looked
distressed. You have been weeping [IV,p.148].Present Perfect Continuous
Exclusive is used to express repeated action in the Past.have you been spending
your money?have been buying pictures [11,p.92].have been getting letters from
him.Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive is often used with an emotional
colouring.suppose you have been telling lies again [VII,p.90].Present Perfect
Continuous Exclusive is rendered in Russian by the past imperfective.eyes are
red. You have been crying.-У вас покраснели глаза. Вы плакали
[12,p.130].Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Present
Continuous.should take care not to mix up the Present Perfect Continuous and
the Present Continuous: the Present Continuous is used to denote an action
going on at the present moment, no previous duration is expressed. The Present
Perfect Continuous Inclusive is used when the previous duration of the action
is expressed. I am reading Dombey and son. I have been reading Dombey and Son
for three days [12,p.130].is no difference in the translation:
Я читаю роман « Домби и сын». Я
читаю роман « Домби и сын» три дня [12,p.130].Present Perfect and the Present
Perfect Continuous Exclusive.Present Perfect denotes a completed action while
the Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive there is an implication of
incompleteness.has made some experiments.has been making experiments
[11,p.30].are your lips black? I have been eating blackberries. I have eaten a
whole plateful [11,p.31].is walking up and down the room thinking of the letter
she has been writing and wondering how she should finish it. She is going to
post the letter she has just written [11,p.31].
.2 The Past Perfect Continuous
formation of the Past Perfect
Continuous.
. In the interrogative form
the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form the
negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.had been
writing. Had I been writing? I had not been writing [12,p.131].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’d been writing. She’d been writing [12,p.131].contracted negative
forms are:hadn’t been writing. We hadn’t been writing [12,p.132].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are:he not been writing? Hadn’t he been writing?you not been writing?
Hadn’t you been writing? [12,p.132].use of the Past Perfect
Continuous.distinguish two uses of the Past Perfect Continuous: The Past
Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive.
. The Past Perfect Continuous
Inclusive denotes an action which began before a definite moment in the past,
continued up to that moment and was still going on at that moment. Either the
starting point of the action is indicated or the whole period of duration. The
preposition for is used to denote the whole period of duration. Since is used
to indicate the starting point of the action.could not go out because it had
been raining since early morning.could not go out because it had been raining
for two hours.had been entertaining at restaurant for thirty years and he knew
how to assure the smooth passage of the meal [I, p.183].has been stated above,
the Past Perfect Inclusive is used to express an action which began before a
definite moment in the past, continued up to that moment and was still going on
at that moment, with verbs admitting of the Continuous form, in negative
sentences and with certain non-terminative verbs. With verbs not admitting of
the Continuous form the Past Perfect Inclusive is the only tense possible. In
negative sentences the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive can be used, but it is
far less common than the Past Perfect Inclusive. With certain non- terminative
verbs both the Past Perfect Inclusive and the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive
are used.said he had worked for twenty years. ( The fact is emphasized. ) He
said he had been working for a long time without achieving final results. ( The
process is emphasized. ) [12,p.133].Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive is
rendered in Russian by the past imperfective. I had been reading about an hour
when he came.-Я читал около часа, когда он пришел.
. The Past Perfect Continuous
Exclusive denotes an action which was no longer going on at a definite moment
in the past, but which had been in progress not long before.sobbed a little still,
but that was because I had been crying, not because I was crying then
[III,p.132].Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Continuous.Past
Perfect Continuous Inclusive should not be confused with the Past Continuous.
The Past Continuous is used to denote an action going on at a definite moment
in the past, no previous duration is expressed. The Past Perfect Continuous
Inclusive is used when the previous duration of the action is expressed.now it
was raining, had been raining for days the miserable fall rains of Eastern
France [XII,p.145].magnificent motor- car was waiting at the kerb. It had been
waiting for two hours [I,p.125].
.3 The Future Perfect
Continuous
formation of the Future Perfect
Continuous.
. The Future Perfect
Continuous is formed by means of the Future Perfect of the auxiliary verb to be
and Participle I of the notional verb.
. In the interrogative form
the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In the negative form the
negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.shall/ will have
been working. Shall/ Will I have been working? I shall/ will not have been
working [12,p.134].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’ll have been working. He’ll have been working [12,p.134].contracted
negative forms are:shan’t have been working. He won’t have been working
[12,p.134].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are:he not have been working? Won’t he have been working?we not have been
working? Shan’t we have been working? [12,p.134].use of the Future Perfect
Continuous.Future Perfect Continuous denotes an action which will begin before
a definite moment in the future, will continue up to that moment and will be
going on at that moment.shall/ will have been working at this problem for a
month when you visit us a second time [12,p.134].
.4 The Future Perfect Continuous in
the Past
formation of the Future Perfect
Continuous in the Past.
. The Future Perfect
Continuous in the Past is formed by means of the Future Perfect in the Past of
the auxiliary verb to be and Participle I of the notional verb. In the
interrogative form the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. In
the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary
verb.should/ would have been working. Should/ Would I have been working? I
should/ would not have been working [12,p.135].
. The contracted affirmative
forms are:’d have been working. He’d have been working [12,p.135].contracted
negative forms are: I shouldn’t have been working. He wouldn’t have been
working [12,p.135].
. The negative- interrogative
forms are: Should I not have been working. Shouldn’t I have been working. Would
he not have been working? Wouldn’t he have been working? [12,p.135]. The use of
the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past. The Future Continuous in the past
denotes an action lasting during a certain period of time before a definite
moment which was future from the point of view of the past
[11,p.397-300].wonder how long they would have been packing by the time I
returned.
CONCLUSIONS
having proved the actuality of our
work, we would like to describe the composition of it. Our work consists of
four parts: introduction, the main part, conclusion and bibliography. Within
the introduction part we gave the brief description of our course paper. The
main part of the work includes several items. There we discussed such problems
as the formation and usage of the Perfect Tenses, its classification, and etc.
In bibliography part we mentioned some sources which were used while compiling
the present work. It includes grammar books and articles dealing with the
theme, a number of encyclopedias, some practical sources and also some internet
sources.of all, we defined the categories of Perfect Tenses and aspects. We
also classified the Perfect Tense Forms and in what situations it can be used.
We have discussed the translation of Perfect Tenses into Russian. This problem
is really very interesting and is discussed by a lot of grammarians all over
the world., Perfect tenses indicate slightly more complex time relations and
are generally used to express completed actions.speech and writing are more
complicated than the same in English. As a result, we tend to use more
complicated English tenses than necessary. Complicated tenses are difficult,
and students make a lot of mistakes in them. The only way to overcome this
unnecessary obstacle is to make yourself use simpler tenses. In certain cases,
the Simple tenses can be used instead of the Continuous tenses, and the Perfect
tenses can be used instead of the Perfect Continuous tenses.formal speech and
writing, for example, in formal correspondence and in scientific literature,
all tenses may be used. Good knowledge of all tenses is also required for
various tests of English that you might want to take., at the end of our
research we can say that Perfect Tense Group is a very important brunch of
English grammar and the ways of it’s usage are very important too, for our
professional skills and knowledge in future.
A LIST OF SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Барабаш
Т.А. « Пособие по граматике современного английского языка.» М.,
1975.
. Бархударов
Л.С., Штелинг Д. А. « Граматика английского языка.» М., 1973.
. Беляева
М. А. « Граматика английского языка.» М., 1984.
. Берман
И. М.« Краткая практическая гряматика английского языка.» М., 1965.
. Блох
М. Я. « Теоретические основы граматики.» Л., 1986.
. Бурова
З.И. « Учебник английского языка для гуманитарных вузов.» М., 1980.
. Вейхман
Г.А. « Новое в английской граматике.» М., 1990.
. Верховской
И.П «Граматика современного английского языка для университетов.» М., 1982.
. Гордон
Е.М., Крылова И.П. « Граматика современного английского языка.» М., 1986.
. «
Граматика английского глагола в таблицах.» О.Г. Ягодникова, Л.А. Шамрай, Е.А.
Батурина М., 1989.
. Каушанская
В.Л. и др. « Практическая граматика английского язика.» Ставрополь 2000.
. «
Граматика английского языка. Морфология.» Н.А. Кобрина, Е.А. Корнеева, М.И.
Оссовская М., 1985.
. Новицкая
Т. М. , Кучин Н.Д. «Граматика английского языка.» М., 1973.
. Клементьева
Т.Б. « Повторяем времена английского глагола.» М., 1993.
. Котляр
Т. Р. « Илюстративная граматика английского языка.» М., 1976.
. Мифтахова
Н. Х. « Пособие по граматике английского языка.» М.,1974.
. Мороховская
Э.Я. « Основы теоретической граматики английского языка.» М., 1973.
. Раєвська
Н. М.« Теоретична граматика сучасної англійської мови.» 1976.
. Роговська
Б. Й., Хаймович Б. С.« Граматика англійської мови.» 1960.
. Blokh
M.Y. Course in Theoretical English Grammar.-M.,1983
. Bryant
M.A. “ Functional English Grammar.” N.Y., 1945.
. Curme
G.O. “ Grammar of the English Language.” Boston-N.Y., 1935.
. Ganshina
M.A., Vasilevskaya N.M. “ English Grammar.” Moscow, 1964.
. Ilyish
B.A. The Structure of Modern English.- L.,1971
. Irtenyeva
N.F., Barsova O.M., Blokh M.Y., Shapkin A.P. “ A Theoretical English Grammar.”
Moscow, 1969.
. Khaimovich
B.S., Rogovskaya B.I. “ A Cuorse in English Grammar.” Moscow, 1967.
27. www.wikisource.org
<http://www.wikisource.org>
. www.english.in.ua
<http://www.english.in.ua>
. www.washington.edu
<http://www.washington.edu>
. www.coolavenues.com
<http://www.coolavenues.com>
. www.englishschool.ru
<http://www.englishschool.ru>
PRACTICAL
SOURCES. A. Bennett “The Piece of Love.”, US. 1914.. B. Show.
“Pygmalion.”, England 1912.. C. Dickens “The Old Curiosity Shop.”,
England 1841.. C. Dickens “Dombey and Son.”, England 1848.. C.
Dickens “The Pickwick Pages.”, England 1938.. D. Jerome “Fanny and Zooey.”,
US 1961. F. Marryat “ Poor Jack.”, London 1849.. “Four novels of
George Elliot”, England 1907.. W. Colins “The Woman in white.”, Leipzig 1860.