Recently I located a wonderful graphic like this:
past///////////////////now (17May98)///////////////////future
The teacher who designed this graphic explaining tense, apparently felt the need of definition of these three parts of timing. Suddenly a question came upon my mind. If without this graphic, how shall we define 'past', 'now' and 'future'? Are they definable?
The weak point of the graphic is that it is not suitable for today (when it is not 17May98), unfortunately. And I can not find the definitions in grammar books.Both the teacher and I feel the need of the definition.
I am not asking to define such philosophic terms as 'permanency', 'general truth', etc. I just seek information about such elementary terms for English tenses as PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. Define them, and we will have a better understanding of English tenses.Eventually, we have to tell students about the past action, the present action, and the future action. But do we know exactly what they are? Do we have to know ourselves about their definitions?
Please help.Shun Tang
Please give me your opinion!
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Related message:
From a reader:
I don't see the problem here. The 'past' is separated from now.
Shun replied:
But I think the 'future' is "separated from now" also. We should have more information to define 'past'.
From a reader:
'Past' means prior to the present point ('now').
Shun replied:
As I have explained, not every present action is started right now. Many present activities are happened prior to the present point ('now'):
e.g. The earth moves around the sun.
e.g. He goes school everyday.
e.g. I live in Hong Kong.Therefore, I think we need more information to define 'past'.
From Barbara:
Quickly
Past
Anything that's happened up to the present moment. A student might correctly volunteer at 8 a.m. "I got up at 6 a.m." (got, not get)
Present
now, immediate moment
"I am wrestling with e-mail now."
Future
anything beyond now "I will push the send button once I am satisfied with the appearance of the message." The future is transformed into the present the minute it happens.
Don't know if this helps, but I do know that I'm still learning how to use this machine. My previous message went into limbo land.
That's it for now. This is a busy part of the week.
Shun replied:
Hi, it is a surprise to see you here. I find it rather awkward to speak to you because you have been to my Guestbook and seen my answer page. Anyway, greet to see you here. Here surly is a good place for chatting.
I think most of your definitions are valid. But you say:
====================
(Definition of) Past:
Anything that's happened
up to the present moment. A
student might correctly
volunteer at 8 a.m. "I got up
at 6 a.m." (got, not get)
====================
This doesn't help. I don't think "anything that's happened up to the present moment" can be correctly labeled as PAST. The getting up is finished now. It is in the past, not up to the present moment. At present the student may be eating breakfast, or doing something after getting up at 6 a.m. (I hope you are not saying that because the student is eating and walking, the action of getting up "is happened up to the present moment"!)
If your definition of PAST "Anything that's happened up to the present moment" means "Anything that's happening up to the present moment", it is purely suitable for 'present action' only. Any action happening up to the present moment is an unfinished action, what we call a present action. So I cannot buy your definition of 'PAST'. A past action itself will have no connection with the present moment.
If your definition of PAST "Anything that's happened up to the present moment" means "Anything that's finished up to the present moment", merely the notion "finished up to the present moment" is semantically wrong. We literally mix the notion of "finished" and the notion of "unfinished" together. This is not practical. This is wrong. This is why we cannot find the invisible combination of Perfect and "up to now" [see A question about tenses (5): Another elusive time adjunct]. Nevertheless, this sole combination is boosted by many grammar books.
Allow me to explain more on this combination:
The basic meaning of Perfect, which equals to that of Past, is to express a past action, an action finished before now. But in no way can we mix the meaning of "Before Now" with that of "Up To Now" together in one sentence. Therefore, Perfect is logically not compatible with "up to now". The corroborative result is that we cannot find such combination in readings. The sentence "?I have done my homework up to now" doesn't make sense (according to Shun's tense explanation).
Looking at PAST from various angles, I still think the definition of PAST is "ended before now", not "anything that's happened up to the present moment."
This is my silly thinking. Please keep in touch.