GIB Verb phrase 4(2010) The perfective aspect

The perfective aspect

It shows the fact that an event, action or state is viewed as completed at a moment of reference.
Traditionally, the perfective aspect has several values that are closely dependent on the verbs used
and the adverbials accompanying them. Thus we can discuss:
a) A resultative perfect, used with durative activity verbs implying the attainment of a goal. Here,
the perfective shows that the goal has been reached:
He has done his homework.
They had learnt the poem by heart.
In both examples, the result, or effect of a previous action can be felt.
b) A continuative perfect, used with stative verbs accompanied by adverbs of duration, denotes
priority to the moment of speaking, but also simultaneity with it:
They have been close friends for quite a time.
c) A perfect of experience, which shows that the event has been experienced by the speaker:
They have moved house several times so far.

THE PRESENT PERFECT

The present perfect indicates or refers to a period of time stretching backwards into some earlier
time.
Uses:
1) it expresses an event prior to the present moment, but unlike simple past, which refers to a
definite event, the present perfect is highly indefinite:
Compare: I’ve rung her up.
I rang her up from Bucharest.
2) Associated with adverbials of incomplete time (this week, this semester, today, etc.), the
present perfect suggests the possibility of reoccurrence of the event during the same period
of time.
Compare: He has done a lot of exercises today.
He did a lot of exercises today.
3) With adverbials like: just, already, lately, recently, so far, up to now, etc., it denotes a
past event that came to an end just before the present moment: We’ve just had dinner.
4) The present perfect may refer to events that took place in the past, but have present
implications. Compare:
He has injured his ankle. [so he won’t play football foe a while]
He injured his ankle. [but he is well now]

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 Verb phrase 5(2010): perfective aspect
5) It may also express an event begun in the past that is still valid; if so, it is always accompanied
by ‘for + period of time, or ‘since’ + past moment when the event started:
He has loved her for a long time.
He has loved her since he first met her.
NOTES:
1. Adverbial specification is compulsory.
2. ‘For’ is often omitted in everyday English.
6) Present perfect can also be used to denote iterative events, characteristic of the past, present,
and maybe future as well. In most of the cases, this use is marked by adverbs of frequency, such
as: ever, never, always, often, seldom, sometimes, etc. They have often been abroad.
NOTES:
Particular interest is to be bestowed upon ‘always’, ‘ever’, ‘never’ and also ‘once’ and
‘recently’, since they can go either with the present perfect or with the simple past:
ALWAYS:
She forgave him. She always loved him. (the feeling referred to belongs to the past.)
She has always loved him. (she still loves him).
However, if ‘always’ signifies circumstance rather than time, that is, its meaning is ‘in
any circumstance’, or ‘anyhow’, the simple, the simple past is to be preferred even if the
moment of speaking is included. Thus, the sentence: ‘You were always lucky.’ Is, or will
be preferred to: ‘You have always been lucky’.
EVER
 When used with a temporal value, it displays the usual distribution:
Were you ever married? Vs. Have you ever been married?
No one ever loved me. Vs. No one has ever loved me.
 But when ‘ever’ is used as an intensive adverb, approaching the meaning of ‘whatever’ or
‘at all’, it normally takes a simple past: No man ever impressed me so much as he did.
It’s one of the most delightful things ever written.
 ‘Ever’ used in rhetorical questions, also takes simple past. Compare:
Did you ever hear of such a thing?
Have you ever heard of such a thing?
 ‘Ever’ is sometimes used archaically, in the sense of ‘always’; if so, it normally takes simple
past again: I was ever of opinion that he was a cook.
NEVER
 Used temporarily, takes either present or simple past. Compare:

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 I’ve never spoken better in my life!
I never spoke better. (than, on that particular occasion)
 When used intensively, with the approximate meaning of ‘certainly not’, it takes simple
past: I never spoke to her in my life! (that’s for sure)
ONCE
 It can mean ‘formerly’ and then, it takes simple past: He once lived in Cluj.
 It can also be the opposite of ‘several times’ and then it takes a present perfect verb:
He has been to Cluj once.
RECENTLY
 Meaning ‘a short time ago’. ‘not long ago’, takes simple past:
We gained a gorgeous victory over him recently.
 But ‘recently’, meaning ‘of late’, takes present perfect: I haven’t seen him recently.
7). When used in time or conditional clauses, the present perfect denotes an event prior to the
event in the main clause, the verb of which is either imperfective or future, or simple present:
Call on us as soon as you have arrived.
He won’t go out until he has eaten.
We generally take a nap when we have had lunch.
THE PAST PERFECT
It has the meaning ‘of past’, and denotes an event prior to another past event or moment of
reference being almost always mentioned [see timeline of the tenses of the verb].
Uses:
1) To express priority to a given past moment: We had arrived home by noon. (‘noon’ is a past
reference)
2) To express priority to another past event: She had done her homework by the time her
parents arrived home.
3) To express priority, but also simultaneity to a past event; the event began before another
event, and extended into it.

NOTE
 This use of the past perfect is dependent on ‘for/since + duration of event’:
He had loved her for two years when he first dared to speak to her.
 In some contexts, the simple past and the past perfect are interchangeable:
After she (had) spent all her money, she came back home.
Here, ‘after’ is sufficient specification to indicate that the spending of the money had taken place
before the home-coming; so that with some speakers, the extra time indication by means of the past

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perfect seems redundant. The perfective aspect can be combined with the progressive aspect, thus
giving birth to present perfect progressive and past perfect progressive.
THE PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
It is used:
1. to express an event begun in the past, that still holds and is likely to go on in the future as
well: He has been reading since he came back from school.
2. To express iteration up to the present movement: They have been going out together for half
a year.
NOTE
 When iteration is specified lexically, the progressive will no longer be used: Compare;
He has been solving math problems for two hours.
He has solved six problems.
3. To express the cause of a present effect:
Her eyes are wet because she’s been weeping for the lost kitten.
NOTES:
 The present perfect progressive denotes a temporary situation leading up to the present moment.
The main difference between simple perfect (John has lived in Cluj since 1969) and perfect
progressive (John has been living in Cluj since 1969) is slight; but the use of the progressive
indicates the fact that the speaker considers John’s residence in Cluj to be temporary.
 The progressive overtones of incompletion and emotional colouring can also be found:
Who’s eaten my dinner? Vs. Who’s been eating my dinner?
THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Uses:
1. To express a past event begun before another past event and continuing up to it:
They had been looking for the lost kitten for two hours when it eventually turned up.
2. To express a frequently performed past event prior to another past event:
He had been going out with Mary for two years when I first met him.
3. To express a past event begun before another past event, continuing up to it and very likely
to go on after it as well: They had been watching TV all morning when I rang them up.
4. To express the cause of a past event:
We were all out of breath because we had been playing football.