Event Shape / Aspect
Is it ongoing, completed, habitual, repeated, or just starting?
含义
The internal time shape of an event: in progress, finished, repeated, habitual, started, continued, or result-focused.
如何识别
Ask how the event unfolds over time, not just when it happens.
示例
still|already|used to|finished|ongoing
is reading|has written|keeps asking
She is writing the letter.
Visual guide
Event = line, aspect = shape start ── writing ── end now: [in progress] She is writing the letter. Ask: ongoing? finished? repeated?
Time vs aspect: WHEN? past / now / future SHAPE? ongoing / done / habitual English: is reading / has written Other languages: verb form, aux, particle, prefix, or context
语言视角
在母语中
Aspect is central in Mandarin: 了 le, 过 guo, 着 zhe, 在 zài, result complements, and context describe completion, experience, duration, ongoingness, or change of state.
我吃过北京烤鸭。
wǒ chī guo Běijīng kǎoyā = I have eaten Peking duck before
在目标语言中
Aspect is central: perfective, imperfective, participles and auxiliary constructions shape event meaning.
كان يقرأ عندما اتصلتُ.
He was reading when I called.
Learners may use one verb form for all ongoing, habitual, and completed meanings.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.