Differences between time words and aspect markers
Time words and aspect markers differ primarily in what they indicate about temporal information in language:
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Time words (such as “yesterday,” “now,” “soon”) specify a concrete point or period on the timeline relative to the moment of speaking. They locate when an event occurs temporally and relate to tense by referencing absolute or deictic time.
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Aspect markers, on the other hand, convey the internal temporal structure or nature of the event itself, not just when it happened. They describe how the event unfolds over time—whether it is ongoing, completed, habitual, repetitive, or otherwise viewed in terms of its duration, completion, or frequency.
In short, time words locate events in clock or calendar time, while aspect markers describe the flow or texture of the event’s time (e.g., whether an action is finished or continuing) relative to that point or period.
For example, in English, “Yesterday” is a time word placing an event in past calendar time, while the “-ing” in “was walking” is an aspect marker showing the action was ongoing.
This distinction can be summarized as:
- Time words = Temporal location (when)
- Aspect markers = Temporal view on the event (how)
This understanding is supported by linguistic and philosophical analyses of tense and aspect distinctions. 1, 2, 3, 4