This document discusses techniques for teaching English tense and aspect to Chinese students. It provides examples of verbs in different tenses and aspects, such as "fall asleep" and "be asleep". It also includes diagrams illustrating the distinctions between actions and ongoing states. Some suggested teaching methods are using timelines, pictures, role playing, and physical objects like pencils and rubber bands to demonstrate tense and aspect visually and experientially. The document was adapted from a 2002 paper on training Chinese students to recognize words that indicate lexical aspect in English.

1. Glen Penrod
Georgetown University

2. I have bought my car for five months.*
How long have they gotten married?*
*He has met Jane since 2005.*
*I wore my red shirt at 9:00 this morning.*

3. ACTION STATUS / SITUATION
meet . . .
buy . . .
move . . .
get married . . .
arrive . . .
return . . .
put on . . .
fall asleep . . .
*Adapted from Butler and Yu. 2002.
know
own / have
live
be married
be (here)
be (back)
wear
be asleep

4. Using timelines
Pictures and cartoon strips
Pencil and rubber band trick
Actors and actresses
Your ideas

5. +----------------------------------
meet . . . . know
buy . . . have /own
+--------------------------------
get married . . . be married
+----------------------+-------------
fall asleep / be asleep; wake up / be awake

7. The boy is falling asleep. (action)
PAST: The boy fell asleep two minutes ago.
The boy is asleep. (status/situation/condition)
Connection to Now:
The boy has been asleep for two minutes.

8. He woke up. He is awake now.

9. +------------------------+---------------

10.  The boy fell asleep two minutes ago.(action)
 The boy was asleep for two minutes.(status)
 The boy has been asleep until now. (status)
 The boy woke up a couple of seconds ago.
 The boy is awake now. (status)
 When did the boy fall asleep? (action)
 How long has the boy been asleep? (status)

11. 10:00 11:00 Now
+--------------------+-----------
turn on . . . be on turn off . . . be off

12.  What happened at 10:00? (When did she…?)
turn(ed) on the television (action)
 What happened at 11:00?
turn(ed) off the television (action)
 What was the status of the tv at 10:30? (past)
The television was on.
 What is the status of the tv now? (pr. status)
The television is on.
 How long was the television on? (past status)
 How long has the television been off?

13. Pencil and rubber band
Actors and signs
Your ideas

14. +---------------------------+------------------

15. Butler, Michael and Yu, Chi Fang. 2000.
Training Chinese Students to Become Aware
of Words that Mark Lexical Aspect in English.
Document published online. Soochow
University: www.scu.edu.tw