WorksheetsViewpoints on events: tense, aspect, modality
Total questions: 18
Worksheet time: 14mins
What do we do applying tense in an utterance?
we grammatically express the location of events in time
we psychologically relate an event to our experience of the world
relating the event time to a point of reference
logically express the temporal boundaries of an event or happening
What is the universal unmarked point of reference?
speech time
event time
the past
there is no universal point of reference
Which of the tenses is the marked form?
the past
the present
the perfective
the imperfective
I promise to wait is an example of
an instantaneous event
a state which holds over time
a habitual occurrence
a quotative
So I walk into this bar and I order two shots. An the barman goes 'No vodka today, mate'. This account holds an example of
historic present
the quotative
an instantaneous event
a habitual occurrence
Why can't we say that English does not have future tense?
English has no verbal inflection to mark a future tense
English makes use of verbal and auxiliary forms to refer to future events
English conceptually refers only to past and present
English has no grammatical category of "the future tense"
Finite clauses in English can be marked for
tense
modality
tense and modality
tense or modality
What distinguishes non-finite from finite clauses?
they are not marked for tense
they are marked for tense
they are marked for modality
they are not marked for modality
Which of these is the semantic category in talking about events?
modality
tense
perfectivity
aspect
What does modality express?
speaker's attitude towards the event
speaker's temporal perspective of the event
speaker's logical assumptions about the event
speaker's categorisation of the event
What does a speaker do when saying, 'The thief must have known where the money was'?
assesses the truth of the proposition
focuses on the aspectual element of the event
expresses modal certainty
states epistemic modality
Which of these is not an expression of speaker's attitude through extrinsic modality?
certainty
probability
possibility
obligation
In 'Children must eat what they have on their plates' we can see an example of
extrinsic modality
intrinsic modality
deontic modality
epistemic modality
The two types of modal meanings in English are
epistemic and deontic
intrinsic and extrinsic
epistemic and extrinsic
intrinsic and deontic
By saying 'The keys should be here somewhere,' the speaker expresses
epistemic modality
intrinsic modality
extrinsic modality
deontic modality
What do modal verbs express?
speaker’s attitude to a potential event
speaker's knowledge about the event
speaker's ablility in performing an activity
speaker's mood and feelings towards the event
In 'We can go take the train or go by car' the speaker expresses
intrinsic possibility
ability
certainty
expertise
All modal expressions are less categorical than a plain declarative because they
express a relation to reality
treat the process as reality
lack tense
signal speaker's attitude to reality
