Lecture 1 Fundamentals of grammar

7. The category of temporal correlation
The Modern English perfect forms have been the subject of a lengthy
discussion which has not so far brought about a definite result.
The position of the perfect forms in the system of the English verb is a
problem which has been treated in many different ways and has raised much
controversy. There are three major approaches to defining the essence of perfective
forms in English:
The category of perfect is a peculiar tense category, i. e. a category which
should be classed in the same list as the categories "present" and "past". This view
was held, for example, by O. Jespersen.
The category of perfect is a peculiar aspect category, i. e. one which should
be given a place in the list comprising "common aspect" and "continuous aspect".
This view was held by a number of scholars, including Prof. G. Vorontsova. Those
who hold this view have expressed different opinions about the particular aspect
constituting the essence of the perfect forms. It has been variously defined as
"retrospective", "resultative", "successive", etc.
The category of perfect is neither one of tense, nor one of aspect but a
specific category different from both. It should be designated by a special term and
its relations to the categories of aspect and tense should be investigated. This view
was expressed by Prof. A. Smirnitsky. He took the perfect to be a means of
expressing the category of "time relation" (временная отнесенность).
The category denotes correlation of the action expressed by the finite verb to
some moment in the past, present or future.
This category is based on the opposition “perfect vs. non-perfect”. The
opposition is privative in the plane of expression, however, it is not so easily
neutralized in the plane of content. Since the opposition is not easily neutralized in
the present tense, it is equipollent, but it can easily be neutralized in the past.
Therefore, it should be considered privative-equipollent.
Perfect forms denote priority to the moment in the past, present or future.
Non-perfect forms denote simultaneity with a moment in the past, present of
future.
In Slavonic languages perfective and non-perfective aspects are
differentiated. They should not be confused with perfect and non-perfect forms in
Germanic languages.
There are tendencies to define the English aspect as based on the notion of
limit.