UNIT 30 EOI & SECONDARY

In this post I am going to summarize the principal ideas of this UNIT 30 and give you the vocabulary, sentences and samples that can help you to write and illustrate this unit the day of the civil exam.

At the same time this may help as a quick review of English grammar in relation to TENSE VERB, ASPECT AND MOOD to the people that I am coaching and teaching.

First, if you are studying the civil exam (=oposición) read some of the Linguistic Vocabulary that you need to understand well and include in some moment of your argumentation and dissertation with accuracy:

Verb phrase; multi-word verbs; predicator; word-class verb; express tense; the head of a verb phrase; lexical verb and subclass auxiliary verb or auxiliary for short; pre-modified; simple structure and complex structure; head of a verb phrase; head of noun phrases; adjective phrases and adverb phrases; post-modified; clause elements; functioning as complement;Stative Verbs; Dynamic Verbs... among others.

The English verbal system differentiate 3 main categories: TENSE VERB, ASPECT AND MOOD.

1. TENSE VERB in relation to TIME:

Modern English distinguishes only two tenses and differs from a more highly inflected language such as French or Spanish. In English we use modal auxiliaries in the Future such as SHALL and WILL or the common structure TO BE GOING TO/ PARTICIPLE.

The category of tense may be characterised as a set of grammatical forms bearing some relation to the notional category of time, a universal concept with three divisions: PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE.

The notion of time, which is common to all mankind has nothing to do with languages as such (is "extra-linguistic") when it is expressed linguistically, however, oneway of doing this is by means of TENSE. We can also express time with like this: "ex-husband", "your late father", "last week", "next year".

* Present tense forms by no means always refer to present time exclusively neither do past tense forms always refers to past time.

1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE USES

1) eternal truth or timeless statements

a- Universal time statements associated with Stative verbs. * (Stative Verbs: go to the chart where I've explained them inside our Drive)

Two and tow make four.

b- Habitual time statements associated with Dynamic verbs. Often with adverbs like " every day, every year..."

We go to France every year.

2) The Instantaneous simple present used only with Dynamic verbs in an event simultaneous with a present event.

In fact, however it is possible to have stative or dynamic verbs with both (a) and (b); dynamic verbs, used in either of these ways, imply repetition of the event.

STATIVE

(Universal Time) Two and to make four.

(Real Time) John knows the answer.

DYNAMIC

(Universal Time) The sun lies in the West.

(Real Time) We cycle to work every day.

Typical uses:

- Commentaries:

Moore passes the ball to Carlton.

- Demonstrations

I now place the turkey in the oven.

- Exclamation:

Here comes the winner!

-Performative declarations:

We acknowledge your letter!

3) Simple present with Future time reference

a) with temporal adverbial in the clause

The place leaves for Chicago at eight o'clock.

b) in conditional and temporal clauses introduced by if, unless after, before, as soon as, when...,etc

He'll do it if you pay him.

4) Simple present with past time reference used frequently with the "communication verbs": tell, hear, learn, write, etc to express the persistence of the effect of a past communication:

John tells me that you have been abroad (roughly has told)

1.2 SIMPLE PAST USES

The basic meaning of this tense is to denote definite past time, that is, what took place at a given time or in each period before the present moment. It is found with adverbs referring to past:

I spoke to him last week.

There are, however, some exceptional cases in which the past tense does not have to refer to past tense.

1) In Indirect (Reported) Speech. Past tense in the reporting verbs tends to make the verb of the subordinate clause past too. This phenomenon is called back-shift.

Direct speech:

I am here;

you look well;

you say you are here;

I think you look well;

Indirect Speech:

You said you were here;

I thought you looked well;

2) ATTITUDINAL PAST is related to the attitude of the speaker rather than to time. In the following pairs, the past tense is politer than the present tense.

Do/ Did you want to see me now?

I wonder/wondered if you could help me.

3) HYPOTHETICAL PAST is used in some subordinate clauses, especially if-clauses:

If I were you...

If I was/were an opera singer...

If you loved me, you wouldn't say that...

There are a number of possibilities denoting future time. Futurity, Modality ad Aspect are closely related, and future time is rendered by means of modal auxiliaries or semi-auxiliaries or by simple present o progressive forms.

1.3 FUTURE USES

1) WITH AUXILIARY VERB CONSTRUCTION

The closest approximation to a colourless, neutral future with:

SHALL + infinitive (1st person only in BrE)

WILL or 'LL + infinitive ( in all persons, including 1st person throughout the English- speaking world)

I shall / will try to do my best.

This auxiliary constructions is also used to refer to a statement seen in the past from a point of orientation in the future:

They will have finished their book by next year.

2) BE GOING TO+ infinitive. This construction denotes future and intention. Its general meaning is "future fulfilment of the present". Looked at more carefully has two more meanings: "future of present intention"

When are you going to get married?

and "future of present cause". Which is found with both personal and non-personal subjects.

She's going to have a baby.

It's going to rain.

Both suggest that the event is already "on the way".

BE GOING TO, not generally used in the main clause of conditional sentences, WILL or SHALL being preferred instead.

If you leave now, you'll never regret it.

3) THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE refers to a future happening anticipated in the present. It's meaning is "fixed arrangement, plan or programme".

The orchestra is playing Mozart

A time adverbial is often used to clarify in which meaning the verb is being used, present progressive or future progressive.

They are washing the dishes now/later.

The present progressive is especially frequent with transitional dynamic verbs like arrive, come, go, land, start, stop, etc... which refer to a transition between two states or positions:

The plane is taking off at 5.20

The President is coming to the UN this week.

4) THE SIMPLE PRESENT is regularly used in subordinate clauses that are conditional (introduced by if, unless, etc) or temporal (introduced by as soon as, before, when, etc...)

What will you say if I marry my boss?

The gusts will be drunk before they leave.

SIMPLE PRESENT is used with value of future for statements about the calendar and to describe immutable events or "fixtures".

Yesterday was Monday, today is Tuesday and tomorrow is Wednesday.

When is high tide?

What time is the football match?

Both simple present and progressive are often used with dynamic transitional verb: arrive, come, leave, etc.... both having the meaning of "plan" or "programme"

The train leaves/ is leaving tonight from Chicago.

5) Will /Shall + BE + V-ING. Auxiliary verb construction can be together with the progressive infinitive to denote a "future as a matter of course"

He'll do his best (future or volitional interpretation possible)

He'll be doing his best (future interpretation)

When will you put on another performance?(future or volitional - insistence interpretation)

When will you be putting on another performance? (future interpretation)

When will you come? (future or volitional- insistence interpretation)

When will you be coming? (future interpretation)

6) BE + infinitive construction expresses:

a) arrangement

We are to be married soon; There's to be an investigation.

b) Command:

You are to be back by 10 o'clock.

c) Pre-destined future:

If he's to succeed in his new profession.

2. ASPECT

As a grammatical term has to do with the absolute location of an event or state in time, but with relative temporal distribution; for instance drawing attention to duration up to the present result of a past event (perfect aspect), or to temporariness (progressive aspect).

The marked aspects- perfect and progressive- find expression in the structures HAVE + -ED participle and BE +-ING.

They -perfect and progressive aspect- combine freely with other categories such as tense and voice.

Present perfect- it has rained

Past perfect- it had rained

Present progressive- it is raining

Past progressive- it was raining

Present perfect progressive- it has been raining

Past perfect progressive- it had been raining

With the category of ASPECT we have thus come to the complex verb phrase, of which there are four basic types :

A: MODAL AUXILIARY /PERIPHRASTIC DO + INFINITIVE

He can read; he does not read

B: HAVE +-ED PARTICIPLE = PERFECT ASPECT

He has read

C: BE + ING PARTICIPLE = PROGRESSIVE ASPECT

He is reading

D: BE + -ED PARTICIPLE = PASSIVE VOICE

It was said

The combination of all four types, though grammatically possible, is rather uncommon in actual usage.

e.g: The report may have been being read.

May: modal (A)

Have been: perfect (B)

Being: progressive (C)

Read: passive (D)

Combination of three types are less uncommon while combination of two types are quite common.

By definition, the non-finite complex verb phrase will not be found to contain a modal auxiliary or periphrastic do, since these verbs lack non-finite forms (i.e, infinitive and participles). The primary auxiliaries of aspect and voice - have and be- are restricted in this respect.

Aspectual contrast, see these sentences:

John plays the piano (no limitation in time)

John is playing the piano (limited to the situation)

The child crossed the street (completed)

The child was crossing the street (not completed)

Define plans or arrangement with future time:

We are going on holiday tomorrow.

Summing up this last point, we noted that the perfect aspect and the progressive aspect do not only freely combine individually with the category of tense, but that combination of the categories of tense, perfect aspect and progressive aspect also occur freely.

3. MOOD

Mood is a term used to refer to finite forms as serving to indicate the speaker's or writer's commitment regarding the factual status of what he/she is saying or writing.

The imperative and the subjunctive are formally marked using the based of the verb, while in addition there is the subjunctive form "were" (with 1st person or 3rd person singular subject) expressing hypothetical meaning. Note that although there is semantically a great deal of difference between the three mood, this difference frequently does not find formal expression, as illustrated in:

I work hard (indicative)

"Work hard",he urged (imperative)

He urged that I work hard (subjunctive)

3.1 INDICATIVE (the unmarked fact mood)

The village boats a general store.

I like gooseberries.

You know what I mean.

3.2 IMPERATIVE (or command mood)

Hurry up and finish your breakfast

Be silent!

Shut up, will you?

Formally identical with the base of the verb, is used with the aim of inducing an animate being or group or animate beings, to do nor not to do something. Thus, the imperative is used to give orders /instructions or to make entreaties / invitations, suggestions (sometimes shading off into the expression of a condition or wish)

Take out your books and be silent

Stop talking

Have a drink

Imperatives negated by means of "not" require the use of periphrastic "do". I t should be noted that this also goes for the verb be:

Don't open the parcel

Don't leave me

Don't be late

It is possible, however for an imperative to be accompanied by an overt subject you:

You mind your own business

You listen to me

You take the high road and I'll take the low road

or by a "third person subject":

Somebody fetch a bucket, please.

In spoken English, overt subject is stressed. An overt subject added to an imperative differs from a vocative in that it is placed in an initial position and that receives a separate tone-unit, normally fall-rise.

John, you sit here.

You, John sit here.

You sit here, John.

Among imperatives with an overt subject there is a special verbal construction introduced by the imperative-marker let and typically followed by a first person subject (especially 1st person plural) realized by a personal pronoun in the objective case (me/us):

Let me see now.

Let's try again, Shall we?

"Let" may be also used as an imperative without an overt subject:

Let me/ us/ them/ go, please! = ("allow me/us/them to go")

In these cases there is no construction of "Let us" into "Let's" and "Let" is treated as a complex-transitive lexical verb (complemented by a direct object and a non finite complement clause)

Let the Government take note: We will never give up! ( = I feel the Government should take note).

Let imperatives with first person subject are usually negated by inserting not after me/us, although in colloquial English periphrastic "do" is often used:

Le me not forget to post these letters, Let's not wait any longer

Also note the use of auxiliary " do" with let imperatives in informal English to denote emphasis pr to add element of persuasion.

Do let's go to the cinema.

3.3 SUBJUNCTIVE (or non-fact mood)

God save the Queen.

So be it.

I should accept if I were you.

It is a minor verbal category in Modern English. For historical reasons, the subjunctive in particular was very much subject to a process known as "the levelling of inflection". This is why in present-day English the subjunctive is formally no more than a vestigial survival, whose uses are limited.

What used to be expressed by means of the formally distinctive subjunctive mood, is now chiefly expressed by means of modal auxiliaries, past forms or adverb phrases such as certainly, perhaps, possibly, presumably and probably.

The only obligatory use of the subjunctive in present day English is found in certain set phrases of a formulaic character, mostly expressing a wish or prayer: the FORMULAIC SUBJUNCTIVE, formally identical with the base of the verb:

God save the Queen,

God bless you

Heaven forbid that..

In certain That-clauses when the super-ordinate clause contains an element denoting volition. In British English MANDATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE, as this use is refereed to, is typically found in very formal, often legalistic English.

The element in the super-ordinate clause that denotes volition : WILL or WISH, may be:

a) a VERBE PHARSE

b) a NOUN PHRASE

c) an ADJECTIVE PHRASE

Although the mandative subjunctice seems to be on the increase in British English (probably owing to the influence of American English, where its use is quite common), it is still true that in less formal style the mandative subjunctive is replaced by constructions such as the "to-infinitive" or "Should or Should + bare infinitive":

She urged him to write and accept the post

They insisted that she should try for dinner

It is necessary that he should get a permit.

The third type of Subjunctive expresses HYPOTHETICAL meaning and is found a) in adverbial of condition and concession, and b) in subclauses after expressions such as I wish (that)... suppose (that)... I had rather (that)... It is /high) time (that)...

This type finds expression in one form only -were- and in consequently referred to as the were-subjunctive. The subjunctive form "were" is used with 1st person singular subjects, thus formally contrasting with the indicative form "was" (more common in informal English).

Even if I were to arrive now he would still be too late

I should accept their offer, If I were you

Suppose I were to tell you that I had resigned

I wish you were here.

Note that the "were" subjunctive is obligatory in the set phrase "as it were" (=so to speak), in non-introduced conditional clauses with inserted word order:

Were he to come now, he would still be too late.

If I were you...

I have presented a brief description of the verbal features of tense, aspect and mood, analysing not only formal aspects but also how they are used to convey a wide range of meanings. Mastery of these features greatly contributes to the acquisition of linguistic competence.

BIBLIOGRAPHY USED

Quirk, R. et al A Grammar of Contemporary English. Longman. Harlow. 1980

Close, R.A. A Reference Grammar for Students of English. Longman. Harlow. 1981.

Leech. G. and Svartvik, J. A Communicative Grammar of English. Longman.Harlow. 1981.

Doff. A. et al. Meaning into Words. (intermediate). CUP. Cambridge. 1983.

Carrier, M, Take 5. Games and Activities for the Language Learner. Nelson. Waltson-on Thames. 1986.

Coe, N and Fowler, W.S. Test and Practice your English. Book. 1. Nelson. Waltson on Thames. 1990.

Murphy, R. English Grammar in Use. CUP. Cambridge. 1990.

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EOI CIVIL EXAM IN MADRID 2025
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BIBLIOGRAPHY EOI (OPO)
UNIT 28: LINGUISTIC MACROFUNCTIONS