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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Sasha,
The phrase "lesser mortals" would seem to imply that you are a mere mortal.
If so, this comes as quite a shock. 
But seriously, though - no problems with the way the word "tense". Is so often misapplied in texts and on websites?
Regards,
John |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Johnslat
It's true, I'm afraid to say. Soviet science is still working on immortality. Will get there. But not in time for me. Still my place beside V.I. In the mausoleum isn't a bad way to finish up : )
'Tense' isn't so much of a problem in itself. It's more that Rusdian, and other languages, translates this as 'time'. The notion that tense and time are not the same takes a while for learners to get to grips with. But they do.
With Communist greetings
Sasha |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject: Tensed up |
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| Do you ever encounter any confusion among your students when sp many texts and websites refer to the future and the perfect aspects as "tenses?" |
John, the short answer is "No". I've found that students invariably use the terminology employed in their L1. I avoid the term aspect, and just tell 'em it's either part of the present or the past.
Where I've noted confusion is which form of the present to use when discussing the future. The classroom texts I've seen invariably say we use going to when you have a firm plan or intention, and yet I don't know what I'm going to do is by no means uncommon.
Another of my pet hates is the first/second/third conditional terminology. But that's a different story. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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Good point about conditionals. Serious mischief is caused by numbering them as though there are just three important ones. Worse still is when the forms are described as consisting of past perfect, present perfect etc.
The two tense analysis reduces all that confusion to a minimum. |
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