VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES.
**0**
BÙI VĂN TỰ

A Contrastive Analysis of Tense-Aspect Combinations in English
and the Vietnamese Equivalents (with Possible Applications to
Teaching and Learning English)

(Phân tích đối chiếu sự kết hợp Thời-Thể trong tiếng Anh và tương
đương trong tiếng Việt với ứng dụng trong dạy và học tiếng Anh) M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS
Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60.22.15
Supervisor: Nguyễn Hương Giang, M.A.
HANOI - 2009 iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION…………………………………………………………………………….
i.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………….
ii.
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………….
iii.
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………
iv.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. ………………………………………………………………
v.
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
vi.
PART 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….
1
1. Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………
1
2. Hypotheses………………………………………………………………………………
1
3. Scope of the study………………………………………………………………………

10
1.2.2.2. Classifications of tense……………………………………………………………
10
1.3. Tense-aspect combinations in English
12
1.3.1. Present simple………………………………………………………………………
13

v
1.3.2. Present Progressive. ………………………………………………………………….
14
1.3.3. Present Perfect ……………………………………………………………………….
14
1.3.4. Present Perfect Progressive …………………………………………………………
15
1.3.5. Past simple……………………………………………………………………………
16
1.3.6. Past Progressive………………………………………………………………………
17
1.3.7. Past Perfect…………………………………………………………………………
18
1.3.8. Past Perfect Progressive. ……………………………………………………………
19
1.4. Expressions to future time in English. …………………………………………….

20
Chapter 2: The Expressions of the Equivalents to Tense and Aspect in Vietnamese.
22
2.1. Literature review of the equivalents to Tense-Aspect System in Vietnamese. ………
22
vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. C.A …………………………………
contrative analysis.
E A……………………………………….
error analysis
ET
event time
IL
interlanguage
INF……………………………………….
infinitive
L1
the first language
L2
the second language
MT
mother tongue
NP
noun phrase
PP
prepositional phrase
RT
reference time
ST
speech-act time

Table 3: Percentages of subjects’ options for items 6, 8, 10, 11.
Table 4: Percentages of subjects’ choices for items 2, 3, 9, 13 and 14.
1

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study.

English is the most popular language in the world. In Vietnam, English has been more and
more important since Vietnam became an official member of the World Trade
Organization. That is why every Vietnamese desires to master this language to
communicate with the rest of the world, which seems to be far from easy for all
Vietnamese learners of English as a foreign language.
To communicate effectively in English, it involves many aspects in which grammar is one
of the basic and central points. This M.A thesis focuses on the acquisition of the English
Tense-Aspect combinations by Vietnamese learners, with the primary aim to what extent it
is possible to achieve competence in the field of Tense and Aspect of English and their


4. Significance of the study.
Learning a foreign language is different from learning our native language. Each language
has its own features in terms of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Fromkin
(1990, p. 68) states that “Learning a second language differs qualitatively from learning a
first language because of various factors: psychological, physical and sociological. They
must be considered in addition to the linguistic structure of the second language and how
it differs from the native language.” The question is why foreign language learning and
teaching raise so many problems. Many linguists and methodologists suppose that the main
cause is in the differences between the languages in which the characteristic features are
highly complex, productive and arbitrary. As Corder (1973, p. 102) suggests: "Contrastive
comparison of the mother tongue of the learner and the second language will offer an
account of the differences between L1 and L2 or predict learning problems or learning
items"
In fact, English and Vietnamese have their own structures. Vietnamese is typically
classified as an isolating language in which all the words are invariable and grammatical
relationships are shown through the use of word order. English, on the other hand, is
classified as partially synthetic and analytical. Thus, learning English is so hard for
Vietnamese learners.
Since Vietnamese learners, especially high school students at my school - Quỳnh Côi high
school in Thaibinh province, are confusingly using English tense and aspect systems when
they speak English in the class or making quite a lot of mistakes in the written tests. It is
my hope that this thesis plays an important role in helping the Vietnamese high school
learners systematize this kind of linguistic resources, and acquire a good knowledge of
English and Vietnamese grammar, which can help them use English more correctly.

5. Methodology of the study. 3

of the TL.”
Clearly, the aim of C.A is to predict learner difficulties and make the research results
available for language teaching so as to affect study programs and learning outcomes
positively. Besides, C.A provides an important impetus to the genesis of other theories and
research approaches in second language acquisition, such as error analysis (E.A). In EA, 4

learner language is analyzed first and then attempts are made to find explanations for the
errors, which might include differences between the MT and the TL of the learner. Thus
the contrastive approach is incorporated into error analysis as an explanatory element, but
it is not the only possibility to explain learner errors and it is not employed to predict
errors. EA pursues the same intention as CA, that is to provide feedback for language
teaching, and additionally seeks to attain insight into how languages are acquired.
In short, C.A is an effective method for language teachers. We-the English teachers should
pay attention to the points where there are structural differences between the languages,
predicting the difficulties the learners may face. We also make the learners aware of the
contrast so that they will understand the causes of the errors and avoid committing them.

6. Design of the study.
The thesis has three main parts as follows:
The first part - Introduction composes of the rationale, the hypothesis, the scope, the
significance, the methodology and the design of the study.
The second part – Development includes three chapters. Chapter 1 shows the theoretical
background of English tense and aspect system. In chapter 2, the author presents the
English Tense-Aspect combinations which will be contrasted with the Vietnamese
equivalents; In chapter 3, an empirical research of error analysis is conducted to find out
how the Vietnamese high-school learners deal with the present progressive – one of the
verb forms frequently used in written and spoken forms of English. Then some conclusions

conceptualization of passing of time can be compared with movement in space.
Represented in a diagrammatic manner, a time line would look the following way:
time line (t)

PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Figure1: Diagrammatic representation of time as a time line

The utterance “Mrs Lan cooked”, for example, is therefore to be placed left to the present
moment to which it priorily happened. 6 t
Mrs Lan cook now
Figure2: Diagrammatic representation of “Mrs Lan cooked”.

Besides, the diagrammatic representation of time as a time line makes the infinity of past
and future time as well as the continuity of time visible. A fourth property of time should
be mentioned here – density, as Bennet & Michael (1981, p. 46) suppose that “time is
dense, …given any two moments of time, there exists another moments that lies between
them.”
Nevertheless, time is a purely mental concept of humans to make the environment
measurable. Klein (1984, 82) says: “Time and space are the basic categories of our
experience and our cognition, and without them, no well-coordinated collective action,
hence no human society, would be possible.”

1.1.2. Deixis and Temporal Reference
A central concept in the expression of time is deixis. It relates time, place and person

assuming that there are different levels of time, a past level on which a situation occurred
and a present level, two possibilities arise to evaluate the past situation, either on the past
level itself, or on the present level, which is precisely the difference of the simple past and
the present perfect of the English language. And third, speech-act time (ST): speech-act
time is the point of time at which a utterance is made. ET and RT can refer to punctual
situations and similarly to durative situations, the point of speech however is usually
conceptualized as a punctual situation on the time line.
The relationship between RT and ST defines the prototypical meaning of simple tenses. In
the case of relative tenses, however, the relation ship between ET, RT, and ST states the
meaning of the tenses.
The example “Mrs Lan cooked” can diagrammatically be represented as follows:
t
ET, RT ST
Figure 3: Diagrammatic representation of a situation in the past which is
referred to from the speech-act time
Here, “Mrs Lan cooked” is an eventuality that happened and was evaluated in the past and
is referred to from ST.

1.2 Tense and Aspect in English: A General Outline
There are several ways of expressing time in speech. B.Comrie (1985, p.18) distinguishes
lexically composite expressions, lexical items and grammatical categories. Lexically
composite expressions are adverbials, such as “a minute ago, last century, last year, last
week, etc.” This kind of expressions is highly productive, so there is an almost infinite
number of adverbials. Lexical items are adverbs like “today, tomorrow, yesterday, now,
then, etc.” which present a finite number of lexically expressed time references. Lexical 8

expressions of time are non-obligatory. The grammatical expressions of time are tense and

speaking,”, nevertheless, there are differences among tenses regarding their deictic center.
In past tense ET is prior to ST, and in present tense ET and ST are not distinguishable, they
form one single point on the time line. Diagrammatically past, present can be represented
the following way: 9

t
ET, RT, ST
Figure 4: Present tense

t
ET, RT ST
Figure 5: Past tense

These diagrams show explicitly that the deictic center in simple tenses is the present
moment, to which every event is related to. Examples to illustrate the simple tenses are:
- Present simple tense: The exhibition opens on January 1
st
and closes on January
30
th

- Past simple tense: I knew it was dangerous to get there.
(L.G. Alexander, 1988, p. 168)
The deictic center in present tense needs some further remarks. It is very unlikely that ET,
RT and ST coincide. B.Comrie (1985) brought only one type of situation forward that
matches this picture exactly, performative speech acts”. Crystal (1992, p.176) defines
performative speech acts as “actions that are orally performed in the moment of

of reference, and to aspect as “situation internal time”, since it is concerned with the
internal temporal constituency of eventualities, and not with its relation to a reference
point.

1.2.2.2 Classification of Aspect.
As to the subjective point of view that aspect conveys and that aspect is a grammatical
category, these are only partial truths, since aspect can also be expressed lexically. There
are languages that do not express aspect grammatically but through lexical means and
others use both, lexical and grammatical aspect. Moreover, lexical aspect, is independent
from the speaker’s point of view in which the aspectual meaning is inherent to the meaning
of the verb, although the choice of the verb is the speaker’s. In the range of this thesis, the
research focuses on the grammatical aspect. A clear distinction between grammatical and
lexical aspect should be shown in the further studies relating to the tense and aspect system
1.2.2.2.1 Perfective Aspect Vs Imperfective Aspect.
Grammatical aspect is usually expressed through morphological inflection. The
prototypical representation of grammatical aspect occurs in many languages, where verbs
can take different forms according to the characteristics of the situations they refer to. The
traditional distinction made between perfective and imperfective aspect, is “overtly and
morphologically marked.” (Binnick,1991, p. 204). Besides, the perfective aspect of a verb
is the marked, whereas verbs that are non-perfective are the unmarked member of the
opposition.
Regarding the meaning of the two aspects, according to Comrie (1985, p. 192), “the
perfective aspect takes a position outside of the situation from which the writer/ speaker
retrospectively views an eventuality as an entity”; therefore no distinction is made into
possible phases of the eventuality. Conversely, the imperfective aspect views eventualities 11

from inside and is concerned with the internal temporal structure of the situation, since it


1.2.2.2.2 Progressive Aspect Vs Non-progressive Aspect.
The English progressive, as it derived from a spatial location, which developed into
temporal location, expresses an activity in progress and duration of a situation, but it may
also convey other meaning than that. Leech (1971, p. 180) summarizes the meaning of the
progressive aspect as “being used to indicate duration, limited duration, lack of certainty
about the completion of a situation and the enclosure of an event with a temporal frame”,
additionally he denotes the use of the progressive aspect to refer to inexorable situations
emphasizing the persistence of situations.
Examples for the various uses are:
- Duration: They are demanding that richer countries cut back their carbon emissions
to compensate. (Vietnam Business Forum, Vol 7, June 6-12, 2009)
This example also illustrates that the process which is going on is not considered to be
finished in the near future, rather temporal boundaries are left indistinct.
- Limited duration: We are very sensible and talking about this as we should have done
last year. (Vietnam Business Forum, Vol 7, June 6-12, 2009)
Here the current state of being sensible is emphasized, indicating that it is only temporary
state and additionally contrasted with the characteristic manner of “not being sensible in
the past”.
- Temporal frame: He looked briefly at his son as he said the last few words, conscious
that the boy was watching everything. (L.G. Alexander, 1988, p. 187)
In this case the father's telling of the last words is framed by the consistent activity by his
son of watching him.
Leech (1971, p. 201) takes the following examples to illustrate the duration of situations “I
am raising my arm” and “The house is falling down”, which in contrast to the non-
progressive form of the sentences indicates an ongoing process of the situation and not
sudden eventualities. Furthermore, he points out the contrast between unrestricted duration
conveyed by the use of the simple forms and the limited duration conveyed by the use of
the progressive aspect. The following example “I live in Wimbledon” (L.G. Alexander,
1988, p.163) denotes a permanent state, and “I am living in Wimbledon” (L.G. Alexander,

progressive
Present
Present simple
Present
progressive
Present perfect
Present perfect
progressive
Past
Past simple
Past progressive
Past perfect
Past perfect
progressive

1.3.1. Present simple.
According to B. Comrie (1976, p. 165), the basic meaning of present simple is “the
location of a situation at the present time”, hence ET, RT and ST are located
simultaneously in time as the fingure below:
t
ET, RT, ST
Figure 6: Present simple
The simple present has multiple uses. According to Celce-Murcia (1999, p. 166-234),
there are some basic uses as follows:
- Habitual actions in the present:
He walks to school every day [14;234]
- General timeless truths 14

I am studying geology at the University of Colorado. [11;236]
- A temporary situation:
Phillips is living with his aunt.[15;236]
- Expresses future when events are planned; usually with future-time adverbials:
She is coming tomorrow.[17;236] 15

- Emotional comment on present habit (usually co-occurring with frequency
adverbs always or forever):
He’s always coming late.[22;236]
- A change in progress:
It is getting darker and darker.[2;237]
1.3.3. Present Perfect
Combining present tense with perfect aspect results in a past situation which is being
related to the present moment as the reference point. The relation ET < (RT = ST) can also
be presented in a diagram: t
ET RT, ST
Figure 8: Present perfect
Contrasting the past simple, where RT = ET, the present perfect takes the present state of
affairs as starting point for a retrospective view on a past event. The exact location of ET in
the past, however, is indefinite, if the position of ET was definite the simple past would be
required. According to L.G. Alexander (1988, p. 172-174), the present perfect is used in
such cases as:
- A situation that began at a prior point in time and continues into the present:
This has helped the competent and motivated Vietnamese resources acquire solid

process of the situation. The use of the present perfect progressive is sometimes similar to
the use of the present perfect. According to A. Thomson et al. (1991, p. 296-297)
- A situation that began in the past (recent or distant) and continues up to the
present and possibly into the future time:
I’ve been waiting for an hour and he still hasn’t turned up.[2;296]
- An action in progress that is not completed:
I have been reading that book.[4;296]
- An evaluative comment on something observed over a period of time in the past
prior to some other past event or time:
You have been drinking again![11;296]
- A state that changes over time:
The students have been getting better and better.[17;297]

1.3.5. Past simple
The basic meaning of the past simple is the location of a situation prior to the moment of
speaking so as to express past time reference. It is important that there is a temporal gap
between the moment in which the utterance is made and the past situation which is referred
to. This is usually the reason to interpret situations, described in the past tense, as
completed and thus perfective. 17

t
ET, RT ST
Figure 10: Past simple.

According to Kirsten (1987, p. 210), the past simple is often used in such situations as
narrations where it is employed to describe subjective experiences and situations in a vivid
way or for example the setting of a situation. Thus the simple past can in narratives be used

to the fact that neither the beginning nor the end of the situation taken into contemplation,
it appears to be atelic and incomplete. A diagrammatic representation could be like this: ( ) t
RT ET ST
Figure 11: Past progressive
Following the views of L.G. Alexander (1988, p. 170-171), there are some basic rules of
the past progressive as follows:
- An action in progress at a specific point of time in the past:
They were playing football at 3.00 p.m. yesterday. [20; 170]
- Past action simultaneous with some other events that are usually stated in
the simple past:
Karen was washing her hair when the phone rang. [22;170]
- Repetition or iteration of some ongoing past action:
Jake was coughing all night long. [2;171]
- Social distancing which comes from the past and the tentativeness of the
progressive aspect:
I was hoping you could lend me $10. [4;171]

1.3.7. Past Perfect.
The past perfect is used to locate a situation prior to a reference point in the past, a
diagrammatic representation would be:
t
ET RT ST
Figure 12: Past perfect

The past perfect has similarities with two other past time references, the present perfect and
the simple past; it is similar to the present perfect in that is may provide a retrospective
view on a situation in the past, the difference being that ET is prior to RT, and it is similar

1.3.8. Past Perfect Progressive.
The past perfect progressive expresses the same temporal reference as the past perfect,
however, emphasis is put on the durative quality of ET. When there is a temporal gap
between ET and RT, ET is implied to be atelic, this feature is used to provide background
information on a situation narrated in present perfect.
( ) t
ET RT ST
Figure 13: Past perfect progressive
Celce-Murcia (1999, p. 120) shows the rules of the past perfect progressive as follows:
- An action or habit taking place over a period of time in the past prior to some
other past event or time: