TAM 3

Tense
Part I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.

Define the following terms: verb paradigm, primary forms/secondary forms, preterite, finite/non-finite.
Explain why tense is defined as a deictic category. (Baciu 1999, curs)
Is temporal interpretation dependent only on tense morphemes? Provide arguments in favour of your answer.
Time adverbials have often been defined as specifying RT in a sentence. Do they specify only RT? Provide arguments to
substantiate your claim. (Baciu 1999, curs)
Point out the difference between anchored (deictic) and unanchored adverbials; provide examples.
Discuss the role of the time adverbial in the temporal interpretation of the following sentences/sets of sentences:
a. They begin work next Monday.
b. It was 1812, just before the battle of Borodino. The anticipation of the coming struggle is palpable. Napoleon has
just woken. He is getting ready to inspect the troops and see that they are ready for the battle that will determine
the fate of Europe.
c. From 2.00 to 3.00, Mary played the piano. / Mary played the piano from 2.00 to 3.00./ From May to August,
Mary played the piano every day.
d. John left before he hit someone./ John had left the house before he hit someone.
e. John left the party before he stole the silverware./John had left the party before he stole the silverware.
f. Mary spoke on the phone for three hours./ For three hours, Mary tried to speak on the phone.
g. John had e-mailed the message at 2.00.
h. At 2.00, John had e-mailed the message. (Avram 2007, curs)
Identify the grammatical sentences below. Explain the grammaticality/ungrammaticality of each sentence. Focus on the
temporal/aspectual value of the adverbial:
a. He fell asleep from 1 to 2.oo.
b. She slept in an hour.
c. He was running to the station in an hour.
d. In an hour, he was running to the station.
e. He was tall every month.
a. f. He was polite every time the boss was around. (Avram 2007, curs)

7. Account for the interpretation of the following sentences. Focus on the temporal/aspectual value of the adverbial:
(I)We arrived at noon (II) We were walking at noon (III) We read the newspaper yesterday (IV) We moved last year (V) ? She
slept in an hour (VI) Mary wrote a sonnet in five minutes (VII) She fell asleep in five minutes. (VIII) (?) Bill was walking to
school in an hour/ In an hour, Bill was walking to school. (IX) Harry wrote for two hours ( X) ? Harry wrote the report for two
hours (XI) Mary knocked on the door for an hour (XII) Mary discovered fleas on his dog all that winter. (Baciu, 1999, curs)
8.(I) State the three times required to temporally locate a sentence.
(II) Define them.
(III) Discuss the role of the adverbial in the temporal interpretation of the following sentences:
(a) The bus leaves tomorrow at noon.
(b) I have breakfast at seven every morning
(c) Last week, Tom had already been to London.
(d) I heard last night that the show was opening in three days.
(e) Mary is leaving tomorrow.
9. Discuss the relations that obtain between ST, RT and ET in the following:
(a) He spoke to his brother last night.
(b) I have never done this before
(c) We repaired the car before he left
(d) She was cooking a meal when he arrived
(e) The children will be here next week.
10. Specify the value of each tense form:
(1) Honesty is the best policy. Rome stands on the river Tiber. (2) In chess, bishops move diagonally (3) Twelve pence go to a
shilling and twenty shillings go to a pound, but where pounds go, I have never been able to discover. (4) The evil that men do
lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones (5) Our children eat very little bread (6) The milkman calls on Sundays
(7) I usually take sugar in tea (8) I buy my shirts at Harrods (9) Mary gets up every morning at 7. (10)Walker swings right at the
West Indian-he ducks and it glances harmlessly off his shoulder (11)Look, the swallows fly higher than the doves (12). Pink
Satin is coming up on the rails, hes overtaking Rover Boy, but Little Nell is pulling away (13). He passes the ball to Clark, he
swerves, aims and scores. (14). Bush Visits Romania. (15). This man goes to the restaurant and says: Do you serve frogs? The
waiter says, Yes, so he says, Right, Ill have a coffee myself and some flies for my frog. (16). My bus leaves at three. (17).
When you heat ice, it melts. The train leaves at 7.30 this evening (18) I hear youve been busy. (19) Joan tells me youre getting
a new car

Part II
A.Comment on the use of the simple present tense in the sentences below:
1. The Atlantic Ocean separates the New World from the Old. 2. War solves no problem. 3.A rolling stone gathers no moss. 4.
his work has some meaning. When he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower. When he
puts out his lamp, he sends the flower, or the star, to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful, it is truly
useful. 5. Walker swings a right at the West Indian he ducks and glances harmlessly off his shoulder. 6. I say that you are
wrong. 7. Last week, Im in the sitting room with my wife, when this chap next door staggers past and in a drunken fit throws a
brick through our window. 8. The ten oclock news says that its going to be cold. 9. There goes our bus! 10. Mr. Tulkinghorn
takes out his papers, asks permission to place them on a golden talisman of a table at my Ladys elbow, puts on his spectacles
and begins to read by the light of a shaded lamp (Dickens, Bleak House). 11. Oxford are drawing slightly ahead of Cambridge
now; Cambridge are looking a little disorganized. 12. The troops leave tomorrow. 13. ??? The general is angry tomorrow.
(Cornilescu 1997, curs)
B State the values of the Past Tenses in the sentences below:
1. Haydn was born in 1732.// Once this town was a beauty spot. //We visited Selfridges last week.// He arrived an hour ago.//
When did he come? //Last year it rained for two weeks.
2. He often visited us. In those days he enjoyed a game of tennis. He always brought flowers when he came to dinner. //
He would drop in on us of an evening. She would often walk in the park at this time. There used to be a shop on the corner.
He used to love her. He used to visit her.
3. He enjoyed and admired the sonnets of Petrarch. Vs. He addressed and sealed the envelope. //
I didnt know him at the time. vs. I knew it for a lie at once.
4. William Barnes was born, lived and died in his beloved country of Dorset.
5.Did you want me? Yes, I hoped youd give me a hand with the painting. I wondered if youd look after my dog while
I go shopping.
6. At that time he didnt come until tomorrow. Yesterday the fish was four feet long, now its five feet long.
7. At two oclock we were just having dinner, as I recall it. I saw at once that the man was drowning. (Cf. The man drowned).
I was reading from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. (cf. I read from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.). I was picking flowers all day today.
// He was knocking on my door. He was merrily twinkling his eye.
8. When I saw him, he was running away. vs. When I saw him, he ran away. When he arrived she was making some coffee/
made some fresh coffee. I asked him what he was thinking about/ While she was working hard in the kitchen,
her husband was sitting in front of the television set.
9. In those days I was getting up at 6 every morning. I was meeting him every day.
10. My father was forever getting into trouble with the law. He was always falling in love.
11. I was wondering whether you could help me. (Cornilescu 1997, curs)
C.
a. Comment on the possible readings of the following perfect sentences:
1. Peggy has been in Asia since January. 2. Peggy has rehearsed since noon vs. Peggy has been rehearsing since noon 3. She has
been in Paris for 3 days. 4. ???He has built a house for 2 years.
b. Consider the following instances of Present Perfect. Try to identify the values of Present Perfect used in each of these
sentences:
1. I have loved him all my life. 2. Where have I seen him before? 3. For all that youve suffered I beg your pardon most
humbly. 4. I hope I have made enough tuna salad. 5. I have fixed the fuse, so there wont be any more light problems. 6. I
have fixed the fuse at least twice these days. 7. She has cooked a lavish meal for the newlyweds. 8. The steak has been
cooking for an hour. 9. She has never cooked a meal like that before. 10. I have called her my dear auntie since I was a little
boy. (Vian and Vian 2009)
c. Try to explain the difference in meaning between the following pairs of sentences:
1. Sorry about the mess, I have been painting the house. / I have painted two rooms since lunchtime.
2. Who has slept in my bed? / Whos been sleeping in my bed?
3. My parents have lived here ever since they got married./ We have been living here for six days.
4. I have used the corkscrew to make holes in this skin./ Ive been using the corkscrew to make holes in this skin.
5. Everybody has worked bloody hard this morning./ Everybody has been working bloody hard this morning.
(Vian and Vian 2009)
D. Explain why the present perfect continuous has been used in the following sentences
1. Theyve been studying French for two years. 3 Ive been waiting for twenty minutes. 4 I have been working in the garden,
thats why I am so dirty. 4, The patient has been eating well since his surgery. 5. Weve been getting up early this week.
E. .Explain the ungrammaticality of the starred sentences:
Ive been thinking for several minutes now//*Ive thought for several minutes now2. Ive been lying here for hours.//??? I have
lain here for hours. 3. I have been building this house for the last two years.//*Ive built this house for the last two years.4.
Youve both been hiding this all along//*Youve both hidden this all along. 5. He has always smoked in the morning// *He has
smoked in the morning. 6. I havent seen him recently/I didnt see him recently// I havent seen him lately//* I didnt see him
lately.7. I havent understood that so far.//*I didnt understand that so far. 8. I certainly have had my share of happiness during

these five years past.//* I certainly had my share of happiness during these five years past. It was a cathedral once//*It has been
a cathedral once. 10. I have seen it once.
F. Discuss the use of the present perfect and past tense in the examples below. Discuss the tenses in relation to the time
adverbials they co-occur with/:
1) I havent seen her since she left town. 2. Shes been a teacher for five years and for two years she also attended the Art School
in her hometown. 3.She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at M; she saw him one morning at
his own house, and has since dined in his company four times. 4. I have worked hard today/ I saw him today engaged in an
animated contest. 5. Im very glad you came tonight. You have seen for yourself. Yes, I have, Harold, there have been moments
this evening when I could have screamed. 6. I never saw such an important person before I met him./I have never seen her
before./ I never learned how to swim in my youth. 7. I certainly have had my share of happiness during these five years past. I
always said he would end up in jail, and so he did. 8. I lived in Italy for 10 years, then I came to Bucharest. 9. Once, this town
was a beauty spot./ I have been there once. 10. For years, after it occurred, I dreamt of it often. 11. He dropped the letter before
he went away. 12. Did you want to see me now? / I thought I might come and see you later this evening. 13. Few people passed.
The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps along the concrete pavement. 14. Joan has
received a proposal of marriage. It took us completely by surprise.. 15. London is not what it was. 16. Last week, I open the
window, look out into the garden and what do I see but a man wearing a pink shirt and a policeman helmet. (Cornilescu 1997,
curs)
G.Discuss the use of the present/past prefect versus the use of the simple present/past tense:
1.Come over and see us when our children leave./Come over and see us when our guests have left. 2. Youll feel a lot
better when/after youve had a rest/ *Youll feel a lot better when/after you have a rest. 3. We can go as soon as weve had
dinner/ *We can go as soon as we have dinner. 4. When he came/had come back from India, he was made a member of
Parliament./ When he had read the letter he burned it /*When he read the letter he burned it. 5.As soon as he discovered/had
discovered them he ran away. /After she had listened to the radio she turned it off./*After she listened to the radio she turned it
off.
H a) Comment on the following means of expressing future time:
Next year the George Enescu Festival takes place in September. Tomorrow is Thursday./Dennis is buying me a mink coat for my
birthday / Dennis is going to buy me a mink coat for my birthday/./Theres going to be a storm in a minute./ You will feel better
after this medicine. Tomorrows weather will be cold and cloudy./ The sun sets at 7:45 tomorrow. Ill drive to Brasov next
week.//Ill be driving to Brasov next week.
b) Why are some of the sentences below odd?
(i) The kettle is boiling. Ill go and make some tea//?? Im going to make some tea
(ii) What time does the train leave?//?? What time is the next train leaving for Brasov?
(i)
This time next week Ill be travelling to Rome//?? This time next week I will travel to Rome
(ii)
???The sun is rising at 5 oclock tomorrow
(iii)
Our neighbour is pregnant. ?? She is having a boy
c) Explain the difference between (i) and (ii) and (iii)-(iv)
(i)
Will you put on another play soon?
(ii)
Will you be putting on another play soon?
(iii)
Will you join us?
(iv)
Are you going to join us?
I.

Translate into Romanian:

a. They went up to Central Park by the elevated railway, and Verena reflected, as they proceeded, that anyway Olive was
probably disposing of her somehow at Mrs Burrages, and that therefore there wasnt much harm in her taking this little
turn on her own responsibility, especially as she should only be about an hour- which would be just the duration of
Olives absence. The beauty of the elevated was that it took you up to the Park and brought you back in a few minutes,
and you had all the rest of the hour to walk about and see the place. It was so pleasant now that one was glad to see it
twice over. The long, narrow enclosure, across which the houses in the streets that border it look at each other with their
glittering windows, bristled in the raw delicacy of April (H. James).

b. By the end of February the packages had ceased arriving, and he was a changed man. No one would have mistaken him
for what he had been. In five months he had become lean and strong. He did two hundred and fifty sequential pushups
at least four times a day. For the sheer pleasure of it, he would do a hundred and fifty pushups at least four times a day.
His midnight run, sometimes in snow which had accumulated up to his knees, was four hours long. The packages had
contained books on climbing, and equipment. At first the books had been terribly discouraging. Every elementary text
had bold warnings in red and green ink: It is extremely dangerous to attempt genuine ascents without proper training.
This volume should be used in conjunction with a certified course on climbing, or with the advice of a registered guide.
A book itself will not do! (M. Helprin)

c. Now, please, Valentina, give my father back the key to his room and try to behave in a calm and civilized
manner, she says in a clear dictating voice. She is taller than Valentina, but Valentina has the advantage of
heels. She grabs for the Dictaphone, and would have got it, but her attention is distracted, as at that moment
Father makes a snatch at the key in her other hand. Attacked on both fronts, she shrieks and jumps into the air
[..] and comes down with a crash, the stiletto heel of one shoe landing on Veras slippered foot. The Dictaphone
falls and skids across the floor under the cooker. Vera makes a dive for the Dictaphone. Valentina pushes Father
through the door of his room, wrestles the key out of his hand and locks the door. (Marina Lewycka A Short
History of Tractors in Ukrainian)
J. Translate into English:
a.

Antipa rde i Felicia la fel. Am o groaz de treburi, spune []. El i aprinde o igar. Apa mai curge pe geamuri dar
pe alocuri sticla ncepe s se usuce fiindc dincolo de norii scmoi (ploaia va nceta curnd, snt semne) soarele arde cu
o putere nou. Ceasul din turnul catedralei bate de unsprezece ori. Astzi n casa lor se plmdete aluatul, se bag la
cuptor friptura i se fierb sarmalele

b.

mi aduc aminte c spre sfrit vorbea n mare grab. mi amintesc c senza ia de violen i grab tot mai mare m
afectau n acelai timp: ca i cum el trebuia s plece de fapt a i plecat peste cteva zile - i eu nu voiam s plece fr
s ne fi insultat; ca i cum, neputnd s exprime ceea ce voia fr s se osteneasc i s ne insultm reciproc, natura lui
indolent trebuia s fac un efort ciudat, iar strdania i era nso it de teama c nicicnd nu va mai fi n stare s repete
acel lucru; parc tia c numai la vrsta pe care o aveam eu atunci, i unul ori doi ani mai trziu, putea cineva vorbi
despre mama n faa mea cu un asemenea dispre. Poate l-a ngrozit propria-i vehemen . Ori poate, vznd cum m
fceam alb ca varul, ascultndu-l, i-a gsit chiar n teama pe care o sim ea energia necesar ca s fie i mai brutal.

c. Abia n pdure, oamenii ncetar goana. O mare nedumerire, amestecat cu groaz i mnie, se citea pe chipurile lor.
Aceast nedumerire, aceast groaz i mnie l fcu pe cpitan s-i regseasc stpnirea de sine. Auzi murmure, simi
ndreptate asupra lui priviri ntunecate. i ddu seama c soldaii neleg ceva care lui i scap i c n lucrul acela pe
care ei l neleg st ascuns ceva n strns legtur cu el, cu comandantul lor, cpitanul Ioan; acel ceva nu era bun, lucra
mpotriva lui, i ceea ce nsemna cpitanul Ioan pentru soldai avea s se prbueasc curnd, chiar acum, dac el nu va
nelege la timp ceea ce neleg ei i nu va lua msuri mpotriva lucrului acela primejdios.