When we think about using grammar to talk about time, most of us will think about tenses. However, tenses aren’t the only way to discuss time — we can also use aspects. Aspects tell us important time-related characteristics of a sentence, such as the completion or duration of an event/action. After all, it’s important to know if the train has arrived, is arriving, or whether it will be arriving before you get to the station!
Aspect meaning
Let’s take a look at the definition of aspect in grammar:
Aspect is a property of a verb that expresses how the action/state/event indicated by the verb takes place over time. In other words, aspect gives us extra information that tells us whether the verb is ongoing, repeated, completed, or even habitual.
There are two main elements of aspect in the English language called the progressive aspect (a.k.a the continuous aspect) and the perfective aspect. When neither aspect is present in a sentence we call it the simple aspect. When we combine both the progressive and perfective we form the perfective progressive aspect.
Therefore, we classify aspects into four types;
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The simple aspect
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The progressive (continuous) aspect
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The perfective aspect
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The perfect progressive (continuous) aspect
We can combine aspects with the tenses to create the verb tenses. We will explore these different verb tenses further in the article and learn how to form them.
Aspects examples
First, let’s look at some examples of aspects so we can compare and contrast the different types. These examples are all in the present tense.
Present simple tense- ‘the monkey eats peanuts’.
Present progressive tense- ‘the monkey is eating peanuts’.
Present perfect tense- ‘the monkey has eaten peanuts’.
Present progressive perfect tense- ‘the monkey has been eating peanuts’.
In these examples, the different aspects express important time-related characteristics. Even though all of the sentences are in the present tense, the aspect itself tells us whether the monkey is in the ongoing process of eating peanuts, whether they have finished eating peanuts, or whether it is a habitual action.
Fig 1. Right now, the monkey is eating peanuts
Aspects and tense
Aspects are used alongside tense to tell us when and how something is happening. We combine the 4 aspects with the 3 tenses to create the 12 verb tenses.
Just to recap: in English, there are three main tenses.
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Past
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Present
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Future
We combine the 4 aspects with the 3 tenses to 12 different verb tenses, each of which defines a certain time-related characteristic of a verb. These 12 verb tenses are shown in the table below:
| Aspect | Simple | Progressive (continuous) | Perfect | Perfect progressive (continuous) |
| Tense | ||||
| Past | past simple | past continuous | past perfect | past perfect continuous |
| Present | present simple | present continuous | present perfect | present perfect continuous |
| Future | future simple | future continuous | future perfect | future perfect continuous |
The terms ‘progressive’ and ‘continuous’ are often used interchangeably. When discussing aspects on their own, it’s more common to use the word ‘progressive’ i.e. the progressive aspect. However, when talking about tenses in the UK, it’s more common to use the word ‘continuous’ i.e. the present continuous tense.
What are the four different aspects?
Let’s look at the aspects in more detail, including exactly what they are, further examples, are how we use them. We will also combine them with tense to cover all of the verb tenses!
The simple aspect
The simple aspect simply states that an action or state of being (i.e. the verb) has taken/is taking/will take place. It can also express a habitual action. In other words, it states a fact.
When we combine the simple aspect with tense we get the three verb tenses; the past simple, the present simple, and the future simple.
- The past simple tense e.g. ‘James ate a giant peach. James was full’.
- The present simple tense e.g. ‘James eats a giant peach. James is full’.
- The future simple tense e.g. ‘James will eat a giant peach. James will be full’.
The simple aspect does not tell us whether action is ongoing or complete as it does not contain either the progressive or perfective aspects. It simply states the fact that an action or state occurs in the past, present, or future. We can also use the simple present to express habit e.g. we could say that ‘James eats giant peaches’ which suggests a general habit (who are we to judge James’ hobbies?).
The terms ‘simple present’ and ‘present simple’ are synonymous, meaning that the word order is not important. We can say ‘past progressive’ or ‘progressive past’ and so on, it’s completely up to you!
The progressive (continuous) aspect
The progressive aspect expresses that the action or state of a verb is ongoing and uncompleted.
When we combine the progressive aspect with tense we get three verb tenses; the past progressive, the present progressive, and the future progressive ( or the past continuous, the present continuous, and the future continuous).
- The past progressive tense e.g. ‘I was swimming in the Great Barrier Reef’.
- The present progressive tense e.g. ‘I am swimming in the Great Barrier Reef’.
- The future progressive tense e.g. ‘I will be swimming in the Great Barrier Reef’.
Each of these actions is ongoing in the past (was swimming), ongoing in the present (am swimming), or will be ongoing in the future (will be swimming). At no point do we state that the swimming has finished.
The past progressive tense is also a great way to set the scene for another action. For example, ‘I was swimming in the Great Barrier Reef when I spotted a big shark’ or ‘he was reading the paper when he heard a knock on the door’.
We can recognise the progressive aspect from the suffix -ing (i.e. ending of a verb).
We formulate the progressive using the verb to be (e.g. was/am/is/will be) + the verb root (e.g. swim, eat, dance) + the suffix -ing.
Looking at inflections helps us to work out which tense or aspect a sentence is written in. Inflections express the grammatical properties of a word by modifying its structure/formation. The suffix -ing in the progressive tense is an example of an inflection, showing that the verb is ongoing and uncompleted.
Fig 2. I was snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef when I saw a shark
The Perfective Aspect
The perfective aspect expresses that an action is complete. The action is normally linked to a specific point in time in the past, present, or future.
The perfective aspect can also be known as the ‘perfect aspect’ or the ‘complete aspect’.
When we combine the perfect aspect with tense we get the three verb tenses; the past perfect, the present perfect, and the future perfect.
- The past perfect tense e.g. ‘We had watched a whole season of Friends in 3 days’.
- The present perfect tense e.g. ‘We have watched a whole season of Friends over the past 3 days’.
- The future perfect tense e.g. ‘We will have watched a season of Friends by tomorrow’.
As you can see in these examples, the past perfect looks back on the excessive watching of the TV show from a point of time in the past, the present perfect looks back from the present moment, and the future perfect looks back at a point in the future from a time further on in the future.
We can form the perfect aspect using ‘had’, ‘has’, or ‘will have’ + the past participle of the verb (e.g. watched, been, saw).
The Perfect Progressive perfect
The perfect progressive aspect expresses an ongoing (progressive) action or state that was/is/will be completed at a later point in time (perfect).
When we combine the perfect progressive aspect with tense we get the three verb tenses; the past perfect progressive, the present perfect progressive, and the future perfect progressive.
- The past perfect progressive aspect e.g. ‘the dog had been eating chocolate ice cream’
- The present perfect progressive aspect e.g. ‘the dog has been eating chocolate ice cream’
- The future perfect progressive aspect e.g. ‘the dog will/would have been eating chocolate ice cream’
As you can see in these examples, the past perfect progressive tells us that the very unhealthy dog started eating and finished eating ice cream in the past. The present perfect progressive tells us that the dog started eating ice cream until the present time. The future perfect progressive tells us that the dog will start eating ice cream that will/would continue until a point in time in the future.
We form the perfect continuous using the auxiliary have/has/had (depending on the tense) + the auxiliary ‘been’ (the past participle of ‘to be’) + the progressive -ing verb (e.g. eating, drawing).
The perfect progressive can also be referred to as the ‘perfect continuous’.
Aspects — Key Takeaways
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Aspect tells us important time-related characteristics of a sentence such as whether the verb is ongoing, repeated, or completed.
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The four aspects are: simple, continuous, perfective, and perfect continuous.
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The simple aspect simply states that an action or state has taken/is taking/will take place.
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The progressive aspect expresses that the action or state of a verb is ongoing and uncompleted.
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The perfective aspect expresses that an action is complete. The action is normally linked to a specific point in time in the past, present, or future.
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The perfect progressive aspect expresses an ongoing (progressive) action or state that was/is/will be completed at a later point in time (perfect).
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Tense is combined with aspect to create 12 verb tenses.
1
a
: a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded
They studied every aspect of the question.
b(1)
: appearance to the eye or mind
the threatening aspect of the dark sky
(2)
: a particular appearance of the face : mien
… all that’s best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes.—
Lord Byron
2
a
: the position of planets or stars with respect to one another held by astrologers to influence human affairs
also
: the apparent position (such as conjunction) of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun
b
: a position facing a particular direction : exposure
a house with a southern aspect
c
: the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current
3
grammar
a
: the nature of the action of a verb as to its beginning, duration, completion, or repetition and without reference to its position in time
b
: a set of inflected (see inflect sense 1) verb forms that indicate aspect
4
archaic
: an act of looking : gaze
Did you know?
Since aspectus in Latin means «looked at», an aspect of something is basically the direction from which it’s looked at. So we may say that travel is your favorite aspect of your job, or that eating well is one aspect of a healthy life. If you look at a stage set from the front, it looks completely different than from behind, where all the mechanisms are visible, and both aspects are important. The word can be very useful when you’re analyzing something, and it’s used a great deal in the writings of scholars.
Synonyms
Example Sentences
depending on what aspect of college life you consider most important, there are several colleges which might be good for you
he has the aspect of a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed
Recent Examples on the Web
One crucial aspect of this process involves using the right lotions at the appropriate time.
—Lisa Bain And Jacqueline Saguin, goodhousekeeping.com, 6 Apr. 2023
The joy and belonging he received in performing continues to influence every aspect of his work, including his fundraising efforts.
—Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2023
Essays from the bestselling author reviewing aspects of modern living on a five-star scale.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
Coming Soon Good hair day product picks Hair Roz Hair Foundation Conditioner $42 at rozhair.com Formulated by celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak (Olivia Wilde, Michelle Yeoh), every aspect of Rōz is designed with the environment in mind.
—Erica Smith, ELLE, 5 Apr. 2023
At Detroit Metro Airport, flights faced gate holds and taxi delays, as well as airborne delays, of about 15 minutes or less, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for regulating all aspects of civil aviation.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2023
For prosecutors, Pecker was key to corroborating important aspects of Cohen’s story.
—BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023
Most of Trump’s major rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have refrained from directly attacking the polling front-runner and are instead blasting the district attorney for bringing the case at all, though some have also obliquely raised the seedier aspects of the accusations.
—Rick Klein, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2023
Every aspect of this case will be scrutinized and, while New York City courts are used to media attention, the attention in this case is likely to be unprecedented.
—Jeffrey Bellin, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘aspect.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin aspectus, from aspicere to look at, from ad- + specere to look — more at spy
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of aspect was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near aspect
Cite this Entry
“Aspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspect. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on aspect
Last Updated:
8 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
In English grammar, aspect is a verb form (or category) that indicates time-related characteristics, such as the completion, duration, or repetition of an action. (Compare and contrast with tense.) When used as an adjective, it’s aspectual. The word comes from Latin, meaning «how [something] looks»
The two primary aspects in English are the perfect (sometimes called perfective) and the progressive (also known as the continuous form). As illustrated below, these two aspects may be combined to form the perfect progressive.
In English, aspect is expressed by means of particles, separate verbs, and verb phrases.
Examples and Observations
Perfect Aspect
The perfect aspect describes events occurring in the past but linked to a later time, usually the present. The perfect aspect is formed with has, have, or had + the past participle. It occurs in two forms:
Perfect Aspect, Present Tense:
«History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created.»
(William Morris, The Water of the Wondrous Isles, 1897)
Perfect Aspect, Past Tense:
«At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.»
(Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969)
Progressive Aspect
The progressive aspect usually describes an event that takes place during a limited time period. The progressive aspect is made up of a form of be + the -ing form of the main verb.
Progressive Aspect, Present Tense:
«She’s loyal and is trying to wear her thin flippy hair in cornrows.»
(Carolyn Ferrell, «Proper Library,» 1994)
Progressive Aspect, Past Tense:
«I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.»
(Steven Wright)
The Difference Between Tense and Aspect
«Traditionally . . . both aspects [perfect and progressive] are treated as part of the tense system in English, and mention is made of tenses such as the present progressive (e.g. We are waiting), the present perfect progressive (e.g. We have been waiting), and the past perfect progressive (e.g. We had been waiting), with the latter two combining two aspects. There is a distinction to be made, however, between tense and aspect. Tense is concerned with how time is encoded in the grammar of English, and is often based on morphological form (e.g. write, writes, wrote); aspect is concerned with the unfolding of a situation, and in English is a matter of syntax, using the verb be to form the progressive, and the verb have to form the perfect. For this reason combinations like those above are nowadays referred to as constructions (e.g. the progressive construction, the present perfect progressive construction).»
(Bas Aarts, Sylvia Chalker, and Edmund Weiner, Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2014)
present perfect progressive: God knows how long I’ve been doing it. Have I been talking out loud?
past perfect progressive: He had been keeping it in a safety deposit box at the Bank of America. For months she had been waiting for that particular corner location.
Present Perfect Progressive and Past Perfect Progressive
«The perfect aspect most often describes events or states taking place during a preceding time. The progressive aspect describes an event or state of affairs in progress or continuing. Perfect and progressive aspect can be combined with either present or past tense…Verb phrases can be marked for both aspects (perfect and progressive) at the same time: The perfect progressive aspect is rare, occurring usually in the past tense in fiction. It combines the meaning of the perfect and the progressive, referring to a past situation or activity that was in progress for a period of time.»
(Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad, and Geoffrey Leech, Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman, 2002)
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Suggestions
The time-bound left-brain aspect of effective self-government.
Это — привязанный ко времени аспект эффективного самоуправления, относящийся к левому полушарию мозга.
Keywords: profile classes, expressive means of a language, linguistic aspect, methodical aspect, psychological aspect.
Ключевые слова: профильные классы, средства выразительности речи, лингвистический аспект, методический аспект, психологический аспект.
This aspect distance is considered to be a minor aspect by some modern astrologers, and is called the tridecile aspect.
Этот аспект расстояния считается незначительным аспектом некоторыми современными астрологами и называется тридециловый аспект.
However, the feminine aspect lovingly allows the masculine aspect to act upon her and carries out the vision held by the masculine aspect.
Тем не менее, женский аспект с любовью позволяет мужскому аспекту воздействовать на него и проявляет представление, удерживаемое мужским аспектом.
Repentance has a cognitive aspect, a personal aspect, and a moral aspect.
У покаяния присутствуют познавательный (когнитивный) аспект, личный аспект и нравственный аспект.
The intellectual aspect prevails over the material aspect.
Здесь наблюдается преобладание информационного аспекта над материальным.
The other aspect of this issue is the disarmament aspect.
Другим аспектом этой проблемы является разоруженческий аспект.
One point was the close interrelationship between what we call the merely normative aspect and the institutional aspect.
Одним из вопросов является тесная взаимосвязь между тем, что мы называем лишь нормативным аспектом, и институциональным аспектом.
Any sign of the first aspect may be applied to the second aspect.
Любой признак третьего аспекта может применяться к первому или второму аспекту.
Each aspect of us affects every other aspect.
Likewise, if the comparable is inferior to the subject in an aspect, then an upward adjustment for that aspect is needed.
Аналогичным образом, если сравним уступает субъекта в аспекте, токорректировка для этого аспекта является необходимости.
Instead it uses a combination of aspect markers for aspect and modality.
Вместо этого это использует комбинацию маркеров аспекта для аспекта и модальности.
No aspect about cryptocurrency or blockchain technology gives users any degree of anonymity, but it does provide a pseudonymous aspect.
Ни один аспект криптовалюты или технологии блокчейна не дает пользователям какой-либо степени анонимности, но обеспечивает псевдонимный аспект.
Mercy is actually the masculine aspect, whereas forgiveness is the feminine aspect.
В действительности, милосердие является мужским аспектом, тогда как прощение — женский аспект.
There is always going to be an aspect of chance involved in trading, and therefore an aspect of risk.
Здесь всегда имеется аспект случайности, участвующий в торговле, и, следовательно, является одним из аспектов риска.
That aspect detected have performed organizational changes to improve that aspect.
Этот аспект обнаружены провели организационные изменения, чтобы улучшить этот аспект.
Features of the first aspect may be combined with the second aspect.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a device according to the first aspect, for use in allergy testing of the human or animal body.
Четвертый аспект настоящего изобретения обеспечивает соединение согласно первому аспекту для применения в лечении человека или животных.
The mundane aspect of this energy is functioning perfectly, but the inner aspect is dormant, sleeping.
Обыденная сторона этой энергии функционирует безупречно, а внутренний аспект пребывает в бездействии, во сне.
I further explain that discipleship has both a vertical aspect and a horizontal aspect.
Далее я объясняю, что ученичество имеет как вертикальный аспект, так и горизонтальный аспект.
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Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
Other forms: aspects
Aspect means a part or feature of something. If you are going to vote for a candidate, you should first learn about the various aspects of her political agenda.
At the heart of the word aspect is the Latin specere «look» (think spectacles). Later, the word became connected to the idea of what can be seen from a particular position. Whether that means you can see all of something (all aspects) or only part (one aspect) depends on where you are standing and how hard you are looking.
Definitions of aspect
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noun
a characteristic to be considered
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noun
a distinct feature or element in a problem
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noun
the visual percept of a region
-
noun
the feelings expressed on a person’s face
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noun
the beginning or duration or completion or repetition of the action of a verb
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘aspect’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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