TAM 2

  1. Identify the sentences below as PERFECTIVE or IMPERFECTIVE:

1. She spent her holiday in Brussels.

2. She wrote this letter to her friends.

3. She still lived with her parents.

4. John was very happy about the result.

5. I usually read in the afternoon.

6. She has written a book.

7. She has been a writer for several years.

8. She has been writing a book.

  1. a. Enumerate the features the characterize states/activities/accomplishments/achievements/semelfactives.

b. Give examples for each situation type above

c. Comment upon the distinction between a basic-level situation type and a derived/recategorized situation type.

  1. Identify the predications below (states, activities, accomplishments, achievements, semelfactives):

  1. Herbert walked in the park.
  2. He noticed the painting in a minute.
  3. John built the house in a year
  4. John built houses for a year
  5. John discovered the buried treasure in the backyard yesterday.
  6. John walked to the park.
  7. I love Kellogg’s cornflakes.
  8. He sneezed when the cat jumped in his lap.
  9. John walked a mile in an hour
  10. The girl played the piano for hours on end.
  11. She played the Mozart sonata, got up, and left the room.
  12. John drew a circle in five minutes
  13. John was drawing a circle for his daughter when his wife entered the room
  14. He thinks that John is a rascal.
  15. He is thinking about Jane.
  16. John kicked the ball.
  17. The meat smells of garlic.
  18. His father died last night
  19. John is polite
  20. John is just being polite.
  21. I trust her.
  22. I know I’m right.
  23. Mr. Brown walks in his office every day.
  24. John loves Mary.
  25. My cat eats only fish.
  26. The cloth feels soft.
  27. I am feeling the ground with my foot.
  28. He broke his leg yesterday.
  29. The leaves crumbled in my finger

  1. Some of the sentences below are not grammatical. Distinguish between grammatical and ungrammatical sentences. Motivate your choice and give grammatical alternatives if necessary.
  1. Aragorn is riding his horse.
  2. My clothes are lying scattered all over the room.
  3. People are seeing with their eyes not with their heart.
  4. My heart is throbbing.
  5. You are hurting me.
  6. Love is hurting.
  7. I’m having a headache.
  8. Tom is standing by the door.
  9. This country is lying in the heart of Europe.
  10. This girl is being tall.
  11. I am knowing the truth.
  12. They are hearing strange voices in their heads.
  13. This book is belonging to me.
  14. I’m understanding the problem.
  15. I’m thinking, but I can’t find an answer.
  1. Make use of the following elements in the verb groups to identify 1) the kind of predications in the sentences below and 2) the way they can recategorize:
  1. in/for an hour/ a minute
  2. mass noun, bare plural as direct object/ plural noun as subject/ countable noun as object
  3. progressive aspectual form
  4. every day
  5. present simple

a The plane landed at 4 p.m. b. He ate the cherry. c. He died that day. d. He looked at his watch. e. He kicked the ball. f. She thought of her children. g. She stood by the fireside. h. The soldier reached the top. i. He taught the Biology lesson. j. Tim made love to Susan. k. He broke the glass. l. He drinks beer. m. The cat sneezed. n. He was reading a detective story. o. She sings like an angel. p. She sketched his portrait in an hour.

  1. Comment on the recategorization triggered by the progressive aspect:

He is killing Tom./ John is drinking his beer./ The old lady in the corner was nodding her head./ The girls and teacher gathered around the table, were talking pretty freely; they always talked during meals./ It was freezing and it only freezes in March./ Susan was drowning. Another girl had drowned in the same pond. / They are reaching the top. / The bird is hopping on the branch./ She was spitting at him like an angry cat. He told her that only rude people spit when they get angry. / His heart is beating wildly. / Look, he’s coughing blood!/ He was grumbling all the time we were there./ The door was clicking./ The river was cutting a new channel but the men stopped it./ His eyes were flashing angrily./ Arrows were darting in all directions./ The naughty child was sticking her tongue out at the passing people./Gary was falling asleep when Susan shook him./ His bullets were hitting the target.

  1. Which of the sentences below are grammatical? Explain their ill-formedness / well-formedness commenting upon the use of the state predications in the progressive:

a. John is knowing the answer. b. The socks are lying under the bed. c. She is recognizing the man with the peaked hat. d. John is being tall today. e. That book is containing lots of information on the new equipment. f. The long box is standing on end. g. Your glass is sitting near the edge of the table. h. I remember your name. i. New Orleans is lying at the mouth of the Mississippi River. j. The box is weighing two pounds. k. John’s house is sitting at the top of the hill. l. That argument is resting on an invalid assumption

  1. Translate into English paying attention to the aspectual forms of the predications:

a)Manuelei continua să-i fie frică, dar o frică localizată într-un loc ascuns al fiinţei ei, ca un grăunte rece, nu ştia unde, deşi îl simţea apăsând-o. Deasupra, o cuprinse o linişte molatică. Auzea şi vedea totul ca de după văluri tremurate.

b)Ca să nu înceapă cu ea, Vladimir luă unul dupa altul doi elevi. Când ateriză a doua oară, şi înţelese că îi venise rândul, Manuela simţi în sfârşit unde era grăuntele rece care îi apăsase fiinţa: era, greu ca o nucă de plumb, sub sânul stâng, între inimă şi piele. Avea senzaţia că dacă l-ar fi căutat cu mâna l-ar fi găsit.

c) Zborul părea că ţine de mult timp. Era familiarizată, se simţea ca la ea acasă, ca într-un mic budoar, când motorul tăcu brusc şi botul avionului se înclină spre pământ. Întâi se sperie, dar fu deajuns să vadă chipul lui Vladimir în oglindă, ca să se liniştească. Marginea albă a aerodromului trecu fulgerător pe sub picioare, şi, o clipă mai târziu, fără să-şi poată urmări senzaţiile, se pomeni pe pământ, cu avionul alergând zburdalnic prin iarbă, spre punct.

d) Abia târziu se potoli, frânt de emoţie. Aerul de primavară, care venea pe ferestrele deschise, i se părea rece; le închise şi, luându-şi o pătură în spinare, se aşeză în jilţ, unde rămase mult timp, tremurând, ca un câine zgribulit. Uită de masă; nu-i era foame. Mai târziu nu-i mai fu nici frig, nu-şi mai simţi trupul.După o vreme, soarele, ieşind din nori şi trecând încet pe deasupra casei, trimise în cameră două dreptunghiuri de lumină care înaintară, treptat, spre mijlocul încăperii până întâlniră jilţul şi-l auriră.

e)Delirul lui Amedeu se prelungea înapoi, în timp.Nu mai vedea literele, nu mai înţelegea nimic, dar simţea totul. Se simţea el însuşi ridicat pe sus de mulţimea ieşita din minţi, purtat pe braţe, din om în om, pe deasupra capetelor, pe un bulevard viu, drumul celei mai mari glorii recunoscute vreodată unui muritor. Şi aclamaţiile nu mai conteneau, şi mulţimea tot se mai revărsa, nesfârşită, zeci de mii de oameni în delir, şi reflectoare tot mai multe se aprindeau.