Marius Velică, Aspects of Aspect, Galaţi, Zigotto, 2012

Abstract

Anyone who has ever tried to understand the English verb – even for a short period of time – could not emphasise enough the importance of understanding the English Aspect. Placing this issue under scrutiny, Marius Velică’s book represents a salutary endeavour which comes to contribute to the general effort of the linguistic community to further explain the ramifications that rise when analysing the English Aspect from one perspective or another. The book is organised into eight chapters and it approaches the English Aspect in a progressive manner: from a classical and a little old-fashioned analysis with clear and unquestionable conclusions to a somehow modern comprehension of what aspect means, what it does and how it acts in communication in terms of the laws governing its behaviour. As the author confesses, the book has its origin in a rather narrower approach to aspect. He was originally concerned with finding ways of translating the English Progressive.