1. Syntax and Teaching Grammar
Lesson Six
Dr. Rosario María Burneo

2. Unit 14: Syntax in discourse:
Aspect, tense and voice
Grammatical devices are central to the
organization of text. They are:
1. Aspect allows speakers and writers to present
events as completed or as ongoing.
Aspect in English has two forms: perfect and
progressive.
Gabriella is singing outside
They have played soccer all morning

3. Progressive aspect
The progressive has this structure:
BE + verb + -ing = aspect
The progressive combines two features:
- Tense is represented by the verb BE
- Aspect is represented by the participle of
the main verb.
Charles is writing a novel
Is = present tense
Writing = progressive

4. Perfect aspect
It indicates that the action performed by a
verb in a clause is completed.
The perfect aspect is formed by a
combination of suffixes and auxiliaries:
Have + verb + -ed = perfect
It can be in past and present
I had finished lunch when he arrived
Vargas Llosa has written many books

5. The present perfect indicates:
- An event that began in the past and
continues into the present:
I have lived in Loja for many years
- An event that is over, but which has
effects in the present:
He has broken the window (now he is fixing
it)
- An event that has happened in the recent
past.
I ‘ve just finished my report

6. The past perfect denotes:
- An event that happened before another
event in the past.
I had prepared lunch when my son arrived
Some grammarians also refer to the Simple
aspect as in:
Lucy plays the guitar
Lucy played the guitar

7. Tense
This term refers to a set of inflectional
affixes that communicate information about
the time in which an event happens
Present: suffix –s
work works
Past: suffixes –ed for regular verbs; and,
other forms as change of vowel (drove),
same form (put), and so on.
Future: periphrastic form (additional words
like “will” and “going to”

8. Active, passive and middle voice
Voice presents events from different perspectives:
- Active voice presents an event having the agent in
subject position:
Mary baked a cake
- Passive voice presents an event having the patient
in subject position:
A cake was baked by Mary
Middle passive is related to the properties of
entities,or to a single event.
This sweater washes easily
These cars sold very well last year

9. Passive with GET
The vase was broken
It describes an event or a state. Someone
broke it, or its condition is “broken”.
The vase got broken
It describes an event. Maybe it fell down and
broke

10. God Bless you
Thank you