The specific character of the English verb in synchrony and diachrony

Abstract

The aspectual character of the verb — a phenomenon first identified in English studies by E. Kreising and subsequently developed by G. N. Vorontsova, I. P. Ivanova, and others—is by its very nature relevant to the category of aspect in any period of the English language's existence. However, the significance and substance of its role in the language change depending on factors such as the chronological "slice" of the language and the mode of interaction between this phenomenon and verbal structures within each "slice".