The Basic Directions - Verb Tense Frames

The real idea behind the new vision of grammar is in itself a search for simplicity. Our reference of the world comes from our senses of vision, hearing, touch and taste. Vision, through the focal point of the eye provides a major point of reference as far as language is concerned and serves as a point of departure to develop our relative perception of time and position.

Future, Present & Past

In abstract terms, we use the forward vision, in front of the eye, as the future, whilst the past remains firmly behind us.

If the future is but to come, then we must advance towards it. This makes our real position, as always, simply at the present moment point. When we reflect these ideas in pronunciation terms, inside the mouth dynamic, we can see how the “simple present” tense is directed downwards, towards the ground, to where we stand. Equally, we may easily perceive the difference in the forward projection of future expression to the thrown back reflection of past events.

Illustration [Future, Present & Past – To give / Dar (Portuguese) ]

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How the Present Perfect Tense works

Timeline - How the Present Perfect Tense works Experiences The essence of the present perfect tense pulls the verbal expression down, inside us. This movement reﬂects our experience and even belief and true knowledge, which even in mediaeval times was placed in the heart. The sense we are aiming for is very similar in all of the following three examples: • I have visited the Louvre. • I believe in aliens. • I know it’s true. No Details The movement physically collapses our lungs. For this reason we do not go into detail, because in simple structures, we can not add extensive information. To add detail of past experiences, we typically use the simple and progressive past tense or use an adverb. • There has been a plane crash • A Transatlantic ﬂight out of Paris crashed at 7.45 pm, twenty minutes after take off. Nobody was killed …etc. Recent Time In a similar movement - a slight variation on the theme - the expression is pulled back and released until the ...

Chart of Modal Inflection

With each movement and directional vector (or sense) of each modal, we can start to map out the areas of modal expression. The chart (illustrated above) shows how each aspect is directed;a skill we certainly need to emulate, if we are to give the correct language signals. As the chart shows , the high area is reserved for probability, the degree of which ranges from positive certainty through possibility to uncertainty at the back of the head. The forward area (ahead of the eye) carries the different notions of future modality, rising from the low downward driven decisive intention or acceptance (will) and determination (shall) through obligation(must), permission (may) and advice – or deferred obligation (should) to prediction (will) and desire (will, must, should). The past forms are set back or directed behind us, with past probability looped high in speculation but ending low - so as to combine with the auxiliary have and the past pa...

Infinitive or Gerund - Part 1

Infinitive or Gerund - ? The area of infinitive or gerund is as much of a headache for students as it is for teachers. On the other hand, the native speaker has a perfect control over the choice. Again, it all comes down to the instinctive use of language and to how our brains have programmed the information in terms of the positional dynamic of pronunciation. Back in the classroom, however, many teachers still use the old tedious method of list learning which essentially achieves two purposes: 1. That the teacher, having the lists, is shown to be knowledgeable. 2. That certain students will excel at list-learning, gaining confidence at the expense of others. Assuming that the area needs to be learnt in such a fashion, native speakers would need to learn in the same way and if the area was actually difficult or confusing, many natural errors would, in fact, result. Of course, in reality, no errors are made by native speakers when choosing a gerund or infinitiv...

Directed Pronunciation - A New English Grammar

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