Историческое развитие и современное употребление длительных времен в английском языке

-We usually use the Past Continuous to talk about activities that lasted for some time in the past. The actions can be interruped by something or can be happening at the same time.  

-We mainly use the Future Continuous  to indicate that we will be in the middle of doing something in a specified time in the future.  

-When you are talking about the past, you use the past continuous for actions that continued to happen before and after another action, or before and after a particular time. This is often called the ‘interrupted past’. You use the past simple for the other action. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. The Practice 

(1) The verb “is not backing” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the process generally in progress (not at the moment). 

(3) The verb “are battling” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses action happening around now. The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(6) The verb “was doing” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the action at a particular moment in the past (that night). 

(7) The verb “was doing” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses action that lasted for some time in the past, and which duration is unknown.

 

(9) The verb “is struggling” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the process generally in progress. The action will be happening after “now”. 

(12) The verb “was flying” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the action which took place at a particular moment in the past (on 4 December). 

(13) The verb “are talking” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses action happening around now. The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(15) The verb “will be making” is used here in the future continuous tense and expresses action at a particular moment in the future (this Christmas).  

(17) The verb “are looking” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses action happening around now. The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(19) The verb “was talking” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the process which happening in the past. 

(21) The verb “We're working” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses action happening around now. The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(25) The verb “will be doing” is used here in the future continuous tense and expresses action at a particular moment in the future (the bicentenary of Dickens's birth in February 2012).

 

(29) The verb “We're looking” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses action happening around now. The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(33) The verb “are breaking” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the process generally in progress (not at the moment). The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(35) The verb “is becoming” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the process generally in progress (not at the moment). The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(36) The verb “is not selling” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the process generally in progress (not at the moment). The action is not happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now. 

(38) The verb “is not violating” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the idea that something is happening at the moment of speaking.  

(41) The verb “was reading” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the action which took place at a particular moment in the past (when he received an email from the 2012 games organizers). 

(44) The verb “is making” is used here in the present continuous tense and expresses the idea that some process is happening at the moment of speaking.  

(45) The verb “were burying” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the action which took place at a particular moment in the past (on Wednesday). 

(48) The verb “was eating” is used here in the past continuous tense and expresses the action which took place at a particular moment in the past (the night before).  

(51) The verb “will be coming” is used here in the future continuous tense and expresses action at a particular moment in the future (This on the 8th – 10th October). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Qualitative analysis of the given examples 

 
 

Present Continuous 12

Past Continuous 6

Future Continuous 3

Plural 9

Singular 12 

Affirmative 18

Negative 3 
 

In this table I have analyzed the verbs belonging to the continuous tenses in several news brefs in the three aspects, which are:

-tense (present continuous/ past continuous/ future continuous);

-number (singular/ plural)

-type of the sentence in which we have found the verb (affirmative/ negative/ interrogative)

Analyzing this table, we can conclude that the most frequent tense among the group of continues is the Present Continuous. Future continuous is the most uncommon form. It’s seldom used in the news brefs. We have meet it only three times. Also through the analysis we can conclude that there are few negative sentences. Among the given examples we came across this form only thrice. And we don’t see interrogative sentences with continuous at all. 
 
 

General conclusions: 

- In the modern English there are four categories of tenses: indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous. The sources of these forms are old English free syntactical combinations; 

- A sources of modern continuous forms are the old English verb “beon” in combination with the present participle, and Middle English gerundive constructions with the pretext, conveying duration unlimited in time 

- In the period of Old English, there is no a special form to express a continuous process. There we can find out rather frequent using of syntax constructions to express a continuous process. Duration expressed by simple forms and contextually determined; 

- Middle English is characterize by shortage of using the syntax construction ‘ben + present participle’. On this stage of the development of the language the meaning of continuous expresses by non-durative form of verb.  By the end of the Middle English period  two syntax constructions merge into one and take the meaning which is value in today's continuous forms. 

- In its modern meaning the continuous process fixed by the end of a Modern English period; 

-Continuous tenses describe actions which continue to happen before and after a particular time. Continuous tenses can also indicate duration and change. 

-The Present Continuous is mainly used to express the idea that something is happening at the moment of speaking; 

-We usually use the Past Continuous to talk about activities that lasted for some time in the past. The actions can be interruped by something or can be happening at the same time.  

-We mainly use the Future Continuous  to indicate that we will be in the middle of doing something in a specified time in the future.  

-When you are talking about the past, you use the past continuous for actions that continued to happen before and after another action, or before and after a particular time. This is often called the ‘interrupted past’. You use the past simple for the other action. 
 

- Through the analysis of several news briefs we can see that:

• The most frequent tense among the group of continues is the Present Continuous

• Future continuous is the most uncommon form

• There are few negative sentences in the news briefs

• There are no interrogative sentences with continuous in news                                                                  briefs 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  

Supplement 

News brefs: 

1. EU leaders say the UK is now the only country not backing a tax and budget

2. pact on the eurozone debt crisis, after Hungary changes its stance. 

3. Engineers are battling to reconnect about 40,000 homes still left without power 4. after Thursday's storms. 

5. Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner David Ridley said it would remain a mystery as 6. to what the soldier was doing that night.  

7. Clair, from the Plain English Campaign, said the council was doing an

8. "excellent job" saying the team had "a real consistency" in the way it worked. 

9. The economy is already struggling owing to large borrowing by its three major 10. banks. Inflation is runing above 11%, and interest rates are up to 15%. 

11. Iran's Press TV said that the Iranian army's "electronic warfare unit" brought 12. down the drone on 4 December as it was flying over the city of Kashmar. 

13. There are those outside the SNP's inner core who are talking about re-thinking 14. this policy. 

15. This year more people than ever will be making their own Christmas presents 16. and just like last year , I’ll be one of them. 

17. Officials at University Hospital in Coventry are looking at ways to ease

18. congestion around the site after complaints from patients. 

19. Mr Hardy said the hospital was talking to the city council and would try to ease 20. congestion as soon as possible. 

21. It's not actually the number of parking spaces on site. We're working with the 22. council...it's not just on that one potential access route into the site at the

23. hospital but others as well. 

24. In the run-up to the bicentenary of Dickens's birth in February 2012, BBC

25. Radio and BBC TV will be doing the master-storyteller proud, with new

26. productions of four of the novels, and a whole host of other programming,

27. starting with Penelope Wilton reading five extracts from Claire Tomalin's

28. extraordinary new biography - Charles Dickens - A Life. 

29. "We're looking at other areas where potentially we can have a second and, in 30. the long-term, third access on to the site." 

31. A new "roll-your-own" tobacco company in New York sells cigarettes for one-32. third of the normal price and claims its cigarettes are less harmful than those 33. bought by the pack. Authorities say the stores are breaking the law and want 34. them shut down. 

35. New York is fast becoming a virtually smokeless city. 

36. "No one would claim that Ikea is not selling furniture just because the clients 37. have to assemble that," says Eric Proshansky, a lawyer for the city. 

38. Island Smokes owner Pat Donnelly contends he is not violating the law, and says he is proud he sells only "organic" tobacco. 

39. Keith Jansz, from Finmere near Banbury, received an email from the 2012

40. games organisers on Thursday confirming he had been selected. He said: "I

41. couldn't believe my eyes as I was reading it... I feel like a five-year-old on

42. Christmas Day." 

43. The animal has been treated for shock and hypothermia at an animal hospital 44. and is making a good recovery. 

45. Many bereaved relatives in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif were burying their dead 46. from Tuesday's bombings in emotional scenes on Wednesday. 

47. He said graphic images of mounds of bodies had been shown on television as 48. his family was eating dinner the night before and they all started crying. 

49. Blast is a powerful and free resource which encourages young people from

50. across the UK to bring their creative ideas to life. This year the Blast Truck

51. will be coming to the Isle of Man from the 8th – 10th October. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References: 

1. Sweet H. A New English Grammar. Logical and Historical. - Oxford, 1930.

2. Блох М.Я.  Теоретическая грамматика английского  языка. -- М.,1983

3. Расторгуева Т.А. Курс лекций по истории английского языка. - М., 1969.

4. Смирницкий А. И. Лекции по истории английского языка - М, 1998.

5. http://www.wikipedia.org