26 



Aspectual Future 



Aspect adds nothing new in the way of distinctive tense forms. The examples on the 

 preceding page showed both aspects being employed in the same type of past formation. 

 Both aspects are also used in what has been termed the "present" tense, but the difference 

 in meaning which results is quite striking. First, some "present" forms: 



fl nMniy...0H numeT... 



H UHTaK)...OH ^HTaeT... 



fl Hanwiny. . .OH HanHineT... 

 fl npoyHTaio. . .OH npomnTaeT. 



The present forms of impf . aspect(on the left) are rendered into English with similar 

 present tense forms: "I write /I am writing", "I read/lam reading", etc. , but, since 

 action is not completed in present time and since the past tense of the pf . verbs( nanHcaJi , 

 npoTiMTaJi ) takes care of past time for the pf. aspect, the above pf. forms can be trans- 

 iated into English only with a future meaning; e.g. , 



Oh HanMfflBT nHCbMO. 

 Oh npo^wTaeT HHwry. 



"He will write[and finish the writing of] a letter. 

 "He will read[and finish reading] the book." 



This situation is the reason why the term "present tense" has been used in quotation 

 marks. The formation(verb base plus "endings") is the same for all verbs, regardless 

 of aspect, but the meaning is "present" only for impf. verbs. It might more exactly 

 be referred to as "non-past", but "present tense" is the traditional term. 



Combination Future 



Future events, where a commitment as to termination is not possible or desired, 

 are expressed by a "combination future" which employs "present tense" forms of a 

 verb meaning "will be" with the infinitive form of a verb of impf. aspect. Thus, 



H dyfly 

 Tu SyflemB 

 OH/oHa/oHO SyflST 



MH fiyfleiui 

 Bu fiyflBTe 

 OHM dyflyT 



"I shall read, I'll be reading" 

 "You will read, you'll be reading 

 etc. 



Only infinitives of impf. aspect may be used in this combination future. Now it is 

 possible to contrast this tj^je of future with aspectual future, e.g. 



SaBTpa CTyjieHT SyflST qWTaTb pOMan. "Tomorrow the student will be reading the novel. 

 3aBTpa CTy^eHT npO^HTaeT pOWiaH. "Tomorrow the student will read[and finish 



reading] the novel." 



Aspectual Pairs - Some Examples 



Some frequently used verbs are listed below simply to impress upon the learner the 

 fact of aspectual difference. The 3rd. sg. forms of the "present" are given after the 

 infinitive forms: 



