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TAV of English Finite Verb Phrase



Author(s)

Peter Lung-shan CHUNG

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2018.07.019

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

It is widely known that a finite verb phrase (fVP) of a clause in English consists of three components: tense, aspect and voice. While the two tenses, present and past, and the two voices, active and passive, are recognized and generally agreed, the number and constituents of aspects may not be so simple and they are open to dispute. This paper proposes that a new aspect, the “modal” aspect, be included in addition to the commonly recognized ones, namely “simple”, “perfect” and “continuous” (also known as “progressive”). With the inclusion of the “modal” aspect, there are four single aspects: “simple”, “modal”, “perfect” and “continuous”. They can be combined to form multiple aspects according to the aforesaid sequence. The “modal” aspect is realized with a modal verb (any ofthe modal verbs will/would, shall/should, can/could, may/might, must, ought to, used to and the two semi-modals, “need” and “dare” in interrogative and negative structures). Whenever a modal verb is used, the verb phrase is in the modal aspect. The modal verb to be used is for the interlocutor to decide and falls beyond this discussion, which focuses on the structure of the fVP of the English language. The two tenses, eight aspects and two voices (active and passive) make up the 32 TAVs (an acronym formed with “Tense”, “Aspect” and “Voice”) of the English fVP. The “discovery” of the “modal” aspect and its incorporation in the aspect system of English might have a significant impact on the learning of English for non-native speakers as they would have a clearer and more precise concept about the “TAVs” of the English fVP.

English verb phrase, finite verb phrase, tense, aspect, mood, modality, modal verb, TAV